Updated Incarcerations

[Bill Babler]

Fished the Dam area today for a 1/2, and Bill Beck for a full. They were biting.

Beck on a full day trip, 70 fish with about 1/2 being keepers, K's and SJ's

My 1/2 day treatment 21 and 11. Not to shabby.

Can't comment on Double B, but I was swimming a grub. COLOR DON'T MATTER. PERIOD....

[Phil Lilley]

How hard is it to find the "right" water around the dam? "set the boat in 20 feet and throw to the bank". Most banks in normal times fit this description around the dam... but with the water this high, is it that hard to find fishable banks? Other places?

Guess what I'm asking is if the novice can go out and find some of these fish?

How's the knees?

[Jackie D]

Bill, You guys are killing me, I had to work inside all day.........But I will be there tomorrow.

[Bill Babler]

Lots of really good questions on the forum today.

I'm looking for spawing locations rather than gravel flats. As you indicated lots of these great old time locations are 35 ft. deep.

As the water starts to warm these fish migrage from mid-lake shad chasers and start to group in front of the long shallow water coves. There is a possibility for a 100 fish to be positioned from either bottom to suspended in 20 ft. of water in these locations. They are waiting for a condition.

I'm going to state this once and please if you don't remember anything else about this post, remember this. They do not need or have any use for cover in these locations. They are not hiding or waiting to ambush anything!!!! They are Staging, getting ready to spawn. They will eat if the opportunity arrises, but they are there to procreate. They are not hiding!!!

By reading all the reports on boat positioning and water depth you can determine a pattern. Large quanities of fish will stage on these points until the correct spawing urge hits. They will either work there way into the bedding area by moving from the main lake points to secondary cove points or even spawning in the middle gut of these coves.

Tim Sainato is great at catching these mid-cove pocket spawners. Most people will have their boats sitting on top of them casting the bank. Bad Move. Remember, it is not uncommon for SM or Spotted bass to spawn with as much as 15 ft.of water over their nests. Depending on light penetration.

Last year Bill Beck and I had almost 17 lbs. of Sm out of the middle of a pocket we had seen at least 20 boats work. They had their boats on top the fish. Table rock is a different critter, in clear water the fish will spawn deeper.

Right now, Look for these large flat coves, I don't care what side of the lake there on. Position the boat on the windward side of the point a full cast and a 1/2 from the shoreline structure and cover as much ground with your presentation, as possible. I am using a 1/4 oz jig head and a 4 in. grub. I cast the grub and allow it to sink for the count of 10 and slowly reel in back, coming straight up at the end of the cast.

Work the entire point from inside to outside at least 50 yds. back from the point, mostly concentrating on that area in the front of the point. Most of you will fish way to close to the point, "Get out and Stay out" On my big day Tuesday, the closest cover to my fish was 100 yards. They were suspended out in front of a spawning cove, not near any cover.

If you throw up, onto the point and hang your blade or grub and go into the bank to get it, you are done. You drive over the fish and scatter them and that's it. If you can resist the urge to have to cast at something, you will catch fish if you are positioned far enough off the points. We are not catching bedding fish, we are catching staging fish. They are pretty spooky.

Look for windy flat points. It may be deeper than normal, but they are there.

Good Luck

[Don House]

Bill had the same type day today, lots of K's and SJ 18 in 4 hours... All on the grub, slow rolled back to the boat. Had one pocket were I had 7 fish in 7 casts. Unreal they are bitting now and just like you said out in the middle over nowhere. Just kinda found mine, seen a fish roll out away from the bushes about 20 feet or more casted and a nice 3 pound SJ, started to repeat and the fish were on. Should be a fun day on Thursday for my group..

Good Fishing everyone..

Capt. Don

[dtrs5kprs]

Bill, Don, any others in the know...is it your assessment that most of the fish have not spawned? From the fish I caught last week I would have guessed the blacks were doing it or were done, brownies coming up and spots AWOL. Guess this would explain the spots.

[Don House]

No I would say they are really getting started, remember these are pre-spawners we are catching getting ready to go in.. I sure there are some that have already done there thing, but there is a big group just waiting for a temp change, full moom something will trigger them. Everyone read Bill's post again that is information at it's best, you just can't get that type of information anywhere but here!

Tell you how we do today

Good Fishing

Capt. Don

[motoman]

You said it Don, plenty of pieces to the puzzle from Bill! Great info Bill, thanks!

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Let's just hope fishing will be anything like that in 2 weeks when I get back down. (But I'm not holding my breath)

[Phil Lilley]

I can't believe Bill shared this... this is GOLD! For pros fishing this weekend reading this - Merry Christmas!!!

[Crappie5]

Bill, Thanks a lot for the great info.