Shell Knob Area

[Crappie5]

Has anyone been fishing the Shell Knob area since all the rain? Just wondering if the water is muddy and trashy. My next chance of going looks like Thursday before the holiday crowd hits.

[SKMO]

Has anyone been fishing the Shell Knob area since all the rain? Just wondering if the water is muddy and trashy. My next chance of going looks like Thursday before the holiday crowd hits.

Water is fine. The Kings River drainage did not get that much rain, the river at Berryville came up less than 2'. There might be some mud coming in the lower couple miles of the Kings arm but the SK area real clear and should stay so.

[Crappie5]

Thanks SKMO, have you been lately? Has the top water bite slowed down?

[SKMO]

Thanks SKMO, have you been lately? Has the top water bite slowed down?

I went out yesterday morning for about 3 hours and only had 4 topwater fish (from 5-6 am), then a handfull of dropshot fish, never caught a keeper.

In my opinion, at least in my experience, the post-spawn topwater bite is kind of off this year. Usually mid May to Mid June is pretty consistant for good topwater Only got into them good a couple times. There are some spots I have topwater fished for several years that are real predictible at daybreak that were poor at best. Not sure why, maybe just my luck.

[techo]

We haven't done very well on top water this year either.

[rps]

I'll echo everyone else. My topwater success has been limited this year. I know that a part of it is that several of my best places are now 18 feet deep and the shallow water is tough to fish what with all the trees. I haven't adapted well.

BTW, the few reports of good topwater this year seem to include good fin reports. Personally, I haven't caught fish on a fin or the Mikey Jr. I bought. I have tried bluff ends, channel swings, and pole timber, as well as the places I fish Spooks and Chug Bugs. I am beginning the suspect an elaborate joke like the time I was sent looking for a left hand hole beveler.

[SKMO]

Well it looks like I am in good company. I would have to say I have probably had only about 30% of my normal topwater fish brought to the boat this season. In the past if I had to pick one predictable pattern on TR I would always say fish topwater from post spawn to mid-June at daybreak, usually guarenteed 15 to 30+ fish if there are a couple good sticks in the boat.

Not this year for me. I got into Whites a couple times, but they were not as common either, and I seemed to catch smaller ones.

I have a point I always run to when I launch at SK bridge in the AM dark. Not too far, as I don't like running in the dark early in the AM, as the middle of the lake tends to collect logs during calm nights. I usually set up here first until it is safe running and this place almost always gives up 6-12 topwater fish. There have been some 30+ mornings when I never left.

I fished it maybe 7-8 times this year at daybreak, caught zero fish. Saw zero fish surfacing. Of course the flat that usually ran out a couple casts long at 10' depth was 25' deep, and the all important shad were not very abundant.

The high water and late spawn just had everything different, at least in my boat.