Locations?

[Bill Babler]

Guys and Gals, I am getting lots of emails and calls on how long do I stay on a particular fishing spot or location.

Boy this is a sticky wicket. Lots of things depend on the part of the lake I am fishing and the conditions that are present.

Denjac and I fished 16 locations in a 6 hr. trip, and covered 30 water miles in one direction with a total of over 65 miles covered in the 3/4 day trip. About $85.00 in gas alone, at todays prices. I know you can't do this while recreational fishing, it just won't work out. guide trips are different. Cost for me is not a factor in putting fish in the boat for a client. If you can't make money doing your best, raise your prices.

Early in the mornings I am pretty much a mover and shaker, trying to get what is now an almost nonexsistant topwater bite. May I add the poorest topwater year I can remember, since the 99, 2000 seasons.

I know where I am going and plan at least 2 to 3 stops early to try and cream any mid-depth or chasers that are very agressive and willing to eat my clumsy attempts at the topwater stuff. If I get lucky and see some, all the better.

My next step is to look on the locations I am on and see if I see any deep fish. I usually do this while working the top. If none are present I forget that spot for the day If I haven't caught the chasers. The chasers will usually go down and make dropshot or jig fish. If none are present, that day, I'm out of there.

Depending on the wind and the feel, I will then go to the jig. I believe it takes a while to get the deep fish positioned and they are still scattered between 7 and 10 AM This can be a pretty hard time on a usual year. Not this year, as nothing much is positioned at any time of the day. We are catching fish pretty good with the jig.

We are catching jig fish, and gettin bites at almost every location we fish. Maybe its just water depth, but I believe the high water has a lot to do with it. They are really feeding on crayfish. Very few we are catching are coughing up shad, 90 percent are lobster lovers. Usual dropshot fish will have shad in them. I believe the schools of K's we usually see deep, are patroling the rocks for dads, instead of schooling and chasing shad.

I am completely spoiled with the electronics, and I will guarantee it hurts me. I for the most part have to see the fish. I feel lost if I'm not looking into someone's eyes. Lots of times the fish will hug the bottom and you can't see them. I usually don't take the time to keep plying locations, if I don't see either fish or lots of shad.

Bites will dictate how long I stay. If I get bites immediatly I stay longer, especially on jig fish. Deep fish I will look over the entire location, and if I don't hide and seek any, I am gone.

All of the above is geared for the main lake. In the river arms where the LM are present, you are a fool to give up good channel swings humps and locations. I will stay longer, as the fish move up and feed and they also just become inactive at times. I fish much slower for the LM than I do for the K's or the SJ's. Why you ask? For the most part the LM are Ambush feeders, stagers and slow movers. They tend to think about their food and not over react They have locations they prefer that are home to them and they know goodies are going to come to them. I work more through and longer for the Big Boy's

K's and SJ's on the other hand are always on a family vacation, they are like the Scarlet Pimpernell, "They are here, there, and everywhere." They remind me of a neighborhood pack of dogs, when they bunch up its hard telling where they will go, or what mischief they will get-into. Mischeif for me is surface chasing in 200 ft. of water.

I believe after the spawn, huge lake sections of these of these critter band together for a post-spawn party after the kids arrive. Great time to spend on the humps and long points.

I have wandered abit here, but from yesterday you could say, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how well we were getting bit.

Denjac also posted he thought we would see some larger congreations on single locations later. I am not in total agreement with that. Usually my very best shot bite is from 2 weeks ago until about mid-July, They will then get very sticky.

Don House a couple of years ago had a great bite later in the afternoons, fishing from mid-day on. I don't remember if it was now or later, but If it was now, I don't believe we are seeing it. Don can let us know.

Also the Whites are just not showing at either the dam or up the rivers. This is a usual summer helper for us guide types, and it is just not happen.

Hope this has let you in on my days on the lake and how I'm doing things.

Please comment and let me know how you are scheduling your moring and afternoons on the lake, This fourm is for shared information.

Good Luck

[techo]

Bill,

I don't have the greatest depth finders, but it seems when I see the cloud of baitfish balled up and near the bottom.....I catch a fish or two on the jig. If I follow the cloud of baitfish, then it seems to change depth. If the cloud gets darker or tightens up then my chances increase. Am I near learning something here or crazy?

I have been trying to use the drop shot on some humps I know. There is one near Aunt's Creek that always seems to have fish on it, but I haven't caught one fish. I can see them leaving the hump, hopefully to eat my worm, but I never feel anything. I have three different rods with the drop shot at about 6, 12, and 18 inches. To this day I haven't caught a fish on drop shot. It would seem to be the ticket on humps or saddles. I do think the shaky head works better on saddles though.

Which brings me to the drop shot.....we used to use jigs for walleye on Rainy Lake and once you figured how the depth of the fish on the hump, you would just put the jig at that depth. In other words, if your reel reels 31 inches per turn, then you give about a half turn and you would be up 16 inches. You could also count down depending on your weight. Count to twent as your line goes out and you would be about twenty feet (depending on spool size and weight). So........would a say a shaky head jig and then a hook for a dropshot be legal and work? Do you think it would take away the feel of the bite too much? Other than te weightless presentation of the hook alone with the weight on the bottom. what do you think the advantages of the drop shot are over a plain old round jig head tipped with a very attractive worm?

I think my fingers are bleeding from typing all of that!

[denjac]

Bill, I agree with your theory on the shot fish. There are hundreds of acres of new forage areas for these fish and they are cruising checking all these areas out. But to clairify my comment on the shot fish, I believe that when then lake get back to normal they will go back to there old haunts and bunch up. As much rain as we are still getting it may be in the fall though when that happens and if thats the case they would be in the fall pattern anyway. Ahhh a cool breeze in your face a hundreds of fish below you. When the rain passes I am going out and flip bushes in the Dam area and see if that works.

[denjac]

Techo, Thats a good idea on the shot. Or do a double shot hooks about 18 inches apart,give em a buffet to chose from. Might have to beef up the line test though. Imagine 2 , 2 pound smallies on that rig!!

[Bill Babler]

T. You and SKMO need to get together, for a fishing dropshot party. You just need to talk to him to see how much you guys have in common. Very similar professions.

SK is about as good as there is at interpreting shad and their movements. He has caught as many fish as anyone around the shad schools. I think in a previous life he was a bass. Although, he may have been a shad.

You guys would just have a blast fishing together. He is not a guide, just one of the most dedicated fisherman around and one super guy.

I know there are times when his sole purpose is locating these deep water shad schools. He has caught some real pigs under and thru the shad. Also just a real good hand on dropshotting.

Got to go trouting now, late morning trip on Taney.

Good Luck

[techo]

Good luck fishing. I wish I was on the lake. To much work to do here. I am staying off of the lake this weekend unless it rains hard enough to keep the big boats off. I enjoy reading SKMO's posts. Fairly direct and straight forward. Maybe one of these days I will hit him up for some fishing. I usually forget anyone else is in the boat when I am fishing though. Guess I get a bit single minded when fishing. The point is....I am kind of a boring partner at times.

[ozarksfishin]

Babs, as usual you are right on! I have noticed in the last couple of weeks, the usual drop shot fish have been spitting up large amounts of shad. These are usually KY's and on deep structure. But the jig fish, are full of crawdads. They seem to be holding shallower this year. I think most in part because the crawdads and shad are holding near the flooded bushes. On a guide trip today, we started out (after the downpour early this AM) on the usual drop shot locations and had about 20 fish in 4 hrs. with a few keepers mixed in. The clients really wanted to catch a SM, so we rigged up some FB jigs and headed to the points. Third cast on the first point we pulled in on, I land about a 4 1/2lb. SM (I know the client is supposed to catch it). Then five casts later the client lands a 3lb. KY, both fish were in about 18ft. of water at about 11 in the morining. I'm like you Bill, the Dropshot fish are not bunched up yet, still pretty scattered. You can catch some short ones with a few 15-16 inchers mixed in on the usual places, I still think we are about 3 weeks behind yet.

On a side note, I did catch a nice KY on a spoon under a deep dock. I hope this is a sign of things to come, I love those spoon fed KY's!!

[Bill Babler]

T. Like I said, I know both of you Numb Nutt's and you would be a pair made in heaven. 8 hrs and no one say's a word.

I'm telling you, you guys would be buds for life.

OOPP's Am I goin get in trouble on the numb nutts thing?

I love you both, so I better not.

Phil, I'm going to put your usual shrinkage into your post and believe it was a 3 pound SJ and and a 2.12 K.

You fall into the same group as T. and SK, someone I would walk over hot coals for.

If I couldn't get all over you, life would just not be worth living. Both you and Tetrick give me and Beck a reason to get up in the morning.

All you boy's behave yourselves.

[ozarksfishin]

Dang it Babs, you know by the time it makes it to the board here, they grow a pound or so!!! Spoken like a true fisherman! Certainly one of the greats, I just hope me and Tetrik keep you and Beck on your toes!!

[techo]

Numb Nutts is the term of endearment my wife uses for me when she isn't mad!