March 7, 2006 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

March 7, 2006 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Your best bet for walleye is in the dam area because the fish are beginning to spawn on the rip rap from now through about the middle of April. The peak of the spawn for March should be around the 14th and the 29th because of the moon phase. If you want to catch a hawg, slow troll Husky Jerks and other minnow imitator baits up and down the main lake points after dark. Another technique that is successful at night is casting the same type lures along the banks adjacent to the main lake points. During the day, fish can be caught on your usual crawler harness set up or by slow drifting a jig/night crawler in the dam area at the same depth you mark your fish. Bank fishermen are catching fish on either side of the river at the Greenfield ramp. Try casting green or white Rooster Tails during the day and Rattletrap after dark. Thompson Fishing Guide Service tip of the week: don't get tunnel vision by the extreme dazzle, dance and flash of high dollar walleye gear. Try slow drifting a plain (no paint) lead head jig with a gob of night crawlers or slow drift a Carolina rigged minnow.

Large mouth bass: fish are being caught in the 3 to 5 pound class off of points connecting to main lake bluffs. 1/2 oz to 1 oz jigs or 1 oz Carolina rigged plastic worms fished in around 25 feet of water will show you what I mean. Start at the 25 foot level and fish all the way up the point on both sides to make sure the structure is properly covered. Bass are also being caught early and late in the backs of coves, particularly those with south or southwest facing shorelines. Hard or soft jerk baits work well, along with slow rolled spinner baits. Don't overlook the exposed Crappie beds in the shallower water; try fishing Texas rigged creature baits around the brush piles.

Crappie can be found on your warmer days in the backs of wooded coves in 10-12 feet of water. Your usual Crappie jigs cast to the shore or suspended under a bobber are good bets. Minnows work well also. The majority of your larger fish (12-15 inches) are being caught off main lake points with cover in around 20-25 feet of water. Crappie jigs in white or chartreuse work well in these areas.

White bass are being caught just about everywhere on Rooster tails, Road Runners, CastMasters and anything with flash that will get down to the depth where the fish are. Schools of fish can be located in the mouths of coves that have running water. The fish are staging to spawn and stack up in these areas. Anywhere in the Ruark Bluff area is worth your efforts.

Marty Thompson

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS

[Phil Lilley]

They've been saying the walleye bite is only good at night... at least on Table Rock. Is that the same as Stockton or do they do well during the day? On Bull Shoals they use "slicks" or creek chubs. Are they used there also?

Thanks for the reports!

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

We've been catching walleye on Stockton Lake during the day and night, with night being your best chance for a big female on a crank bait. We don't have slicks on this lake that I know of.