Greers Ferry Fishing Report 2-26-09

[Cody Smith]

Greers Ferry is currently 461.8 feet and falling with daily releases from the COE. Water temps are ranging from 47 degrees to 50 degrees on sunny wind blown banks during the daytime. The warmer the water the more active the bite. Alot of the black bass have pushed up to pockets and arms of the lake chasing the bait and getting into pre-pre spawn mode (if that makes sense). 8 - 12 feet of water should be your primary focus. If we have got wind and clouds throw your cranks and jerkbaits. Sunny and calm, slow down and fish your jigs and finesse worms in the same areas, just a little deeper. The bite has been good for almost a week now. There are still a few fish hanging on main lake points and ledges that are willing to bite, just not the same numbers as there where 10 days ago. The fish are definately on the move to the staging areas. Look for water temps to tell you the whole story. Last weekend we fished a tournament and only weighed 6 pounds with the winner weighing in 18 and most of the field hovering around 6 - 9lbs. My partner and I where on the wrong deal, we stuck it out deep in the 16 - 24 foot range when the fished had already made a push up. Should have gotten off that and went to the first primary drop instead of the second. Hind sight is always 20/20, fished Monday and best 5 would have gone 17 lbs. or so. Caught all my fish in that 8 -12 foot range with 50 degree surface temps, half to 2/3 back the creeks and arms. The main deal here is our primary tributaries and creek arms have not switched out yet and the fish are pushing and staging in the cut off zones. What I mean here is we still have cooler water on the inflow and meeting the warmer water that's in the creeks in arms. Once the transition takes place and we get the warmer water entering the lake from the arms and tribs the walleye will push up to ther spawning areas, this just has not happend yet. Once this occurs the bait will follow the eyes up leading the black bass with them. You can graph with your electronics and see these fish suspending at the cutoff zones, once you hit the cooler water your screen will go void of any fish presence. Stick with the warmer water and you will put a day together. The whites and hybrids will make a push once the water temps hit 56 degrees for a day or so. You can be there one day with 0 activity and the next catch a boat load. Once they move in this will be the very best fishing Greers has to offer. I'll be on the water and reporting the trends and patterns discovered. Good luck out there, contact me if you have any question's or would like to book a date on the water~501.362.9958Good luck!