Swan Creek On Fire

[Phil Lilley]

Just talked to Duane. He said whites were caught all day today in the park at Swan. Waves of whites- big sows and males- were schooling up in and out of the creek. People were lining the banks, all filling their stringers (some over and over). Didn't matter what you were throwing- sliders, swimming minnows, small crank baits, rooster tails. Cold front didn't hinder their run at all.

[zander]

This news is making me think of getting very brave and/or stupid and going down there tmw during the rain/snow and trying my luck.

[Phil Lilley]

Cold rain tonight might shut them down. But they will still be in the main lake. Water temp there won't change.

[Flysmallie]

I'm still going to go give it a try. We fished Beaver today, I'm always in the wrong spot at the wrong time. We didn't catch any whites but had 15 largemouth in about an hour and a half. Most on a jerkbait. It should be slow tomorrow but you never know.

[nathan RN]

If it was up to you guys (smart fisherman on this forum) would you all go to swan tomorrow for a shot at the whites or would you go somewhere else.

thanks for any input.

[Phil Lilley]

Honestly... if there's any fish to be caught it would be out in the main lake after this very cold rain. I wouldn't think any whites would be in Swan or Beaver. I could be wrong though.

[Troy Gregg]

Honestly... if there's any fish to be caught it would be out in the main lake after this very cold rain. I wouldn't think any whites would be in Swan or Beaver. I could be wrong though.

Tried in Swan this afternoon, just as the dirty water started to appear and it was extremely slow at best

[nathan RN]

fished swan today hope'n to get lucky, no so much. there were several boats catching whites but it took forever to catch on and they all were small males. went up to the rock pile to see the water flowing pretty well over powersite. caught some nice smallies up there. again tried for some whites or walleye and got nothing water temps were 46-48, man that rain really slowed things down, lilley was right on with his prediction.

[Sam]

I'm going tomorrow (Monday), but I won't go up the creeks and I won't go above Beaver Creek. There's probably still cold and/or muddy water coming down those creeks.

The whites are wanting to spawn though, and they shouldn't have gone too far. The barometer's not rising, and it ought to fall a little in advance of tomorrow night's showers so tomorrow won't really be a "bluebird day". The wind's going to be from the south, so white bass ought to be in the main lake not too far from the creeks on sunny, shallow banks and coves that the wind's blowing into. That's the theory anyway, we'll see.

I think it's getting about time for crappie (the males anyway) to start leaving those main channel drop-offs and start moving to staging areas near spawning coves and banks. We'll see about that, too.

I'm going to take a bass rig because I've had real good luck around there in past years at this time with suspending jerkbaits, grubs, and Senkos. Hopefully, I'll find time for all of that.

Everything starts happening all at once this time of year. I'd like to go sucker grabbing, I'd sure like to get to the James River again, and I haven't tried Long Creek yet this year. I wish the peak times for white bass, crappie, bass, and suckers would happen one after the other instead of all at once. If I go one place, like tomorrow, and it's not so good - then I always wish I'd gone to the other place and done the other thing.

[Phil Lilley]

I might have been right on... but I didn't believe myself.

I took a couple of guys (clients) this pm. Trolled above Swan for a while, boated down to Barker and looked for some deep crappie, drifted with minnows again above Swan for walleye and then ended the evening in Swan. Caught one male at Barker, 3 male whites below the bridge in Swan plus 2 smallies. Saw one guy on the bank leave with maybe 8-9 whites on a stringer (bet it took him most of the afternoon to get those).

Few boats out today considering... they knew something I didn't. But I had to try. Trout on Taney was slow and I had an itch. I think NO WIND was the biggest draw.

Tomorrow's another day! Good luck Sam.