August 11, 2009 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

August 11, 2009 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Lake level: 868.27

Normal pool: 867

Walleye are still in the summer pattern, as discussed in my previous reports, therefore I would spend my time fishing the mud flats north of Googer between miles 5 and 7. Remember the thermocline. It seems like your most active fish will be those that concentrate around the thermocline around 20 feet. I scope a lot of fish 35-45 feet deep, but they don’t seem as willing to bite until they move to the dinner table, which is adjacent to the thermocline. Try main lake points around State Park and the dam, concentrating on the same approximate depth (20 feet). Slow drift jigs and night crawlers or jigs and minnows and if you keep the baits in their faces long enough, eventually one of the little finicky buggers is going to grab it if for no other reason than you are annoying him. A lot of small fish are being caught and that is an indication of great future fishing prospects, which are the result of high survivability among the baby fish the last couple years due to high water covering the brush. We have caught several keepers (several meaning a few, not a lot) in the last several days trolling deep diving crank baits late in the evening til dark.

Crappie: if you don’t know the lake, and you are too cheap to hire a guide, look on your Hot Spot Stockton Lake map and find the marked crappie beds throughout the lake. Those are good places to start. Minnows and crappie jigs or just a hook and minnow are the most consistent. How you position your boat to effectively fish these areas without spooking the fish is up to you. Brush piles off secondary lake points that you’ll have to find on your own with your depth finder are usually better than the ones marked on the map due to the fact that the tourists all read the map too and these fish are probably pretty sick of vacation time. To make a long story short, spend a little time with your sonar, and find brush piles in approximately 20 feet of water. Crappie will be there.

Largemouth bass: The problem I see with a lot of bass fishermen is fishing too close to the shore and actually having their boats positioned over where the decent fish live. In so doing, they wonder why all they catch are Junior Jaws. Remember this rule of thumb: baby fish are like baby humans, baby cats and dogs, or baby anythings in general. They are very curious, many times obnoxious, and if you are fishing in a tournament, downright disgusting. These small fish occupy about the first 15 feet of water along the shoreline. You need to get away from the shoreline. Because of the overabundance of bait in the lake, your bigger fish can eat at home and never move more than a few feet a day. Bass will not go any further than they have to in order to find food. Kind of like you and me. Also, the fish don’t feed near as aggressively, therefore they are not willing to chase down something moving fast. I do the worm thing. If you worm or jig fish, slow down and concentrate. Fish where the big fish live and always remember this rule of thumb if you want to catch a hawg: big fish for the most part bite very, very lightly. Good luck.

One more thing: Have you hugged a hawg today? If you haven’t, and you have the urge, you need to call me right away. Here's a post spawn female from today, August 11, 2009. 8 pounds 8 oz.

Marty Thompson

Thompson Fishing Guide Service

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS

Often imitated, never duplicated. Fish the Finest!

[adjust555]

(Crappie: if you don’t know the lake, and you are too cheap to hire a guide,)

Marty,

I always have enjoyed your reports and find them informative, But to make a statement like " you are to cheap to hire a guide" in todays economy is just wrong. Maybe people cann' t afford a guide or enjoy the hunt of finding the fish. Please try not to insult people in your post.

Thanks,

Vince

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

(Crappie: if you don’t know the lake, and you are too cheap to hire a guide,)

Marty,

I always have enjoyed your reports and find them informative, But to make a statement like " you are to cheap to hire a guide" in todays economy is just wrong. Maybe people cann' t afford a guide or enjoy the hunt of finding the fish. Please try not to insult people in your post.

Thanks,

Vince

Vince,

Sorry you were insulted. Nothing personal, it was certainly not meant that way and anyone who knows me would agree.

Actually, if you have never fished a body of water before, hiring a guide is much more economical than bringing your own boat and equipment and trying to figure it out for yourself. I am very generous with Stockton lake information with my clients when they hire me to fish on Stockton, and I also spend a lot of time giving free information to people like yourself who read my fishing reports.

Again, sorry you were offended; my comment was certainly not meant to touch a nerve.

Believe me, I understand current economics.

Marty

Thomspon Fishing Guide Service

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS

www.fishstockton.com

Often imitated, never duplicated. Fish the Finest!

[Bird Watcher]

That's a smoker Marty.

I think I will have to haul to Stockton and fish this weekend. It's my favorite lake, I just can't always talk myself into driving the extra hour to fish.

I need a change of scenery anyway

[showmebassin]

Thanks for the report Marty, ready to hit the lake this weekend!