Beaver 4/3

[Quillback]

I launched about 0800 and headed way up War Eagle looking for whites, could not find any but caught a couple of LM's, one keeper and a couple of shorts on white Road Runners. BTW for you striper guys, there were lots of guide boats up War Eagle fishing shad under balloons. I then decided to try for LM's and zoomed to Piney creek cove, fished a Mcstick, picked up 3 whites and a couple of shorts LM's. Wind started howling so I decided to head back to the launch, decided to stop and fish a shallow cove near the Hickory creek launch, threw a spinner bait at some shallow flooded buckbrush in the back of the cove and found a pretty good bite, caught 6 or so 12 inch LM's all skinny males. In honor of my first SB bass of the year I took his picture.

Did I mention there were LOTS of boats? I have never seen so many fishermen on Beaver, lots of bass boats, lots of crappie fishers, and quite a few striper boats. When I was on War Eagle I bet a boat zoomed by every 10 minutes on average, and I am not exaggerating. You could not go down a bank for more than 15 minutes without coming across another boat.

All the water I fished was stained brown with maybe a foot of visibility.

[jeb]

Sounds like a good day, Jeff! They're biting good up in the Prarire Creek area, too. Found 3 hours to get out this morning and just fished right around the area. Caught 6 LM/spots (3 legal), 4 whites and 2 stripers, one about 10 pounds. Mostly shallow, lots of bites on grubs but caught them on Warts and stick baits, too.

[fishofexcellence]

Was up in warr eagle yesterday too trying for stripers 1-7pm, no luck should of gone out am. Water temp was up to 61, sure got their fast. Whats the temp running up in Praire? Heard the stripers moved out,but sure would enjoy towing there than driving 1.5 hrs to get up warr eagle from here at Holiday Island. Speaking of Holiday Island weve been getting some good whites up to 17". If their not in the back of learherwood creek or butler by beaver town they like to hang out on the sunken islands from Holiday Island up river. not to Houseman yet but on the way. Throwing jigs, roostertails, & thinfins are working great in the back of the creeks. Trolling wally divers & Hot n Tots are making all 4 rods go down a lot on the main channel with a walley being caught every once in a while. Whites are showing up on graph like a pile of brush on the bottom in 14 to 18ft water. Temps running about 58- 59 in the back of the creeks 47-51 in the river, depending on how much water their letting out of dam. How deep were those stripers in Praire? I was getting about 47 their a few days ago, but temps have shot up fast every where els should be warmer their now. Seems to be the only place wher ive seen the birds.

[jeb]

Temps were 54 where I was, but I didn't check it when I went way in the back of one little cove. Probably higher in there.

The stripers were shallow. 10' or less. But they were surfacing out in deeper water too, maybe 30' or so. Still seems to be a lot of stipers up here. A striper guide told me on Wednesday when I was out (he was using casting nets to get bait) that he'd caugt 19 over 20lbs, and one 42lber in the Prarire Creek area in the last couple of weeks.

[fishofexcellence]

Thanks for the info. tried to get bait in their the other day, but water was to clear for me. Found good shad hanging around Hickory same area where the black bass were caughgt around the brush.Sounds like we might give praire another chance for those stripers.

[jeb]

Forgot to mention about the boats. Not much traffic where I was at yesterday. Less than normal for a weekend, I'd say. I guess they were all following Quillback around.

[Wildeye]

Good reports guys, thanks. I am headed your way tomorrow and will be staying at Hickory for the rest of the week. Had planned on fishing the war eagle for stripers, but sounds like i will need to run up to prairie and give it a try.