Fishing Report 9/18

[packersooner]

Launched out of K Dock Saturday. I see they actually moved the dock to where you can use the boat ramp After having to jump my outboard battery to get the motor cranked, we headed to the Hogan Creek area through the fog. Ended up with two sub-legal walleye (one 17 3/4"), 7 or 8 LM, and a handful of bluegill all on slow death rigs. We then scouted for brush piles and ended up with one keeper crappie on a jig. The pile we found was within site of K Dock. Quite honestly, that is the first crappie we have caught out of Bull Shoals. Just haven't figured them out.

On a completely different topic, I would like to thank those (Mike Worley and Rangerman come to mind) that contributed to that walleye thread awhile back. Took your advice and picked up a copy of the Troller's Bible. Also purchased a couple of Depthmaster rigs. Just need to spool them up and start stocking up on deep running cranks.

Jason

[illwalley]

Jason also try the okuma outfits, there reasonably priced and work great, if you are trolling alot ive started using the "tadpoles" by offshore tackle, to me they work so much better than dipsey divers. I took them to lake erie and out fished the dipsey diver 2 to 1. They just dont stir up the water like dipseys, and you can use them with a spinner harnes as well.

[rangerman]

Lots and lots of ways to fish eyes, Go get em Jason.....I've heard the tadpoles work great (I have regular snap weights) and I know those work good as well. Good luck and tear em up. You'll need crankbaits anonymous shortly trust me you are speaking to a pure addict.

[rps]

tell it, brother

[Sam]

I went out of K Dock again on Wednesday, 9/22. I'd say the lake is in a transition stage between summer and fall, the surface water temp is back up to 82 (it was 78 last week), there are minnows all over the surface and only gar after them.

Crappie fishing was tough, I only caught one keeper. I found and marked 4 new brushpiles between Snapp Holler and Hogan in 18-20 feet of water. They're big brushpiles, about 20 feet across and 8 feet tall, and I think maybe Conservation has been putting cedars out. They're springy when I hang up on them, like cedars, and I think I would have known about them if they'd been there long. I couldn't get any crappie off of them this time, but I'm real glad to know where they are.

I only saw white bass boil on the surface once, and they quit by the time I could get there and didn't come back up. I found where the bass and white bass are hiding, though. If you go along where any big flat drops off into the main channel and stay in about 20 feet of water, you'll cross side channels where the depth drops to 35 feet or so. Bass and white bass in about equal numbers are suspended in those side channels, 20-25 feet down over a 35 foot bottom.

I jigged with a 1/4 oz. Little Cleo spoon in a bunch of those side channels and came up with a limit of white bass and as many bass. The bass were mostly 10"-12", but I caught three keepers including a 16" smallmouth. A dropshot would probably work good now for bass fishermen. It was a good trip - the white bass limit and the one crappie I caught are in the 'fridge, and the bass are still swimming in the lake.