Fish?

[lonkm]

Has any body caught any thing? Is the lake draw down what is killing the bite? I haven't caught anything until about 1 hour before dark. Seems like they have lock jaw till then. Even the blue gill won't bite during the day. Guess I am going to have to start using live bait and slowing WAYYYY down.

[Mike Worley]

Your right about the bite really slowing down. Best walleye bite lately has been on jigging spoons on drop offs about 36'-40' back in the creek channels. On Sunday down lake in the Oakland area 10 minutes into the trip a client caught a nice 27"er the rest of the day saw only a couple of shorts and a few bass boated. A couple of days before that in the same area caught 0 walleyes but a mixed bag of white & black bass + a flathead catfish on the same spooning pattern. I think the main problem right now is turnover related it appearred a couple of weeks ago that the process was about complete but some really warm weather moved back in and reset the process. Next weeks forecast calls for much colder weather which hopefully will get it rolling again and get the fish biting.

[lonkm]

Your right about the bite really slowing down. Best walleye bite lately has been on jigging spoons on drop offs about 36'-40' back in the creek channels. On Sunday down lake in the Oakland area 10 minutes into the trip a client caught a nice 27"er the rest of the day saw only a couple of shorts and a few bass boated. A couple of days before that in the same area caught 0 walleyes but a mixed bag of white & black bass + a flathead catfish on the same spooning pattern. I think the main problem right now is turnover related it appearred a couple of weeks ago that the process was about complete but some really warm weather moved back in and reset the process. Next weeks forecast calls for much colder weather which hopefully will get it rolling again and get the fish biting.

I sure hope so. I am so fustrated that I fired off a hot note to the corp telling them what I thought of this latest draw down. The lake was stable at 660 and there is no threat of flooding at that level. It would have to rain an awfull lot to cause trouble from that level. I have some smiley blades coming soon. Think I will try some of them. Do you have any special way you tie your rigs? Thanks Lonnie

[lonkm]

Your right about the bite really slowing down. Best walleye bite lately has been on jigging spoons on drop offs about 36'-40' back in the creek channels. On Sunday down lake in the Oakland area 10 minutes into the trip a client caught a nice 27"er the rest of the day saw only a couple of shorts and a few bass boated. A couple of days before that in the same area caught 0 walleyes but a mixed bag of white & black bass + a flathead catfish on the same spooning pattern. I think the main problem right now is turnover related it appearred a couple of weeks ago that the process was about complete but some really warm weather moved back in and reset the process. Next weeks forecast calls for much colder weather which hopefully will get it rolling again and get the fish biting.

We seem to fish 2 different types of water. the upper end seem like the water is darker than below Tucker Hollow. From there on down the water seem real clear. You know you are killing me! LOL Catching all these fish makes me jeolous.LOL

[Mike Worley]

I sure hope so. I am so fustrated that I fired off a hot note to the corp telling them what I thought of this latest draw down. The lake was stable at 660 and there is no threat of flooding at that level. It would have to rain an awfull lot to cause trouble from that level. I have some smiley blades coming soon. Think I will try some of them. Do you have any special way you tie your rigs? Thanks Lonnie

I would like to talk a little about the draw down. The winter draw down is nothing new to BSL until a few years back the draw down every winter was about 5-7 foot I think the wet years we have had for the last few years made that not possible. This years draw down is having some good effects around BSL at least down here in Arkansas. The AGFC has been busy repairing boat ramps and even building a new one on Frost Point. These projects were badly needed as higher than normal water levels made the maintenance impossible and some of the parking areas were really getting to be in bad shape.

As for the effect winter draw down has on the fishing. It moves the entire fish population of the lake into a smaller area which should make it easier to find them. The fish are still there, they are not where they were last month or last week they are following the food source which is shad and the shad are moving in & out of the wintering areas as the conditions change. Soon enough winter will take hold and water conditions will stabilize. Unstable water conditions (temperature & levels) always make the fish more scattered and will cause many to suspend in deep water. Try to adjust to the conditions that are present each day you fish for example wind & cloud cover will bring some very shallow that day. I'm like most fishermen and have trouble not doing the same thing one day that caught fish a day or two earlier when conditions have changed. It's time to start trying the winter patterns ie: jigs, crankbaits & stickbaits in shallow water.