Light Fishing Report - 5/16/12

[Fishin Hodge]

Headed to Rock Branch Wednesday for the 3rd light fishing outing of my life; and let me tell you I have now experienced a real light fishing experience. Took a good friend that just graduated vet school and one of his freinds from school. I was fishing with 2 doctors. The freind drove from Illinios just to go with us, so I am glad it went like it did. My hands are raw and my back is sore.

We set a trot line before dark on a main lake bluff and then tied up. I know very little about fishing under the lights, but let me tell you it was awsome.

Some shad came through very early, round 10:30 probably. Started catching a few shad about 11:30 and it was a fish for every shad you could catch. I found a artificial flutter/rattle trap metal bait before the shad came in good and was catching them pretty well actually and hooked the biggest fish of the trip on it, a 4 lb striper. What we lacked in size we made up in numbers of 2lb white bass.

By 12:30 or so we were well stocked with shad and it was on. When I say it was every drop as fast as you could get the bait down to 20-30 feet of water, I promise you it was every drop. Whacked them all night until about 5:30 and suddenly it was all over. I was really expecting some topwater action to break loose, but it was non-exsistant for me. When the dealing was done we had caught, and I realize you are not going to believe me, 170 White Bass. A handful of small stripers, a 23 inch walleye, and a 10 1/2" crappie. Holy cow was it awesome.

Our hopes were high as we headed for the trotline. We got there and started bringing it in. We did not catch a single fish and only 2 of the perch were missing. Well that is how it goes.

It is the time to take a night trip. Have fun, unbelievable.

[npierceuark]

What kind of light were you using? I've never tried it but I love catching some whites and this spring was a wash trying to get into them from the bank. I live in fayetteville and have been fishing some of the bluffs along the white arm but no luck lately. I may have to give it a try if you can lend a little advice

[Fishin Hodge]

They were submersible lights. One was white and the other was green. The shad hung out closer to the white light that night, but I am not sure which is better or if it matters. They are not mine so I am not sure who makes them or what exactly they are called. I would say we had them like 10 feet deep. The shad nets on the oposite end of the boat probably around 15 foot deep. The deeper deal was just what we did, after the shad really got to circling you could have almost caught them with a bucket. We took out of Rocky Branch and just tied up on a random bluff close to where the bluff met a chunk rock bank. Boat was in 75 foot of water. I think you will have some luck if you give it a try because I really know almost nothing about this way of fishing.

[hunter_3780]

i went to point 5 last night and we had a few shad up early but about 2:00am we had so many shad up that you could actually reach down and pick them up out of the water with your hands. we probably caught 100-150 2-3lb. whites, 1 10lb. hybrid, 1 18in. walleye, and a 17in. kentucky. thought about going back tonight but after getting home at 9:45 am, taking a power nap till noon and just now getting done cleaning fish i think i will wait till next weekend.

[Feathers and Fins]

I beleive you I know what that area has been producing lately and that is very real numbers... Congrats...

[Fishin Hodge]

I must say thanks for your reports Fins. I knew I needed to be around Roxky Branch because of your info.

[npierceuark]

Well I picked up a light from academy and tried it myself. Caught 12 crappie and 10 of those went over 14 inches. Also had 3 four to five pound cats. Fished from about 11:00 till 3 so not crazy fast action but definitely enough to keep you awake. Had a at least 500 shad swarming the light but never saw the big fish. They were there but just out of sight I guess. I tried this on a dock so next time i'm doing a bluff

[straight shooter]

Any current reports on fishing under lights? May try to go next weekend when dark of the moon. Is fishing under light really slowing down?

[Feathers and Fins]

You can catch fish under the lights all year long if you can maintain connection to where the bait is. This time of year is more a """known""" traditional time for where the whites are is why it is so popular and easy. I have dont it in the middle of Summer for some Monster Stripers and Biggest slap Crappie of the year. You have to put in the time to find the Bait pods to be productive though and with boat traffic its harder to do that.

[npierceuark]

went last weekend and caught a handful of really nice whites. fish were very particular on what they wanted to eat, tried drop shotting and jigging minnows but the only way we got them to bite was no weight at all. once we figured that out it was action for about 2 hours straight. A lot of short crappie and small whites. couple cats mixed in along with these lunker whites. We were in about 20 ft clear sky night around 11pm.