October 18, 2006 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

October 18, 2006 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Walleye fishing has been somewhat slow the past week. Points around the dam have been producing some fish, mostly sub-legal. Trolling Rattletraps across these points is your best bet. White or chartreuse grub tailed jigs are another good choice. Tip the jig with a piece of night crawler or a medium sized minnow. The fall transition has started and walleye fishing should pick up soon, especially if you can dodge the cold fronts. Fish are still being caught on the flats near Mutton Creek and the points around the H and Y bridges.

Crappie fishing is good and will get better as fall progresses. Last week my clients caught more keepers on small minnows than jigs, however jigs with crappie niblets caught fish also. For numbers, the marked crappie beds are fine. But for the bigger fish, scope out the cover off the beaten path. Hint from the guide: look for unmarked brush piles 25-30 feet off the ends of bluffs in the State Park area or Orleans Trail cove.

The fall has turned on the largemouth bass throughout the lake. Smaller fish can be caught all day by casting crank baits to the shore. Your bigger fish are deeper (15-20 feet) most of the day. Deep divers in browns, oranges, and greens seem to work best. The spinner bait bite is off and on. For bigger fish (3-5 lbs), I use my old reliable plastic worms; 9-11 inches in purple work best for me. Try worm dragging in the timber of the deeper secondary points. Top water bite is good early and late, but it's worth keeping a ZaraSpook or Buzzbait tied on all day.

Marty Thompson

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS