Saturday, 4/12, On The Upper End

[rps]

The Holiday Island Marina was swamped today. Quite a show.

The bad news was that during the last week the corps has released much water from Beaver. The lake is up a foot, the water is nasty with trash, leaves, and logs, and the surface temp today was 46, compared to last week's nearly 50. If you tried to fish the windy banks like I did, nearly every cast fouled with debris. If you run at this end of the lake keep your eyes open for floating logs.

I fished four hours with the Ned, a jikka rigged Paca Craw Jr., and a crank. I only caught two, one on the craw and one on the crank. Happily both were keeper large mouth.

The water temp change will delay the spawn. I saw no cruising males today, even in the warm backs of coves.

[crackleback]

thanks for the update . . . I would not have anticipated seeing the kind of water conditions you just described . . . very helpful:-)

[bfishn]

Bad news but good info, thanks.

I remember a few times that happened in the past, if you can catch it right, you can take advantage. Initially, the coves collect all kinds of fish, with slow motion current positioning going on at the mouths. You can sometimes even see it in the formation of trash lines at cove mouths. When the cold blow extends long enough to cool the coves it's over.

[Quillback]

There is debris all the way down the lake to point 23. But, main channel temps were still reasonable, low 50's or so. Fish were in the main channel and in the coves getting ready for the spawn.

[rps]

I ran down lake only as far as Eagle Rock. Maybe I should have kept going.

[Quillback]

Yeah, unless there's been a drastic change in the last 24 hours, the fishing is good once you get past Panther creek. That's as far up river as I've been.

[Bill Babler]

Really anywhere from San Succi on downstream. Kind of funny for us, the water when we started was 56 at Baxter and when we took out it was 56.8 Warmest we saw was back in Little Indian. At 57.7 and the coolest was at San Succi at 54,5.

I have heard yesterday there are bedding fish. I looked in 4 pockets and under some ramps and did not see any type of bedding activity, but it only takes a matter or hours, this time of the year.

[snakem]

4/12 flat creek had water temp of 63.7,south of bridgeport 60.7 . Had 6 keeper crappie about the same short left about 11 am.

snakem out

[Flippin]

I fished in Kimberly City area and the temp was mainly 55 degrees

[merc1997 Bo]

your report of the water temp dropping is just exactly what i have been preaching for eons now as to why the fish population on the upper end is dwindling every year. you can never get any type of successful spawn with water temps constantly yo-yoing up and down all through spawing season. i have witnessed the water temps fall from the lower 60's to 50 in a 24 hour period. if bass had laid eggs during this period, they will all be ruined. ever since beaver went in, and they put in trout, the upper end fish population has been on the decline. the upper end of bull shoals experiences some of the same problems.

back in "yesteryear" the upper end of the lake was the first to warm up and the first to spawn. now, it is the last. it has also been over 30 years since a shocking survey was done on the upper end. pretty much sums up the mdc. they don't care, or they are total idiots. you take your pick.

bo