Spotted Bass Numbers?

[dtrs5kprs]

Had the opposite trouble this year, catching lots of K's on brown fish places. Shorts and good keeper spots. Mostly on the Ned, but also dragging a bigger shakey head around deep.

At a guess the K's might be spawning on the bluff ledges. Sort of hiding in plain sight.

[Champ188]

I haven't noticed any changes up the White but I haven't fished below the White-James junction this year. In fact, Donna and I have caught more than our share of keeper K's up to 3.75 pounds this spring.

[dtrs5kprs]

I obviously don't know squat about TR. With that said however here is a thought. It seems you all had a huge die off of shad this year; maybe the K's are not in their usual places due to this?

I am in this camp as well. Could explain why the spots were up with the brownies, and now the opposite.

[Jacob W]

I've only fished table rock for 3 years now and one thing I can say for sure is that every year has been different from the one before. I found some shad up shallow yesterday morning spawning but very few bass chasing them. Past two years on memorial weekend there was a shad spawn and a decent Topwater bite. Maybe I need some expert help cause this lake is making me crazy!

[ryan]

Catching a lot of nice Ks up really shallow. They are around wood in the backs of pockets, have been swimming a bluegill colored swim jig and then topwater. There are tons of 3-4in bluegill up on the banks right now. I don't know if they are eating bluegill or guarding fry. Bluff end pockets have been really good as well as the first couple of dock stalls up against the banks. Cannot get them to eat the jig if I'm fishing it along the bottom but if I'm swimming it they absolutely crush it. I haven't noticed too big of a difference in the population of Ks. I did see a little shad spawn going on last week but not real heavy and the fish were def keyed in on those shad. It wasn't all over the lake though. I'm not really sure if the shad spawn has just started or I'm catching the tail end of it. Water temps were mid 70s. On day last week I threw topwater all day and caught them, and it was sunny most of the day with very light wind, go figure.

[merc1997 Bo]

i have not been in over a week, but did talk to one of my emarld beach retired buddies, that has been out a couple of times recently. he had 6 keepers one evening up to 6lbs. and 5 the next time, with a 4 lb. being the biggest. i asked him if they were spawned out, and the reply was, they still do not have one mark on them, and are as fat as ticks.

in talking to mike sowders, which he is the last one i fished with, he is just like me, and has not seen the traditional signs of spawn being over. the night we fished, i had a 5 and a 6, plus the other 8 keepers we had, and none of them had spawned. i still just think everything is going to be about a month behind. mike and i both experienced this same thing back in 80 or 81. we had a really bad winter, and a really late spring. guess in about a month, we might have a better answer.

bo

[duckydoty]

Fished just off paradise point yesterday evening for an hour and a half waiting for the fireworks show to begin. Only had trout gear with me but had to give it a try. We ended up boating 11 fish in that hour and a half with only 3 being shorts. 4 of the keepers were chunky spots, the rest were small mouth. Caught everything on 1/8 ounce sculpin flavored marabou jigs in what I'm guessing was 15-20 feet of water just dragging them along the bottom.

[Pepe]

I wonder how much the cold water shad kill affects the patterns. We have fished mostly upriver from Campbell Point this year and we have had a larger percentage of LM & SM than usual. The White's have been conspicuously absent, however. That's what has me wondering if it's related to the shad.

[dtrs5kprs]

I wonder how much the cold water shad kill affects the patterns. We have fished mostly upriver from Campbell Point this year and we have had a larger percentage of LM & SM than usual. The White's have been conspicuously absent, however. That's what has me wondering if it's related to the shad.

Think it plays a bigger role than we acknowledge especially on the K's. Seems like anytime there is a major shad kill I end up catching spots in places where I normally mostly catch jaws and blacks. Shallow gravel, shallower than places that shout "spots".

[gitnby]

Didn't even think of it until Bill mentioned it, but I'm gonna guess that the majority of K's I've caught this spring were 16" plus.

I fish primarily 2 miles either side of 13 bridge at KC.

Not near as many 12-14" now that I think about it.

Got a big fat-bellied K on a redfin Sat. morning and his tail was still bright red and bloody. Maybe many are still spawning?