The Big M 07/02/2014

[Quillback]

Fished from 0530 to about noon, it was tough sledding - caught 7 bass, biggest was a smallie that was just short of 3 lbs.

Every fish came on a Megabug fished on a 1/2 oz wobble head. Caught a couple shallow early, then the rest came in 10-20 feet of water, usually on rocky ledges or points with timber.

Dragged the drop shot around on a few of my deep drop shot spots, but not much going on, had one hook up and that was it.

Water temp was 82.

[Champ188]

Way to hang in there, QB. That's not a bad morning's work for July.

[merc1997 Bo]

nice brownine!! glad to see that all of the brownies that leonard and i transported from the dam area and let go at big m have somewhat taken hold. i can remember when catching a brownie up here was unheard of. i am going to give a go tonight. hopefully we will find an area or two that the shad chasers and laid down to rest. i fished around eagle rock monday night, and it was pretty slow between bites. we did end up with 3 3 lbers. and one other keeper, and 8 or 9 shorts. one of the 3 lbers. was a brownie. it came out of owl creek. big bass are hard to come by on the upper end anymore. they are not that plentiful in the lake as a whole. i do think we have some in the lake, but they stay suspended out in open water following the shad. i have noticed a thermocline around 20ft. around big m, and closer to 10 above eagle rock, and i think that changes day to day depending on how much water is being let out of beaver.

bo

[bfishn]

... i have noticed a thermocline around 20ft. around big m, and closer to 10 above eagle rock, and i think that changes day to day depending on how much water is being let out of beaver.

bo

I've chewed on that one for years myself bo. From observation and some time studying, I think it would pay to learn to identify and exploit what the physos call "plunge points" and density currents. By summer on river arms they go vanishingly far up the rivers, but a tailwater's a whole 'nother world. Here's a taste;

http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/15/3689/2011/hess-15-3689-2011.pdf

Added

Take some notes on your observed activity and compare them to generation graphs (from both ends).

[Nitro 750]

Great report Quill, really nice smallie!!!!

[Quillback]

nice brownine!! glad to see that all of the brownies that leonard and i transported from the dam area and let go at big m have somewhat taken hold. i can remember when catching a brownie up here was unheard of. i am going to give a go tonight. hopefully we will find an area or two that the shad chasers and laid down to rest. i fished around eagle rock monday night, and it was pretty slow between bites. we did end up with 3 3 lbers. and one other keeper, and 8 or 9 shorts. one of the 3 lbers. was a brownie. it came out of owl creek. big bass are hard to come by on the upper end anymore. they are not that plentiful in the lake as a whole. i do think we have some in the lake, but they stay suspended out in open water following the shad. i have noticed a thermocline around 20ft. around big m, and closer to 10 above eagle rock, and i think that changes day to day depending on how much water is being let out of beaver.

bo

Well thanks for bringing those smallies up there - they sure are a hoot to catch.

I have caught a few 6-8" smallies this spring, they must be spawning up in the White channel.

[rps]

Good report with information. Great comments with more information. I will venture out tomorrow.

[Terrierman]

Fished from 0530 to about noon, it was tough sledding - caught 7 bass, biggest was a smallie that was just short of 3 lbs.

Every fish came on a Megabug fished on a 1/2 oz wobble head. Caught a couple shallow early, then the rest came in 10-20 feet of water, usually on rocky ledges or points with timber.

Dragged the drop shot around on a few of my deep drop shot spots, but not much going on, had one hook up and that was it.

Water temp was 82.

HPIM0732.JPG

You are a bad mammajama. When are you going to go to the White River again?

[Quillback]

You are a bad mammajama. When are you going to go to the White River again?

I'm thinking whenever we have the next get together there.

[merc1997 Bo]

report on our trip around big m last night. 5 keepers, and they all were just nice keeps. pattern was you got a bite where you found it. bites were in groups, but no real pattern to where you found a bite. the average depth was about 15 ft.

the bite was somewhat off because of the front. most bites, if you would even call them that were really just nothing bites. everyone talks about getting that "tap". i would love to have a trip where i got that "tap" on a bite. there are lakes in this world that most of the bites are that traditional "tap" that is always talked about, but table rock is rarely included in that list anymore. perhaps the suspended shad chasers might give a more aggressive bite, but i really feel that most of the bass that we catch at night are just ones that have laid down somewhere to rest and are not active.

bo