Navigating Big Sac Arm

[Jmontgo1246]

Fairly new to fishing Stockton. Was up the Big Sac Arm past the bridge at Mutton Creek and kept to the left...after I went past Birch Branch and was continuing up the river and the next bend back to the left there was some trees kind of out in the middle around the actual channel. Came off pad to make sure I didn't hit anything....noticed there was definitely trees down below the surface mostly around the channel. I just turned around as I didn't want to tear anything up...was curious what the running route was or any major areas I need to watch out for as I navigate up river to the Greenfield launch area. These trees were just before the Shaw Bluff area on my map. Any help would be appreciated...would like to explore up in that area just don't want to tear anything up in doing so. Thanks Jeremy

[Lvn2Fish]

That area is probably the most tricky spot on the lake IMO. Run the flat, stay off the bank a good ways. Once you get to the end of the flat you will see some trees ahead. I usually slow down and idle through there. Then you can open it back up running the middle part of the lake. there is a huge tree out there that is visible stay to the left of that. You should have no problem running up from there. There are a few flats above that towards Greenfield that you can hit and beach, just know they run out a ways. Ill try to draw a line from google earth of the route I take.

[Flysmallie]

That area is probably the most tricky spot on the lake IMO. Run the flat, stay off the bank a good ways. Once you get to the end of the flat you will see some trees ahead. I usually slow down and idle through there.

Exactly. I used to run that section all the time and have never had a problem. The trees that Lvn2Fish is talking about at the end of the flat is where the channel cuts back across the lake. You can also run up the middle of that channel with no problems. It's quite fun to take someone up through that area for the first time and starting running up the channel with trees flying by on both sides.

Good area to get acquainted to.

[Jmontgo1246]

Thanks guys...any help is greatly appreciated!! From google earth it looks like once you make that turn back to the right and shaw bluff ends that the trees do go straight across the lake....is that where you shut down and idle through? Then you can open it back up again? Flysmallie, you run the channel up against the bluff bank?? Just stay between the trees? Have ran channels like that before just didn't know if there may be a random tree actually in the channel

[MeatintheFreezer]

You are correct, this is a tricky section to run if you do not know what you are doing. I had to tow a boat back to CC ramp a month or so back after he hit a stump after dark in this same area.

I am not a mapmaker or a graphic designer, but here is a map with a few spots marks where you really need to pay attention. The bottom circle is where the stump row runs out into the lake a ways. I had a buddy that used to screw a reflector to the last stump, but someone always took it down,

The center circle is where the channel crosses the lake, I always come off plane when crossing this.

The top circle is where there are some scattered trees the are right out in the middle of the lake. I always cut across the point just outside the tree line.

Dont know if this helps, but that is my two cents.

[TTJJ]

Good luck with tree $tumps.

[Jmontgo1246]

^{Thanks MeatintheFreezer, that helps out a bunch on were I need to shut down and just idle through.}

[zarraspook]

Here is a couple of maps from 1975 that shows the gap in the tree line across the area your talking about ...

When I got here in 1986, I went up there and idled around till I found the gap and have never came off plane since.....

The red circle is where the single tree the other post talked about....

[Lvn2Fish]

Those maps are so much nicer than hot spot maps

[zarraspook]

This is a scan of the front & back of the map package....

I am not sure if you can still find them anywhere....