SK Report Thurs 1-11

[SKMO]

Just knew today would be fairly good day to hit the bank with wind, clouds, approaching front.

I threw nothing but stickbaits, my partner threw a few sticks, but more jigs. Keep hearing about the shallow (2-10') bite but it was not in the cards for us today. Fished from about Campbell Point, upstream to about half way between SK and Big M.

We fished channel swings, bluff ends, gravel points, rock points, gravel flats (thinking SM), 45 degree chunk banks inside coves, and isolated cedar trees. Final tally zero keepers, zero shorts, zero bites. For as hard as we fished we were Amazed we did not stumble across one stupid hungry fish.

It was too windy really to go after the deep shad-related fish but we did find a real nice bunch in a cove mouth 60-70' of water, where they have been hanging out the last couple weeks and it was not too windy in this spot, so we tried them about 40 minutes. Caught some more zeros. Did not really see anything that looked like bass hanging around anyway so I was not surprised we did not get bit. But with shad so few and far between it was kind of Amazing there were not a few predator fish around.

Just for grins we looked in at least a dozen other spots for the shad, even if we had found them we could not have fished them due to the wind but we were curious as to their whereabouts. Checked mid-lake channel, deep gravel flats, cove mouths, back in coves. No shad to be found anywhere. This added to our already keen level of Amazement, as they were all over these spots a week ago.

Arriving back at the SK ramp about 2:45 we were Amazed to find that 6 of the 9 rigs parked there at 11:00 were already gone! Quitters! Amazing how easily some people give up.

As I let my buddy off he commented that he was going to have to set himself up with a Double Dewar's and Lakewater prior to making his evening's journal entry. This was amazing because I did not know he could write, and as far as I knew he took it neat straight from the bottle.

Like I said it was an Amazing excursion. You could not imagine, how many times throughout the day we remarked to each other, "This is Amazing".

Oh yeah, water temp was ~47.

[duckydoty]

While I was working from 3:30 A.M. till 4:30 P.M. today, all I did was wish I was fishin. (notice I said fishing and not catchin )

Duckydoty

[Fishin' Freak]

I am so glad I am not the only one who has days like this. SKMO thanks for your great reports--I always enjoy reading them.

[J.E.]

SKMO,

I was the gold Jeep Cherokee parked on the east end. I assume your's was the white truck with the Skeeter trailer?????

Fished from 10:30 to 4:00. Fished from the bridge up to Campbell Point and down to pt. 22. Stick bait zero. Spoon (yes I tried the windy spoon bite) zero. Jig 1 15 1/2 large mouth. It came at 2:30 on a green football jig with big craw trailer.

I went to Campbell Point first but the ramp is so flat I could not launch my boat by myself so drove over to the bridge.

J.E.

[SKMO]

SKMO,

I went to Campbell Point first but the ramp is so flat I could not launch my boat by myself so drove over to the bridge.

J.E.

The ramp does get pretty flat at normal pool, better when the lake is low.

At Campbell Point I usually launch off the gravel to the left of the walkway going out to the marina dock. Better pitch and plenty of room, just launch an pull forward a couple feet to get your trailer out of the water.

[Bill Babler]

Thought you were joshing about how bad it was so I set out to prove you wrong.

Conditions seemed really good for the stick.

Fishing out of ole 86 I had just hit one spot when the rains came and because I'm a fair weather geek, I was off back to the lodge.

No bites on the Table rock Shad, on Emerald Point bank, which is usually a really good spot with the wind on it this time of the year.

You were right, they arn't biting. You would have thought it would have been great with this storm coming in.

Have heard good reliable reports of wart fish in long creek, right on the bank. Chunk rock, back in the pockets, move it very irratically. Good to use a suspender if ya got it. Guy told me he was almost jerking it like a rogue. Really good fisherman and I'll bet he knows to which he speaks. Said just reeling it didn't work as well and they liked the wiggle better than a stick bait. Using a wart with alot of red.

Also got the word on catching some pretty nice crappie way up long and cricket. Main channel 20 ft. on the bottom. Know it was fact as it was a guide trip.

Water temps on this end a bit warmer. 51.8 in the Big Cedar area and up Long Creek.

Beaver is running lots of water and they have really been pulling it at taney, I bet that has cooled off the knob more than down here.

We'll see what they think on the back side of this storm, middle of next week.

[SKMO]

As Bill above related someone somewhere can figure out a bite of some sort.

Maybe a bit of an update or some info you could put to use:

Talked with some more SK area fisherman that I know were out yesterday (Thurs), and my buddy ran down the rest. Nobody did worth a hoot in this area.

Only good report we got was from a real good source and they trashed the KY's on the big wind-swept gravel flats in 15-25' of water around Baxter throwing spoons. Sounded similar to chasing white bass on Stockton or Grand. Anyway they said they were in 2' rollers and the only thing they could even fish was a heavy spoon as the water was wicked. They did really well.

Can't say I have ever done this on TR but kudos to the guys that figured it out at that point in time. I wish I was there....

Moral of the story is:

Well not sure there is even anything like morals involved but I would have to say the water is not that cold and the bass are still relatively active and eating, and it just aggrevates me when I can not get onto at least a wimpy pattern.

At least one boat got onto some good action Thursday. I have always liked the "contrarian" approach myself. Do wierd stuff that nobody else is doing and you might meet some new fish. Usually conventional wisdom gets me in a rut that I do not really want to fish anyway.

Chase the fish, not the fisherman. You know as much as the next guy. If you follow day-old information on this lake you are a day late and a dollar short.

[bassman1308]

skmo:

i've been bass fishing for over 30 years and that last sentence is SO true, especially on tr. it's a tough lake to figure out. that's one reason you never saw many major bass tournaments here.

For the crappie fishermen, a buddy of mine who lives in the sk area has been catching some nice crappie at cape fair, in 25' of water.

[CMAC]

Caught several crappie deep fishing for bass last week. 50ft foot of water in the shad balls, main lake gravel point. Not many but the ones we caught where 14"+.

We also had 10 KY keeps 50-65ft deep in ditches on flats. No wind present, bottom oriented.