Fellows Lake fishing

[geomann74]

Hey everyone, I just recently started fishing Fellows this spring, been out there several times and have not able to get a bite. Can anyone give me some pointers? I fish from a boat and and generally always catch and release. I primarily target muskie but enjoy fishing for anything that is biting. Can anyone give me some pointers on place, jigs, etc that work good on this lake?

Also, I have never specifically fished for crappie, can anyone give me some pointers on how to fish for them? Thanks in advance.

[crappiekayaker]

For crappie, I use 4bl test with a Bobby Garland baby shad on the end. I primarily target the MDC brush piles across from the boat ramp but since the water warmed up I cant find them. Although, last Sunday I found 5 on a brush pile in 47ft of water.

That lake has thrown me for a loop. I've never caught crappie in 47ft of water in April before (this winter I was catching them in 32ft water).

I think the water temp was 62, Sunday.

[slabstacker]

Crappie on fellows are not to hard to target with a boat as long as you have electronics that you can effectively read. The most difficult time that I have catching them is right after they spawn, they seem to scatter and suspend for a few weeks after they spawn. Once they start toward their early summer haunts then it gets much easier to target them. Pretty much any brush pile from 10' down to 30' will have crappie on them and you can catch them on jigs or if the bite is tough run to the marina and get some minnows. They can be caught on the piles from pretty much may until some time in October pretty consistently. Also another good place to look is weed beds especially once it gets real hot out, the weeds will have higher oxygen content and the fish will school in or around them. Here is a link to a map the mdc put out last year for fish attractors they have place, pull it up and zoom it in to fellows and that will give you a good idea were to start look for piles.

http://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/places-fish/fish-attractors-map

Good luck!

[crappiekayaker]

Slabstacker, when do they start to go into a summer pattern? I cant seem to catch like I was in the winter. Im hoping they stack up on the same brush piles in the summer.

Ive tried shallow and deep brush piles and cant find the numbers I was.

[slabstacker]

I usually start targeting the brush in mid to late may and into june, I don't fish much this time of the year because I am turkey hunting. I always have trouble finding them between the spawn and then. Best way I have found to catch them before the really stack up on the brush is trolling crankbaits because they are scattered out but they are feeding and will hit the crank if it comes by.

[geomann74]

I appreciate the replies guys. I am on vacation, was out there yesterday for a few hours, getting ready to go out there again. I have a hummingbird with DI, found several fish in brush piles yesterday while I was out there. Found a bunch in the brush piles across from the Marina but only had about 10 minutes left.

[crappiekayaker]

Thanks for the info slabtracker.

[geomann74]

I was out there yesterday all day, spent some time on the brush piles and trolled for part of the time but didn't get anything.