Tuesday, Big M

[Champ188]

J-Doc, if they weren't in the bushes last weekend, then one of the best tournament fishermen there's ever been on Beaver misidentified a sackful of fish he caught between Horseshoe Bend and Big Hickory.

[J-Doc]

Well I was above the bridge over near Coppermine. I looked in a few places.

You can always catch bass shallow somewhere on about any lake and Beaver as well. My experience has been most of the smaller fish stay shallow but on certain occasions, the larger ones go shallow too.

I was stating where I was on that end of the lake, I didn't see anything shallow including bait.

Ain't no way am I one of the best anglers on Beaver. Not even a good tournament angler on Beaver. So I don't compare myself to those who are. I'd like to be, but I'd be completely dishonest by saying anything to the contrary.

So my info may not be worth two cents to someone but I expressed what I found in the areas I looked in. Several years ago, I got on a shallow jig bite and was catching 2-3lb bass shallow and regular. Near Horseshoe and Hickory. No doubt the flooded mats hold good sized largemouth in shallow.

Just reporting what I saw.

[Quillback]

I will say my biggest of the trip (19") came under a walkway in about 5 ft of water on a shakey craw. If quill runs a phoenix then he was pulling up down from me when it happened Tuesday.

Yep, I have a Phoenix - were you the guy that I was talking to that was on the dock getting ready to go out?

[Hammer time]

The bite is changing. Water in the bushes in May means bass in the bushes, on Table Rock and on Beaver.

Not so sure with water temps soaring, I think majority of quality fish will be channel oreinted or on deep points close to channel. Imo

[Quillback]

My 2 cents on the shallow fish - the bait is shallow, the water is murky providing cover, and the water temps are cool, relatively speaking. They have everything they need. Some will go out in the main channel, but not all. I think quite a few of them are under boat docks during the day or holding on cover. You have to get right on them to catch them, and these fish have been hammered all spring and have seen a lot of presentations.

[jtram]

Yep, I have a Phoenix - were you the guy that I was talking to that was on the dock getting ready to go out?

Nope I was the guy in the beat up tracker a few docks ahead of you as soon as you put in. (just up from the swim area around 9 a.m.)

[jtram]

My 2 cents on the shallow fish - the bait is shallow, the water is murky providing cover, and the water temps are cool, relatively speaking. They have everything they need. Some will go out in the main channel, but not all. I think quite a few of them are under boat docks during the day or holding on cover. You have to get right on them to catch them, and these fish have been hammered all spring and have seen a lot of presentations.

Sounds right, I couldn't get on fish at the same spot more than once the whole trip. One good thing is I am being forced to move out of my comfort zone and do different things as a result.

[Quillback]

Nope I was the guy in the beat up tracker a few docks ahead of you as soon as you put in. (just up from the swim area around 9 a.m.)

Yeah that was me, but I don't remember seeing you. Sometimes I'm in my own little world focusing on fishing and I miss stuff. I wouldn't have fished those docks if I saw you over there, no wonder I didn't get any bites there. LOL.

[jtram]

lol You weren't bothering me, I pulled the aforementioned lm, one just shy of legal and a 16.5 K that made my drag scream on that row.

[Jim Elam]

What you said makes sense and reflects what I found last weekend. I purposely went shallow and floated over brush with greenery. Rather odd. Seeing green bushes under water as clear as it could be. Not even a small perch or any bait. Deathly quiet. Not sitting on a big dock nearby either. Went around the dock and didn't see anything. Come back around the dock on the deepest side and there were a few fish. Them the dock owners started coming down the trail to their dock. Talking, yelling, kids running on the dock, big weekend fun and festivities.

Oddly enough, that noise turned on the fish. A topwater bite flipped like a light switch. The noise must have made the bait nervous. Only thing I can think of. But the bite was over 25-35ft over a flat in front of the dock. I had a bass slap at my spook 5 times. Missed it all 5 times. That's why I tried 5-6 other plugs. Not a bite. Tied on the big one again and bam. Another strike.

Same deal here on Monday. Finally caught on and ended up putting lots of fish in the boat until the crowds hit the water. All on the bait that shall remain unnamed...