Upper End June 23

[rps]

I fished six hours this morning. I marked bait fish suspended at 12 to 20 feet of water on inside bend flats. I fished those flats with a night crawler harness and caught 4 or 5 hand size bluegill, a tiny pumpkinseed, a sub legal walleye, and two nearly legal bass. Water conditions reported separately.

[two old poops fishing]

rps give me a call if you want on your info on trolling motor 816 213 8703

[kjackson]

Thanks for the report...

[mjk86]

Is this a tough year for walleye for you?

[jtram]

General question for you rps, is it a better shallow bite around HI with the cooler water temps? (Talking bass through summer)

[rps]

Is this a tough year for walleye for you?

Yes, but for very good reasons that mean I have not been fishing much.

I have had several days of teacher school, Nancy and I spent eight days with her mother in New Hampshire, and then we brought her here for a visit that included Nancy's brother and wife. Four scattered fishing days since June 2 does not equal much time to figure a pattern. Especially when complicated by a late in the year lake rise. The other lake rise years in the last 13 years have been March/April rises.

I remain confident I will figure things out and start to be more consistent.

[mjk86]

Yes, but for very good reasons that mean I have not been fishing much.

I have had several days of teacher school, Nancy and I spent eight days with her mother in New Hampshire, and then we brought her here for a visit that included Nancy's brother and wife. Four scattered fishing days since June 2 does not equal much time to figure a pattern. Especially when complicated by a late in the year lake rise. The other lake rise years in the last 13 years have been March/April rises.

I remain confident I will figure things out and start to be more consistent.

Well thats good, I hope to find a few eyes myself this year. Im giving up on the lower end. Im just gonna trailer up lake for a day or two and try the unfamiliar water.

[rps]

General question for you rps, is it a better shallow bite around HI with the cooler water temps? (Talking bass through summer)

Excellent question with a complicated multiple part answer.

First, the main channel in front of Holiday Island is only 40+/- feet deep right now. Most years it would be only 35 feet.

That fact alone means the fish are more accessible and the deep lake large, suspended schools really don't happen up here. At the same time, there is less water and that means fewer fish.

Next, the primary reason fish do not congregate in the shallows is not temperature. Instead it is sunlight penetration. In Canada, the water temperature rarely reaches what we already see in Table Rock right now. And they still have the deeper water move by the fish after the spawn.

But even that answer is not 100% as I can think of two "cold water inflow" patterns we see up here from time to time that puts the fish shallow. Both happen when there has not been much flow and a sudden output from Beaver dramatically changes the water. One pattern is the shocked school of shad that sometimes creates a feeding frenzy. The other is the side cuts and creeks suddenly hold fish that sit on the edge of the suddenly increased flow.

Another odd factor for up here: Our bass population up here is not the bass population you find at and below Shell Knob. We have far fewer small mouth and way more large mouth than the rest of the lake. I do not know or understand the reasons, but it is true. I fish Big M and up stream 95% of the time and I catch maybe 5 to 10 small mouth in a year.

Finally, I must admit that my fishing preferences make a difference in my experience. I love to fish top water baits so most of my fishing is very early morning. Most days, after that bite is over, I simply do not fish for bass. Instead I start hunting walleye. Now I do like wart fishing so during the right part of the year I will fish bass all day. But the number of days that I spend looking only for bass after the wart goes away are few.

I do not know if that is the kind of answer you wanted, but I hope it helps.

[rps]

Well thats good, I hope to find a few eyes myself this year. Im giving up on the lower end. Im just gonna trailer up lake for a day or two and try the unfamiliar water.

You would be welcome in my boat if you would like.

[mjk86]

Ill most likely take you up on that offer, i could sure learn a thing or two!