10 July Upper End Report

[rps]

5bites and I fished this morning and we have news to report:

Lake is up and still rising.

Upper End is muddy and only starts to clear below Eagle Rock.

Water temp is down to 75 and feels colder.

The main channel is full of trash and timber.

Baitfish are suspended in the thermocline at 15 to 20 feet.

We caught 4 bass on 4 baits - a top water, a frog, a jikka rigged crawdad, and a large plastic worm - so every pattern is working equally well.

I enjoyed myself, but I hope someone else has a more gratifying report.

Edit: 5 bass, 5 baits - the good fish came on one of Bo's jigs tied with buck tail and with a speed craw

[Quillback]

I think you guys did good to put 4 bass in the boat with the lake up almost 7 feet since Tuesday.

[mjk86]

Any walleye? or did ya fish for em at all?

[rps]

No wallys. We made a trolling run through the thermocline at a known hangout, but no joy.

[5bites]

The fishing was slow but the conversation wasn't. I had a great time! If Mr. Rps will have me again sometime I'll look forward to it. Hopefully I can return the favor.

My family and I will be going out several more times so hopefully we can get something dialed in. I'll report back.

[96 CHAMP]

was wandering if you guys have occassionally thrown big crankbaits up in the bushes with the water high as it is, I remember some years back when I was down with a old friend a buddy of his came up from texas and was throwing big cranks in a dark bream color to some extent if i remember correctly and he caught some very nice fish that year, I do remember that the day before we got to the lake at shell knob that year it was in june and they recieved 7" of rain the day before we got there, I sound like I know exactly what I am talking about, but honestly I have never had the opportunity to try that pattern in those conditions, just a thought and wish I could be there to give it a try. Good luck to you guys & good fishin to yas!!

[Quillback]

was wandering if you guys have occassionally thrown big crankbaits up in the bushes with the water high as it is, I remember some years back when I was down with a old friend a buddy of his came up from texas and was throwing big cranks in a dark bream color to some extent if i remember correctly and he caught some very nice fish that year, I do remember that the day before we got to the lake at shell knob that year it was in june and they recieved 7" of rain the day before we got there, I sound like I know exactly what I am talking about, but honestly I have never had the opportunity to try that pattern in those conditions, just a thought and wish I could be there to give it a try. Good luck to you guys & good fishin to yas!!

I would think it is worth a shot, I threw a 5XD around a bit on Monday, but no bites on it, but that was before the water jumped another 7 feet. Had a couple of fish chase jigs to the boat, could be time to throw a swim jig into those bushes.

[Quillback]

The fishing was slow but the conversation wasn't. I had a great time! If Mr. Rps will have me again sometime I'll look forward to it. Hopefully I can return the favor.

My family and I will be going out several more times so hopefully we can get something dialed in. I'll report back.

Hopefully you will get into them.

[rps]

We had several small fish chase the jigs and plastics to the boat. They might have been a clue, but they were so small.

[dtrs5kprs]

was wandering if you guys have occassionally thrown big crankbaits up in the bushes with the water high as it is, I remember some years back when I was down with a old friend a buddy of his came up from texas and was throwing big cranks in a dark bream color to some extent if i remember correctly and he caught some very nice fish that year, I do remember that the day before we got to the lake at shell knob that year it was in june and they recieved 7" of rain the day before we got there, I sound like I know exactly what I am talking about, but honestly I have never had the opportunity to try that pattern in those conditions, just a thought and wish I could be there to give it a try. Good luck to you guys & good fishin to yas!!

There was a pretty good deep crank bite in 2011, at about the same levels as we have now. Basically cranking just outside the edge of the bushes with something like a Fat Free Shad 7. Mostly brown fish where I did it down around Kimberling. It was kind of a fun change of pace. That was with better water color because the rise was farther along.