8-7-15 Shell Knob Fishing Report

[5bites]

5 bites you are right on everything you posted. First on the upper end, they just seem to relate to the bottom way more lets say from even point 22 up. Yes you can find them on some deep trees and some suspended, but for the most part these fish are bottom dwellers, until Winter, and even then they will move into the guts and deep channel and still relate to the bottom.

I'm not finding them relating to the shad when they are suspended, just more an isolated fish or two and as we talked about when you catch one they come zipping over from everywhere. I think they are in pretty loose schools, but they sure get excited when one is hooked and come to investigate.

I wonder how many isolated trees have been found with side imaging? I doubt that anymore have been found than seeing the lake for 30 yrs. and fishing durn near every location on it. If you have been over an area 1000 times looking at it at high and low water and graphing it, I don't think we are going to see anymore with the side scan. If your new in the area, man that would be a plus. And yes for sure if you can see on side imaging a tree that is loaded with fish. I never got that good. I could see the tree, but not the fish. until I looked at it with my sonar.

I am never after or let me say very seldom after 5 quality bites. I am more after 40 bites of any kind. This is my 26th. year in the business and folks just want to get bit. I had a guy a couple of weeks ago say he wanted to catch a 5 pounder. He was ready to mount the first 1.75 jaw he caught thinking it was a trophy fish. Folks just want to get a bite. 99.9% could care less if its a 12" or a 24".

My guy yesterday took a picture of every K he caught. He had been to Brazil last year and caught 18 pound peacock bass and he was just as happing porking a 15" K on a jig.

For most of us, its about the bite. Thank goodness for me.

Good Luck

On the first part about the upper end I'm glad to hear you say that because I've tried and tried and just assumed I wasn't figuring them out like I should. I tend to let failure get in my head an spin me out. Another thing, and I've heard Bo mention it I believe, but the population just doesn't seem very strong past eagle rock especially. Again I'm not trying to pass the buck here. We've had several good days but not with the quality or quantity I've been hoping for since I've been fishing this end exclusively for the last few years. I get a few things going here and there but man it's so isolated. I've got more work to do and I've really got to lose the "river" fishing mindset and lighten up my tackle some. I need to start low and work my way up the quality scale. I think that is killing my confidence.

Now on the side imaging yea I totally see what you are saying. I doubt there is much more for you to see with the time you have on this lake. Not to mention the relationships with other anglers and the combined knowledge. For a guy like me with miles to grow being able to see way more of a flat at once looking for that single tree or brush pile uses up a lot less of my Saturday. Last fall (this is not the intro to a success story) I idled into a creek by eagle rock and saw a tree at the mouth that was stacked with crappie off to my right on the si. It looked like it had leaves lol. I idled back by it a couple more times to look at it. I tried to drop what I had available in the boat (jigging spoon maybe) but had one bite and that was it. It was so windy it was hard to stay on them. I always look at that tree when I idle in though just to see if anyone is home though. It's just neat to see the fish just doing their thing on the graph.

So I assume you are running hds units just without the lss2?

[Bill Babler]

Yep. On the new bay boat I'm running the Gen III touch and on the Phoenix I'm using HDS 8's

[rps]

5bites:

Trust me on this - there are many large large mouth on this end of the lake. More, I think, than Big M on down river. What we don't have are large small mouth. Am I saying this end could support a large tourney? No. There is way less water. On the other hand, give the time to learn the area that does exist, and you can go find big fish. I must add a disclaimer here: My first three years fishing the lake (2002 to 2005) were tough. And I lived on the lake and fished it far more often than presently get to fish.

As for the side scan versus down scan utility, side scan is useful for brand new to you water (those first three years). Bill spent those long ago and does not need to explore anymore. I have it, but rarely discover anything I didn't know about.

[Bill Babler]

Randy, are you headed back to school this week? From what I am hearing from my clients, some started even last week, with the majority starting either today or the first of next week.

Man that seems early to me. Summer should be a time family's can spend time together, and it seems it is really compressed, especially if they do any school related Summer activities.

[Amosboy]

Thanks Bill for the new perspective and to rps for upper end hope. I got good fish on the upper end mostly spring and fall but have been skunked more than once in August. Hoping for a good sept bite in the a eagle rock area!

[rps]

Randy, are you headed back to school this week? From what I am hearing from my clients, some started even last week, with the majority starting either today or the first of next week.

Man that seems early to me. Summer should be a time family's can spend time together, and it seems it is really compressed, especially if they do any school related Summer activities.

Bill, this week is my teacher training week. Monday will be my first day with kids. Do not get me started on all the "life" things that got in the way of fishing this last summer. Let's just say I had to accomplish a lot with so little.

[dtrs5kprs]

Randy, are you headed back to school this week? From what I am hearing from my clients, some started even last week, with the majority starting either today or the first of next week.Man that seems early to me. Summer should be a time family's can spend time together, and it seems it is really compressed, especially if they do any school related Summer activities.

Amen. Ours start tomorrow, for two super useful days. Explain that...

[GNSfishing]

Wonder ever happened to the not starting school until after Labor day?? Thought there was a law passed sometime ago to that effect or am I just thinking so...

[rps]

At the same time No Child Left Behind became the law, teacher contract days were extended. In addition, rules on what counted as education days were changed with the net effect of lengthening the school calendar. I am obligated to work 190 days per year. To be fair, I will note I am allowed 5 paid sick days per year and 2 paid personal days per year. I rarely take these as the children are usually wild children after a day or two with subs. Right now I have over 100 sick days "in the bank."

[5bites]

So can you cash those suckers in your last 100 days before retirement?