7-14-16 There was a Bite today, Just not the Fish

[Bill Babler]

Got stormed out early from my Guide Trip on the Rock, as clients had to be out of their lodging by 11 so there was no way we were going to make it after this mornings fireworks show.

After reading Mike's report, I was ready to go to Bull, so headed for Tucker and launched at 8AM just after the rain.  Surface temps at 83, air at 67 and no breeze.  Water at Tucker has a lot more color than the White River section of TR.  Maybe good, maybe not.  There is a very solid thermocline, at 25 feet in the Tucker, Horseshoe bend area.

I pretty much had the Bull Shoals slam I had 1 crappie, 1 short walleye, 1 yellow perch, 5 big bluegill, 1 LM bass, 1 SM bass, and 1 gar.  Used a big box of crawlers on a harness and the gills just ate me up from 25' to 35'. Some really nice ones, I threw the 5 biggins in the box and if I had caught just one legal eye Becky and I would have had dinner.  I didn't so they got a reprieve. 

Those gills are locked in at 25' so if you are a gill guy, grab some crickets and get after them.  They are on the long flat runnouts.

I also got eaten up by house flies.  I tell you these little suckers were the meanest I have ever seen.  As soon as they landed they took a bite.  Thru socks, shirt or bare limbs.  It was so bad I had to retreat.  Probably would have anyway as the heat was on big time.  I pulled off the water at 11:30 to 88 degree air temps and still no breeze.  As I was pulling out a group of skiers also came in and said they just simply could not take it and they were getting off also.   The flies were eating the boat passengers to the bone.  I had Deep Woods Off on board, but I think they thought it was mustard and I was the hotdog.

Buster said they just ate him up also one day last week. 

I've had flies bite before and after a rain like that but it has been a while.  Today was the perfect storm with rain, heat and absolutely no breeze.  It was just flat miserable.  I saw 3 bass boats at the ramp and only saw one black Lund on the water in the H. Bend area today.  Fished flat gravel and threw a flutter spoon and swimbait on the bluffends, along with a slab.  Caught the crappie on the slab, it was very small, the gar on the swimbait and the rest on the Crawler rig.

I really did not see much activity except gar and carp and lots of perch at the thermo.  And, of course the man eating black flies.

Good Luck

[Ham]

I was thinking for Gulp soft plastics in panfish sizes on a drop shot rig.

 

[Bill Babler]

1 minute ago, Ham said:

I was thinking for Gulp soft plastics in panfish sizes on a drop shot rig.

 

I bet you are probably right.  Really anything except a big Crawler rig would catch them.  I should have taken a pic of those 5 as they were just toads.  You can see them moving up and down in the water column.  A lot of folks would think they were bass, but after you log a couple of thousand hours looking at the Lowrance, you can tell exactly what they are.

Durn things were so bad they would catch the Crawler Harness falling and eat my bait before it even hit the bottom.  I moved out to over 40 on some of the flats just to get it down unmolested, but the screen was pretty bare out there.  I'm kind of like Mike, believing the walleye are in that 20' to 35' range if you can get on the right stuff and keep your bait on long enough to trick one.

Probably should have cleaned those 5 gills as they would have really been enough for us for dinner, but had also had a dose of getting chewed on and was ready to get in the truck

[Ham]

I'm going somewhere Saturday morning until 10 AM or so. Not jazzed about biting flies though.

[Ham]

You're taunting me with that yellow perch talk.

[Bill Babler]

If we would have had any type of breeze today it would not have been a problem.  It was just flat still and hot after a rain.  I don't know why that sometimes triggers the flies to bite you, but it sure does.  It was about 9,9:30 when it really started to heat up that they went on a biting frenzy, so I think you will be A-OK.

Good Luck.

[rps]

14 minutes ago, Ham said:

You're taunting me with that yellow perch talk.

I hope they reproduce and reproduce. They eat as well as walleye, they are dead easy to clean, and up north if you find one you have found 20.

[Quillback]

Those flies must have polished off all the dead stinky Zebra mussels left behind by the falling lake levels.  Now they are going after......humans!

[top_dollar]

large bluegill every summer after june seem to head out on really long flat points on both table rock and bull shoals.  Summer time table rock bass are such suckers for a split shot rig with a crawler, and a jiggin spoon....occasionally those same areas will hold monster bluegills by the hundreds. 

[Rob P]

I've only hooked 3 or 4 perch over the last few years. 
This past weekend we caught a 13" on a crankbait.

I agree where there is one there are 20..

Would be great to see more of these guys but I don't know about habitat or cohabitation with our bass.