March 21, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

March 21, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Walleye: This week's report will be very similar to last week's report in that the big rush to spawn has not yet heated up. I keep saying I predict it will happen in the next few days... well, sooner or later, I am going to be right. We have had warm rain, and now we are approaching the right moon phase. All I can say is I'd spend my time either at the dam, Maze Creek, or the Sac River arm.

Crappie fishing is getting better and more widespread as the crappie move in to their pre-spawn mode. The crappie that I have been catching are still in around 15-20 feet of water on jig heads and medium sized minnows. These are bigger than average crappie (12-14 inches), but if you want to catch numbers, go to places like Birch Branch, Price Branch, Turkey Creek, and tie up to a cedar located next to the creek channel and have at it. Mutton Creek Marina reported excellent crappie fishing the last week.

White bass are beginning to spawn, but are not as hot as they will get in the next few days. For now, your best chance for white bass on anything from jigs to rooster tails is the Turnback Creek area. And speaking of the Turnback Creek area, I would like to apologize on behalf of my home lake for the incredible, unsightly, embarrassing and downright criminal amount of litter in the area across from the CC boat ramp. You name it, someone's garbage is here. Everything from beer cans to discarded fishing line strewn through the trees like Christmas tinsel. I direct this to the small minority of those of you who I hope never come back.

Largemouth bass fishing has been quite good and my clients have been very successful lately. Crank bait fishing is good for smaller fish in and around deeper coves in the shallower water. To catch bigger fish, you need to back off past the main break of a particular shoreline, and use jigs or plastic worms. We have all heard the old saying "10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish." This is true, but an important fact must be realized: 90% of the fish are behind the fisherman. Position your boat further from the shore than you normally would and you'll catch more quality fish because they are in deeper water. If you catch quality bass, you know what I mean. Suspended jerk baits are still effective, along with an occasional spinner bait. I still go to the old fashioned plastic worm, and it has worked for me for a lot of years, but for those of you who think this is outdated, the jig n pig will also produce. I have also caught a couple of good bass while flipping a black jig in the willows. With the water level up in the brush in all of the prime spawning spots, this should be an excellent reproduction year.

Guide's tip of the week: all boaters must beware of debris such as logs, stumps, limbs and trees floating merrily along just waiting to be greeted by your lower unit. Just for extra fun, one of the concrete towers that support the large, high tension power lines around mile marker 5 in the Little Sac arm fell over. This is just upstream from the 245 bridge. The 5 high tension lines are still attached to the portion of the tower that is out of the water and are running just under and just above the surface of the lake for several hundred feet on the north and south side of the towers. Thanks to our heroes at the Corps, they have marked this hazard, but you need to be careful. Also, thanks to the Corps, the north Mutton Creek boat ramp is back in full service. Mutton Creek Marina's boat ramp is also in service now.

Marty Thompson

Thompson Fishing Guide Service

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS

[Fozzy]

I want to thank you for the Great reports you put in here, takes alot of your time.... I don't get to fish stockton as much as I should...but i really Love hearing your detailed reports...plus your tips/safety things are great...

Thank you for your efforts....very much appreciated...

[ckjacks]

Good to hear they are taking care of things.