60.2 Degree Water

[Bill Babler]

Well, I have pretty much seen everything now.  When we pulled the boat today in the back of Fisher Creek at 5 PM, surface temp was 60.2 degree.  Pete Wenners said he fished most of the day in 58 degree water.  We fished from Kimberling City to Shell Knob and it averaged about 57 on the flat water and 55 in the breeze and there was very little of that.  Air temps when we pulled the boat was 79 degree and they are saying up to 80 Plus in Blue Eye for tomorrow.

This is the 22nd. of February, In my 40 plus years here I have never seen such a thing and neither has any of the locals as far as surface temps.  We had 10 keepers and 8 shorts today and all I can tell you is we caught them from 5' to 66' on the bottom.  Now that is a pattern that you can bank on.  In other words I don't have a clue.

Good Luck

[mixermarkb]

So, I've read that photo period may have as much to do with bass spawning as water temps. I wonder if the fish will catch up to their seasonal pattern based on temp, or will they hold off and wait on the longer days? 

Lots of variables this year, with the low water and warm temps. Odds are still good for a cold snap, and/or a big rise in the lakes. 

Good luck to you Bill, and all the other guys that figuring these fish out is your livelihood, it's got to be a challenge! 

[96 CHAMP]

1 hour ago, mixermarkb said:

So, I've read that photo period may have as much to do with bass spawning as water temps. I wonder if the fish will catch up to their seasonal pattern based on temp, or will they hold off and wait on the longer days? 

Lots of variables this year, with the low water and warm temps. Odds are still good for a cold snap, and/or a big rise in the lakes. 

Good luck to you Bill, and all the other guys that figuring these fish out is your livelihood, it's got to be a challenge! 

I'm with you mixer, no telling what the fish will do, it will be interesting to see what happens. I can't see how you can have a normal spring spawn if the temps keep this up, we all like  warmer weather but I would prefer more normalcy. We all no things can change quick around here.

[Joenothum]

I'll second the photo period "theory".  At upper 50s and now 60 (woah) the whites and walleye should be/have been peaking the run already and with word around town not much has been happening on those fronts.  About the only exciting thing is the crappie bite has been hot.  I do think the spawn will be early due to temps but the amount of daylight we get has to get right or better.  I was way up Bull the other day and found a couple whites but nothing crazy like late march or april.

 

[Bill Babler]

The whites are pretty crazy on Bull, I have been getting my Facebook account and emails of loads of whites being caught.  Buster is just hammering them and Chris Tetrick is limiting on whites every time he goes over there.  Buster is using a small RC Stick modified with better hooks and rings and Chris is catching his on a Arig.

Walleye are in full blown spawn and there are lots of them at the Pot Hole.  Also lots of fishermen.

I know Buster has had some trips he is taking starting at 3 or 4 AM for the Walleye as they get pretty fussy with the traffic and the sun.

I agree it is not like April, but there are lots of folks catching limits.   Here is a photo Chris sent me a couple of days ago.

[Champ188]

I can't believe a professional guide like CT would throw one of those piece of crap RC STX. How in the world does he catch anything on those? LOL

[Sore Thumbs]

Here we go. Ha

[Bill Babler]

Chris does not throw one, Buster does, after he modifies the heck out of it. The main reason he throws it, is because he gets them FREE.

[Ham]

13 hours ago, mixermarkb said:

So, I've read that photo period may have as much to do with bass spawning as water temps. I wonder if the fish will catch up to their seasonal pattern based on temp, or will they hold off and wait on the longer days? 

 

I'm sure that more than one variable affects the fish but water temp seems to trump all others. 

Fish are full on spawning in south Florida because the water is warmer Not because their days are longer.

Power Plant lakes see a really early spawn because the water is warm. I had post spawn fish at Lake Monticello in Texas the first few days of Feb on year nearby lakes weren't even in pre spawn.

[Royal Blue]

Man, I sure missed out on those whites yesterday on Bull.  It was pretty tough out there.  I had one largemouth on a shaky head, a handful on a rock crawler, lost a good fish at the boat, and threw the A-rig quite a bit with ZERO bites.  We fished from K-dock all the way to Bear creek.  Right at the end of the day we got into the crappie over a brushpile that I found a few weeks ago.  Caught 4 and then they just shut down.  Tough day for us.