September 13 bass report

[Skeeter ZX190]

This is my first time on Stockton since the beginning of May and the high water.  Put in at Orleans Trail around 7:30 am and fished until 4:00 pm. Water temps were 75 to 77 degrees.  Water clarity was 3 to 4 feet around Orleans Trail and the dam area.  We ended up catching 36 total but only 1 was a 15 1/2 inch smallmouth keeper.  Caught some early on a pop-r and  spinnerbait. Most of the fish came on the ned.  Most of the fish came on flat points in 6 to 12 feet of water.  

It was good to get back out on Stockton and give it a go.  Fishing should improve as the water temps cool into the 60's.

[Dutch]

You caught more than we did.  We fished from Hartley up and into Son's Creek.  We caught them on jigs and spinnerbaits.  We wound up with 20 and no keepers.  We also only caught spots and greenies, no brown fish for us.

[redshad]

Thanks for the reports guys.  There seems to be lots of smaller fish in the 6-12 ft range, where are the big ones? 

[Dutch]

That is a question I have been asking myself all season.

[Skeeter ZX190]

21 minutes ago, redshad said:

Thanks for the reports guys.  There seems to be lots of smaller fish in the 6-12 ft range, where are the big ones? 

I think they will start showing up once the water cools some.   I am still of the opinion that the fish are scattered across the lake in open water not relating to any structure.  

On a good note, a lot of the fish we caught were spitting up 2 inch shad.  Shad about the size of a pop-r.

[Dutch]

2 hours ago, Skeeter ZX190 said:

I think they will start showing up once the water cools some.   I am still of the opinion that the fish are scattered across the lake in open water not relating to any structure.  

On a good note, a lot of the fish we caught were spitting up 2 inch shad.  Shad about the size of a pop-r.

We have also been seeing that from the spots.   One close to keeper let go a bunch of shad pieces that scattered from my passenger console all the way up to the trolling motor.  I have not had a single lmb spit up anything though they have had full bellies.

[redshad]

When I was out last Saturday I noticed several spitting up shad.  Most of the ones I caught had pretty good bellies on them.  They looked much fatter than what I had been catching most of the summer.  Shad about the size of a pop-r.  I like that.    It much easier to match the hatch when the get that size.  When they are all a inch long it had to fool the bass and I don't think the small shad attract the larger fish.