Fishing the Waiting Room

[Bill Babler]

 

Well the spawn is in full swing with some mama’s in the delivery room some have already had their youngun’s and some are in the Waiting Room

These gals that are still waiting are plumping up on ice cream and pickles and are ready to snatch about any grub. “Grub. I made a funny.” that comes close   

What im reading here for the most part is a lot of takeout is being served a bit out of swimming distance for these pre-spawner’s. 

We and by we meaning the guides are not for the most part fishing where the majority of you are.   We’re fishing staging fish with 3.3 to 3.8 swimbaits. Today we had 3 guide boats out with 7 clients. A few over 100 bass were boated with over 60 keepers. Of all 3 LM-S-K’s. Lots of big prespawn Jaws and K’s

We all fished the same way from Point 9 to Campbell Pt. Setting out fishing staging prespawners. Look in front of the major spawning coves, all of us had guys fish between us and the bank. Our baits were hitting the water in 15’ to 40’ depending on where we were seeing them. All the fish even the deep one we’re suspended in that 12’ to 18’ range and just blew up the electronics. 

A lot of these bank fishermen our baits were hitting the water further from them than they were from the bank   

Use those electronics

Lots of suspended gals in the waiting room were on the flat sides of the pockets, still in the main lake rather than on the channel side don’t know why

For the next few weeks if you get tired of plinking that Ned rig shallow. Use your underwater eyes and you will see the waiting room is full and ready for business. 

In the photo notice how far my boat was sitting off the mouth of that Small jaw pocket 

Good Luck

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[dblades]

Thanks for the report Bill, can't get much better info anywhere. 

[Quillback]

That is a big ol' smallie!

[Champ188]

Great stuff, Bill. Thanks for sharing. 

[m&m]

Bill, awesome report. Great picture. 

Mike

[Guest]

nice report, gotta love that waiting room! 

[abkeenan]

Didn't know you were Scottish, Bill. Nice Mossy Oak kilt. 

[Bill Babler]

From what I'm hearing from KC to Baxter today the bite was pretty much the same on the high sky flat water.  The difference was and It started a little late yesterday afternoon as some of the guides had slowing bites on the paddle tail swimbait and switched to a Chompers or a Yamamoto C-tail  4 inch grub in grey, grey with black fleck and grey with red fleck.

This was an old Bill Beck trick and it works really well on high sky flat water this time of the year.  Don't know what the difference is but it works.  Most everyone is using either 3/16 or 1/4 heads.

On another note concerning swimbait heads, I tried the War Eagle heads and they are really nice if you are using larger baits on heaver line.  On the 3.8 and under if you are swimming on 6# line the hooks are just to big.  They need to drop down to a fine wire 2/0 or 3/0 for the smaller baits and they would be sweet.   I might just not have seen any of them when I ordered mine. 

Also hearing of some clearing of moss and slime in the area from point 5 to point 9 and a few fish are being caught on a tube.  These are good ones and seem to be in the 15 to 25 ft. range.  Some goggs are also coming in on the tubes.

Another pattern that is starting to work from Big Creek to the dam area is in the back of the non-wind blown pockets that are moss free.  There has been a buzz bait and a 110 whopper bite in front of the bushes.  If you miss one immediately throw either a fluke or floating worm to the same area.  If the bottom is clean and a lot of it is with the 2 plus foot rise up close you can also chuck a Ned or a shaky head in there 

Very funny, I guess I needed to hike up those shorts, but I was to busy netting fish.

[rps]

I welcome Babler reports back again!

[IL Fisherman]

Bill thanks for the info.  Your openness with the info is a blessing to those of us not on the lake on a regular basis.  We appreciate it.