5-15-18

[Ketchup]

Decided to try out the evening bite today, instead of morning. Started off at 4:30 out of Masters.  Water was pretty slick. Ran up a cove near the dam throwing the same underspin/swimbait for the first hour with only one 14" fish.  Already had a Ned tied on so cast that around for 30 minutes catching two 10" fish.  Made a run back to the island by Masters and fished about 1/2 way around the west side without a bite.  

It was a out 6:15 now and i motored over near the dock to trailer my boat.  Decided to change up baits first, so tied on my favorite bait of any, a texas rigged worm.  Started off at the ramp, throwing basically onto the rocks on shore.  1st cast produced a hard fighting 15" smallie.  Continued north on the ramp side shoreline. Fished about a 50 yard stretch catching 4 more, all around 14".  Put the trolling motor on high and skipped across the cove just across from the ramp.  Kept the boat about 50' off shore and fan cast as close to that flooded bushes as i could get. The first 3 casts i landed 2 smallies and a LM.  Continued fishing that bank towards the island. Within 150 yards i landed 19 more fish, with 9 of those being keepers. Biggest was a 3 pounder pictured that still had eggs.  Every fish i caught was shallower than 2'.  Man i love a worm bite when the water is that slick.  Great evening and beautiful outdoors.  

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[Ketchup]

The ramp was right behind me while i was catching fish after fish.  What a fun evening. 

[Unimog]

I put in at rb, fished there to the 215 bridge and had similar results. I caught some shallow on a neko rig and some deeper on a rockcrawler. They were definitely in the mood to bite and did not seem to spook very easy. 

[dprice]

A wave of brownies has arrived 

I noticed this also  but at Cedar ridge

[Hunter91]

Very nice job! Are you seeing any beds still?

[redshad]

Nice afternoon on the water.  It is always a good feeling when you make a change and it clues you in on what the fish are doing.  Ketchup, I would like to thanks for all the reports you give with the detailed info.  Most guys are not going to put a picture of their bait on here.  You know how top secret the where's and what's can get.   I appreciate your willingness to share. 

Was up Saturday morning to do some crappie fishing with the wife and stepson.  We put in at Cedar Ridge and fished our way up towards High Point.  We found the crappie still in spawning areas where there was mixed bigger rocks and gravel.  We caught them pretty good in several areas on the popsicle grubs (pink & purple with chartreuse tail).  We caught a lot of shorts with 1 out of 3 being keepers.  By about 9:00 we had 22 keeper crappie and 2 walleye so I decide to run up the river and see if the shad were spawning on the roadbeds.  I have really whacked the walleyes on roadbeds when the shad are spawning.  We checked the first one and not a bite.  Headed to the next one and didn't find any eyes but the bass were stacked on the end of the roadbed and my stepson and I sit there and caught 26 bass in about 30 minutes.    The wife was fished out and just sat and watched.  We had doubles many times and at one point he said this 4 cast in a row with a fish.  They were not big ones 13 to 16 inches but was a ton of fun.  We caught all of the bass on KVD 1.5  I was throwing shad and he was throwing a pale chartreuse color.  We headed home at 11:00 having a great morning on the water.   

[Unimog]

I went up to masters today and caught several, I don’t know if it really mattered what I had tied on. I Texas rigged a Yamamoto cut tail worm, a lizard and a craw and they all got bit.  Saw several bedding fish all around. The ones up in hawker I played with for a bit. 

[Randy Moore]

Nice report.  I often wondered if fishing a Texas Rigged worm would work on Table Rock.  I used it almost exclusively while living in Texas and Florida.  Has anyone tried a plastic lizard?  Just wondered how those might work versus the plastic warm.  Thanks again for the report.  You had an awesome couple of hours just by changing baits.  It pays to be flexible.

[Ketchup]

Thanks guys.  

Hunter, yes seen lots of beds with males on or near every one. 

Redshad: You are very welcome, and thank you for the kind words. Im not one of those that wants to keep anything secret. I share info in hopes someone else will get to catch fish also. I just love to fish, and share what knowledge i gain every trip out. Sounds like you guys had a fantastic day as well. Love the old roadbeds. We troll flicker shads alot over them and get hammered.  

unimog: Nice picture. I stuck to what i knew would get bit. I almost put on a lizard, and will do so tomorrow evening.  

Randy: Ive also fished a texas rigged worm/lizard most of my life. Born in Texas and cutting my teeth on Texoma and Fork, it was a bait that always produced, and still does. I just love fishing it when the water is slick. Nothing like seeing that line going sideways as soon as it hits the water. I have caught hundreds of bass on Tablerock with it. I fish green pumpkin most of the time.  

[dan hufferd]

The magnum finesse works very well in that color too.