Struggling

[rps]

31 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Aunts Creek on a Holiday weekend is EXTREMELY busy. Try around the mouth of the White up to point 16. Watch where the guide boats are fishing. Try Topwater on the hump T point 9 and then a jig or Ned. Fish from 5:30 till 8:30. Good luck

Generous advice, Bill, as always. What I admire is the fact you do not need to build your rep and yet you still handout facts.

 

[willyfish]

You will never find a more generous guide in the entire country than Mr. Bill

[vernon]

We just came off the water about a half hour ago and I can confidently report that the nutfest has officially begun. Was planning on taking the boat out this afternoon but the boat ramp is already in full carnival mode as expected so I’ll wait till morning when hopefully everybody is sleeping it off. 

Anyways, I don’t have a ton to offer regarding fishing help as it was just a weird week. Have been here since Saturday afternoon and only fished Sunday, Wednesday and a couple hours today. Total blasphemy I know but between wind, storms, golf and other “stuff” that was it. The trip down with Kathy is always way different than when my brother and I come but this was just goofy. 

Three weeks ago he and I caught ‘em like everyone else - Ned and Keitech primarily with probably 80% smallmouth and 80% keepers or better. Good stuff. 

Not so much in my limited time out this trip. Mostly largemouth the majority of which were spawned out and maybe 10% keepers. The few smallies  and spots we caught were all less than keepers. 

I’m sure most of the problem was lack of effort and staying shallow too long. Even with the water fluctuating like crazy most of my fish came from just in front of flooded bushes and the rest were fifteen feet deep and most were on Ned or one of Bo’s finesse jigs. 

I must have had about a hundred hard smacks on Ned just as it hit bottom and whiffed on about ninety seven of ‘em! Born loser comes to mind.

Thought about FINALLY moving out on the points and drop shotting some this afternoon but I ain’t that Martens boy and as I mentioned the weekend armada had already arrived. I’m sure he could hang in and catch ‘em in those waves but I’d be over the side in ten minutes. 

Bottom line, do exactly what Mr. Babler suggests that you do and you will have your absolute best chance to catch ‘em. I would also mention that around seven o’clock or so in evening was by far the best bite I experienced although that was only two nights. Again, ‘ol Ned from the bank out to maybe twenty feet.  And when the evening fish bit there was no doubt as they really got after it.

Good luck but most of all be very, very careful out there. I swear at least half those people are driving with their eyes closed and the other half aren’t even bothering to look!  👀 

[top_dollar]

From now till fall what works best for me is split shot rigs/live crawlers and jigging spoons.  Trolling crankbaits is also effective.  Main lake gravel points.  I generally start at 20 or 25 feet and idle around until I see fish on the graph.  Sometimes you'll see them suspended over 100+ fow.  You'll catch bass, bluegill, white bass and catfish.  Occasionally a walleye too.  If you see squiggly lines just off the bottom those are blue gills and you'll wanna pinch your crawler in half. 

[Sore Thumbs]

On 5/24/2019 at 3:32 PM, Bgctrading said:

Thanks for the advice guys. We are heading to aunts Creek in the morning to try some of it....

Couple of fantastic points in Aunt’s Creek for topwater if you get there early. Not sure of water clarity but I cleaned their clock on a buckeye lures wake up bait several years back. One of the best days I’ve ever had fishing. 

[Patlock]

I have to agree with Bill. We were fishing a long secondary point just past indian today, about a cast and half from the shore sitting in 25 fow. I guess this tracker deep V  boat saw us catching so they ran up on us and starting trolling through where we were sitting and the bank. We had to stop casting and wait. Really??

[MoCarp]

Night under a light when lake traffic is crazy works for whites /crappie even trout usually you can net shad under the lights, but buy some minnows just in case 1/4 to 1/8 egg weight stopped 12” to 24”before a standard crappie hook use several rods different settings some times little things make a difference...set you lines 2/4 feet above the fish marked and just off bottom on the edges of the light circle those rods will pick up eyes/ trout and those will run big, so beef up the line on those min 8#

no radios or unnecessary noise glass boat better than aluminum, carful slamming live well lids etc

slip on rattle beads help 

[rps]

Upper End has more limited choices. On the other hand, we have fewer goobers. Not zero, but fewer. We sure wish the wake boat had never been invented.

[Bgctrading]

Thanks guys we found 5 or 6 keepers and a nice catfish throwing Swimbaits along bluffs.