Kim City - Jan 3 - Deep bite

[Dock-in-it]

I fished this morning and the deep bite can be good if you find both shad and active fish. I routinely find lots of shad, but not able to see any active fish. The shad and fish movement appears to be non-stop so you have to spend lots of time searching for the right scenario. The fish are feeding throughout the entire water column so both vertical and horizontal presentations will work (3" SB and ice jig). Once you find them they are very scattered and it is tough to find a wolf pack. Once the morning bite is over (9am or 10am) the fish just disappear. I have found fish this week on the main lake, coves, and in the creeks. One day I spent 3hrs searching and never found anything worth stopping for.

This morning I caught 12 to 15 keepers ( all three species ) with lots of smallmouth in the mix. WT 49.

[bobby b.]

Two neighbors and I were out yesterday afternoon in three different boats until about 5 pm - all of us in various parts of the North Indian - saw lots of bait balls and inactive fish - zero caught.

[Dock-in-it]

The fog this morning provided ideal conditions for the deep bite. The catching lasted until 8:45 and then the sun popped out. The graph pic shows that the fish where postured for both vertical and horizontal presentations. I stayed with the vertical approach (ice jig). Approx 20+ keepers in 90 minutes. 60% K's, 30% SM, 10% LM.

[Bill Babler]

That is a Monster screen full of targets. Congrats sounds like a fantastic morning to say the least.

I fished yesterday morning at the dam.  Started at 7:15 and there were already boats in the branch where I have been catching the deep fish.

 It was crowded to the point of 6 boats working the same fish.  I caught two in there and went else where for a little privacy   Started dragging a jig and caught a big K.  Continued out the ridge and caught 2 more, all 3 coming in a 100 yrd. stretch.  Kept going back and forth till about 10 am and it didn't stop, just kept on keeping on.  I left the biting.  Think I might have had 14 pounds with the biggest at 3.20.  I thought it was a LM  as it felt so heavy and I just could not get it turned.  

.

All Kentucky's and I did not or could not see them most of the time, really hugging the bottom and not raising up when one of their buddy's was caught.

Probably ended up with 15 or 16 all keeps off that ridge dragging the jig.  30 to 40 ft.  Caught them all on a Pig Sticker 5/8th. or a 3/4 in GPO with a 4" Yamamoto trailer, also GP

Surface temps in the dam area at 50 to 51 and up Long Creek at 48 to 50

[Sore Thumbs]

Dam Bill. Those are fat!

[Dock-in-it]

I started catching the fish in 60 FOW and as I moved to 40-50ft the fish were stacked. About 9am when the sun was bright I looked even shallower and found them on the bottom. I had a jig tied on but did not throw it. The graph shows them on the bottom.

[Quillback]

Good grief, those spots are fat!

[Bill Babler]

I think I pulled onto the maternity ward as all these gals looked like they were ready to spawn.  The only one that chunked up a shad was the one on the Ice Jig.  Everyone of them just pulled and pulled.  They tried to hurt me.

I can stand quite a bit of pain like that however.

Good Luck

[Lvn2Fish]

Little off topic, but this one was 3.8. Lake Hartwell a few weeks ago . They are just so long down there 

[bobby b.]

Had to drive far away from home to find the bait fish today.  May need to start packing a lunch. 🙂  The bait fish moved from the creek bed to the adjacent point and back and forth.  I could only get bit on the bottom and when the bait moved off.   Best fish a 3.x LM.  Ice jig in black/chrome is the only thing that worked for me.