4/20-22, 2020

[mixermarkb]

The lake is high.

Real high.

Higher than a farmer's market tie dye tshirt vendor on 420 day.

 

Anyway, there are a few good ones to be found swimming around in al that extra water. I was down at Theodosia Marina Resort again this week, fished by myself on Monday while my wife enjoyed her solitude in the hotel room and the fact that we left the boys at home with Grandma. I got the boat in the water at Buck Creek late, after a heavy fog delay and some minor boat stuff to fix. There is a working ramp with a courtesy dock there, and another road that is just fine as a ramp as well.

Fished around a little, caught somewhere north of 15, mix of all three black bass species. Buck largemouth and Kentuckies up in the bushes in the backs of creeks, along with a few better fish on the drops or in the channels in 4-6 feet of water. Wacky rig senko caught the buck bass, and caught 3 keeps on topwater in the channels. Smallmouth were on pea gravel, in the 15-20 foot range. There is quite a bit of buckbrush in the 12-15' range, and most of the smallies were on the outer edge of that buck brush, or on areas of open banks cleared for people's yards. They smack a jerkbait pretty hard anywhere there is a breeze, and Ned where there isn't. Water temps 58-63 in the back of pockets. Finished the day with a 19"+ largemouth in a swimbait out of a cedar in 20' of water at the mouth of a spawning pocket, to go with a couple 17" largemouths on similar stuff. 

Tuesday I also put in at Buck Creek, around 9am. Not a cloud in the sky, and fishing was tough. I still managed about 7 or 8 fish, with maybe 2 keeps, before taking a break to go eat some cold cuts with the wife, and she joined me in the boat for the afternoon. Buck Creek again, fished 3 till 6ish. She put 7 bass in the boat, mostly smallies with 2 or 3 keepers, a couple spots and one 15" LMB, all on a Ned rig. I caught about 10, with 3 or 4 keepers, mostly on a megabass 110 jerkbait, with a few on a kietech 3.3" with a 1/4oz ball head. 

Today with rain in the forecast, I dropped in at Spring Creek at 8am, and fished under overcast with spitting rain until a steady rain started with some thunder around noon. Started the day with a 22" walleye on the megabass jerker, and proceeded to smoke a variety of fat spots, a several shorts and a couple keeper LMB, and a few smallmouths on it until the wind died down. Picked up the Ned, and started in on the smallmouth for real. Several in the 16" range, then a pair of 18" on back to back casts! At least 6 keepers, maybe more. I don't have a clicker like Ham, but I know I was way over 20 fish in four hours. 

 

Public Service announcement-

Boat launching at Theodosia is a zoo, and an overcrowded one at that. The ramp is flooded, and folks are launching off the road, and saw several backing rigs across hwy 160 to do it. It's dangerous in my opinion. Buck Creek and Spring Creek are a short drive away, and fully functional with courtesy ramps and all. There is no reason to fight the crowds and back across a highway, when there are other easy options. 

2nd Public Service announcement-

No name imported full face shield motorcycle helmet. Like $30 bucks on Amazon. I wouldn't trust my brain to one of these things riding an actual motorcycle, but it's flat out amazing for driving a bass boat in the rain or cold. That helmet, my Columbia rain gear and a pair of gloves, and I was snug as a bug in a rug for a 15 minute boat ride in a steady downpour, plus could actually see where I was going, which is always a plus when running a boat. Get one, stuff it in a boat storage compartment. Worth every freakin penny. 

[Ham]

Good on ya Man! Taking o. That high water and winning. Maybe Next week for me.

i took a younger coworker to Norfork (mid lake) instead. Yesterday. He has newborn twins at home. Started late and quit early. 
water clear. 62 degrees. Some spawning. Some staging. 
Boat had 45 fish. Swimbait , fluke,  Senko, Shakeyhead mostly

[mixermarkb]

I kept thinking hard about a fluke and throwing that senko more, but I've had better luck with quality fish on the bigger swimbaits and jerkbait the last few years, so I kept on those. Shame it's flooded so bad, at normal or even like ten feet high level, it would be an absolute smackfest! 

[Fish24/7]

Awesome Mark👍I need to make a run to small mouth water soon!  

[Royal Blue]

1 hour ago, mixermarkb said:

I kept thinking hard about a fluke and throwing that senko more, but I've had better luck with quality fish on the bigger swimbaits and jerkbait the last few years, so I kept on those. Shame it's flooded so bad, at normal or even like ten feet high level, it would be an absolute smackfest! 

No reason to put that jerkbait down right now if they're eating it.  Were you throwing the plus 1?

[mixermarkb]

Regular 110. Tried the plus one, but it was getting down in the buckbrush and the normal 110 was staying above it. 

[Ham]

I have thrown a jerk bait a little, but I have not gotten much love on it. The few fish I have caught have been small. 

[willyfish]

17 hours ago, mixermarkb said:

Higher than a farmer's market tie dye tshirt vendor on 420 day.

That got a good laugh on my end, thanks I needed it. 

[mixermarkb]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

I have thrown a jerk bait a little, but I have not gotten much love on it. The few fish I have caught have been small. 

I've been using it quite a bit because I can make long casts and cover lots of water. I'm snapping it hard and pretty fast, without much of a pause in the cadence. When the lake is high, it's in my head to cover water. If I catch a fish on the jerker, I go back with a swimbait or a ned or both. I kind of tend to get spun out when I look at all those trees and bushes in the lake, and feel like if I start throwing a fluke or senko at all of them, that its gonna take too much time. I've been fishing 6" to 8" swimbaits and the jerkbait and just moving down the areas I know fish stage this time of year, making long casts semi parallel to the bank, and trying to fish that outer bush line, cover as much water as I can looking for quality bites.

I know when its high skies, the fish get in the bushes and you can get them with flipping, but I don't have the first clue how to pick which bushes to flip, when there is SO much flooded stuff to throw at.

[willyfish]

With Bull flooding every year and fishing pressure being lower I cant imagine how many fish must be swimming there. Does all this high water result in good spawns every year or is it to much? As far as fishing I would fish it just like Mixermark. Its like a jungle and covering water and maximizing your cast, for example not getting hung, is the ticket. I would throw a chatter bait in the mix as well. I'm going to the Rock in 2 weeks and it looks like its dropped down to 916 so I wont be throwing at picnic tables and road signs.🙂