May 1, Big M area

[Quillback]

Got out at the break of dawn and fished until noon. Wind really picked up about 11 AM and the number of boats on the lake later in the morning was getting ridiculous so I was ready to go.

Most of the bass I caught today were in front of buck brush near bedding areas.  Threw a Ned rig on the edge of the brush and dragged it back a few feet, most bites were pretty close to the brush.  Nothing big, mainly nest guarding males, I had 4 keepers out of 21 bass.  Quite a few bites, quite a few misses as they are being really squirrely.  Several bites where it would just stop and feel exactly like dragging it into a limb and usually those were the better fish.  Some bites I'd just see some twitches in the line, without feeling anything.

Caught a couple on top water, there are a few out in the channel chasing shad.

18 rigs in the Big M lot when I left which seems to be the new normal.  

 

[Jadesjigs]

I pretty much have the same report, except in the Aunts Creek area.  You explained the bite perfectly.  I was using 1/8 size Ned Head and I didn't start getting bit consistently until I put 3" grubs on them.  I was initially using a straight stick style plastic.  One of the grubs was a pumpkin color and the other was a watermelon/red color.  I would let the jigs glide to the bottom with very short pauses and then slowly swim them across the rocks.  I was catching them on the inside of points and throughout 2/3 of the way back into main lake coves.  It seemed like the banks with the sun on them were the best.  All of the fish caught were in less than 10 ft. of water.   

[bferg]

I had almost the exact same report!  We put in at Eagle Rock and fished down to big M.  We mainly fished flukes and Neko rigs in front of buck brush.  Lots of nice healthy spots and a few LM with one being a real toad.  Also had a nice smallie. 

Docks near spawning pockets were also holding fish.  Quillback described the bite perfectly- had to feed them the fluke for sure and I never felt the better fish on the neko- just saw line moving slowly.  
 

Saw a little topwater activity but it was pretty weak and we didn’t mess with it for too long.

My brother did pick catch a slab crappie on the swimmer- lots of crappie in Panther Creek.

Can’t believe how many boats were out!  Liked like a Saturday in June!  

 

[Patlock]

We  had a similar day today down on the lower end. Started with the ned without much luck. My wife and I then switch to the 2.8 keitechs and fished it just above the slime like Bill Babler mentioned on the 4/27 report. Caught a bunch of spotted bass and were surprised by a couple crappie. Water temps were 62 this morning to almost 66 degrees later in the afternoon. I did see several beds, but no fish on them. 

[Jadesjigs]

What size heads are you guys using with your baits?  I initially started with 1/4, but the 1/8 produced much better in the shallow water and let me slow down my presentation a lot. I'm wondering now if I should downsize even more. 

[Quillback]

I'm using 1/8th, but I bet a 1/16th would get them too or maybe work better.  I just hate throwing the 1/16.

[Patlock]

I used 1/8th also. 

[Bill Babler]

Guys, those are all insanely great reports that we really appreciate.  Accurate to a T.  I was at lake O. on Thursday and the bite was the same on a jig, a ned or a brushhog.  Working the bait like normal it would just stop for a split second and you thought you were hung on a small rock and then it would quick twitch and when you struck back nothing there.  I set the hook about 100 times up there to catch a dozen short bass.  I also didn't get the hook set about that many times as they just dropped it after the quick twitch.

Lots of pics of spawned out bass above and one with a LM that is yet to do it.

Thanks again, Good Luck

[Jaguar 97]

We fished Baxter area and it was slow for us also. We did fish shallow some but caught most of ours 15 to 17 foot. Ned and swimmers. Best fish for the day was a 17" Kentucky on a jig. Like you said lots of boats out.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, bferg said:

I had almost the exact same report!  We put in at Eagle Rock and fished down to big M.  We mainly fished flukes and Neko rigs in front of buck brush.  Lots of nice healthy spots and a few LM with one being a real toad.  Also had a nice smallie. 

Docks near spawning pockets were also holding fish.  Quillback described the bite perfectly- had to feed them the fluke for sure and I never felt the better fish on the neko- just saw line moving slowly.  
 

Saw a little topwater activity but it was pretty weak and we didn’t mess with it for too long.

My brother did pick catch a slab crappie on the swimmer- lots of crappie in Panther Creek.

Can’t believe how many boats were out!  Liked like a Saturday in June!  

 

nice brownie, and you can thank leonard and i for bring all the brownies up from the lower end and turning them loose at eagle rock.  goes to show why the lower end has more bass than anywhere.  all the tourneys are held there.  but, the upper end never did have any brownies, and our efforts form long ago at big m is a big reason for all of them around there, and now there are a lot more  catches showing up around eagle rock.  you guys really had a nice trip.

 

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