Shell Knob

[Fishrman]

Fished from 9:30-3:30 out of SK.  WT was 53 most all day.   Started out cranking some flat stuff with no success,  then picked up jerkbait and caught a keeper spot and lost another.   Moved to another area to look for deep fish,  found some shad but nothing with them as far as I could tell but I'm not much of a deep guy.  So back to jerkbait and picked up a 17" walleye but no bass.   Finally moved to bluffs with RK and started catching.   Probably around 20 cranking with 2 more keeper and several fish load up and pull off.   Most fish had back hook.   Only caught 2 largemouth one was keeper.   That's all I have,  sure enjoyed the day.   Good luck when you get to go.  HAPPY holidays to everyone. 

[Dutch]

Thanks for the report.  I’d take a day like that.  Last time out when I found large numbers of bait fish there was nothing around them that I could see.  Small groups around points 30’ deep would have a catchable spot or two.  I didn’t use a crank but may need to next time out.

[Sprint21fter]

Interesting! I'll have some time off after this week to do some fishing during the break.  Catch you later!

[Bill Babler]

Nice report fish. Was out Thursday with a friend and we had 6 nice keeps and 6 shorts. All deep and I mean deep. 65 to 72 most on the bottom. Lots of shad but nothing around them, had to have shad near but the fish we caught had to be a city block from them to get them to bite. White spoon and swimming a small swim bait deep was the deal for us.  It takes a long count to get a swim bait down 60 plus feet 😁

[Smithvillesteve]

Bill and Bo: I think we have had this discussion on here before but i just want to ask you two guys anyway and i appreciate yours and any other response. You are catching deep fish at 70 ft. Do you fizz those fish upon releasing them? I thought you had said if you release them immediately there is no need to do that. I only ask because i may go down soon and try my luck at some deep fish. If i am lucky enough to enjoy some success i would want to do the right thing. And Bo i know you posted here awhile back that you had caught some deep fish too. Thanks gentlemen. 

[Bill Babler]

No need to fizz them if you put em right back. Be calm and slow bringing them up.  I don't often take pictures of deep fish, I try and get them back in as quick as possible. This might be the week this deep deal really turns on

On another note I'm finding some schools of deep fish on main lake gravel run outs. Most often they are in deep guts, but there seems to be more than usual on the main lake 

Last Tuesday the shad were 40 to 60 ft on the maIn lake. Friday they were 100 ft out to 130 ft. Goes with Phil's taneycomo post for late last week. Lots of shad in the river and creek arms at 60 to 80 on the bottom

 

[buck818]

Bill,

Curious as to whether you saw them with your Garmin and casted to them or not?

Thanks,

[Bill Babler]

I had fish both Tuesday and Wednesday that were suspended between trees in the 40 to 50 foot range with the boat in 70 to 100 feet. I could see them plain as day on the livescope, way out front of the boat. I would cast the 3\8 headed 2.8 Keitech to them and see them start to move up. I could at times see the small swim bait with my gain fairly high but saw most all the fish we caught. Anything under or slightly behind the boat I could see the fish and the bait in real time either on the bottom or suspended. 

I've been a Lowrance guy my entire life but the Garmin echomap ultra HD 126SV'S 2D sonar is stupid wicked. Pair it with the Livescope and you are feeding the fish by hand. 

On another note I have my range set at 70' out front and it is super easy to see a bait and fish it either above or to the sides of trees without hanging up in them. In 4 days of fishing deep timber last week we only lost 6  swim baits and 2 of those were on a dock cable and the other was a boat side splash down.  I'm fishing the small swimmer on 4lb. Maxima, 7' Falcon Cara and a Shimano Stella 2500 series. With water temps in the mid to low 50's with that rod reel and line combo nothing is breaking that line and the 4lb. Is dropping faster than 6lb. 

I have been asked why I'm not sitting over the fish right now with them under the boat and Bo answered that last week. If they are suspended they are biting way better casted to rather than sat over. Bottom fish not as much

Good Luck