Black Bass (Where to Start?)

[fishman783]

Hello,

Will be at Beaver the whole week for our annual trip to visit my father.  Wanted to know if anyone could share some insight on where to find some largemouth?  We got out this morning and launched at Starkey boat access.  Fished quite a bit of main lake stuff closer to the main river channel swings…..caught a few smallmouth, but nothing to brag about.  Looked like there was a thermocline around the 24-26ft depth down here on the lower end.  Didn’t spend much time fishing in any of the creek arms, but planning on spending my morning running some of those instead of staying out on the main lake.  Wanting to try to find some largemouth and wondered if anyone had been catching them lately?  Is fishing for largemouth better as you get toward the mid lake to upper end?  Thanks in advance.

 Matt

[Quillback]

I'm by no means a largemouth finder on Beaver, but in general what you say is true, the largemouth fishing tends to be better in the upper end, with smallmouth being better as you get closer to the dam end.  

If I was launching of out Starkey, I'd fish North Clifty, Big Clifty, Rambo Creek, and Van Hollow.  

[sfiser]

There are plenty of largemouth on the end you are fishing, just a tough time of year to find them.  Try bluff ends, ends of channel swings, long gravel points, and pitching baits up into shady dock corners.  There are also alot of fish on that end of the lake that suspend in the summer (probably the majority of the bass) and they become nomadic and just follow the shad.  The upper lake in the river sections does contain more largemouth and less spots/ virtually no smallmouth and it does fish shallower so there is more flipping to flooded bushes and fishing visible cover. 

I would key in on bluff ends and larger docks next to deep water that are providing lots of shade.  Tough time of year to catch them but they are still there if you can find the right areas. 

[Phil S]

Backs of the creeks are usually the best bet on this part of the lake in my experience for Largemouth.

Anyone have a report on Smallmouth, or have found any kind of pattern? I have not gone out for them in a while but would like to soon.