August 1, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

August 1, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Lake level: 871.71

Walleye are deep and wide. As I have been saying during my recent summer fishing reports, the walleye are following the shad continuously. As you notice when you motor across the lake at slow speed in the late afternoon, early evening, you will see BILLIONS of shad, therefore, the walleye could be about anywhere. Here’s your best plan of attack: from about 6 pm til midnight, I would fish the main lake points above the 215 bridge. Slow troll minnow type crank baits, preferably with a clip on weight system which eliminates the tremendous drag of your deep divers. I would troll across the main lake points and along the face of the bluffs. Fish are being caught during the day from time to time, but I recommend the later evening due to the fact that it is cooler and you’ll have a better bite. Use sunscreen and drink gallons of Gatorade; we learned that in survival guide school. Jigs and minnows will also work in these same areas, and I try to slow troll or slow drift with the wind, when possible.

Largemouth bass: Spend some time on the main lake bluffs with crawdad colored jigs, plastic worms (color no big factor), or drop shot with French fry type plastic worms. Bass are ambush predators and they hang around the bluffs waiting for the ever passing shad. Top water bite is still hit and miss. The bass seem to have drawn back from cover for the most part, due to the fact that the lake has been going down slowly. Your bigger fish will still be in deeper water (20-25 feet) with main lake points being another option. Find points with good structure or wood in that depth range and you should catch quality fish. Plastic worms and jigs are still the best for your bigger fish (scientific fact, ask Bill Dance). Night fishing is also a good option (late afternoon til midnight is a good time). The fish will move up shallow right at dark and after dark and can be caught on fat bodied crank baits like Bagley Bees and Big Os. Bluegill and shad colors work best.

Crappie fishing slowed down somewhat from the last couple of weeks. My theory is that the combination of hot weather and the enormous amount of bait available has to affect the fish. It is kind of like free pizza delivery at your house every five minutes; you don’t stress much over the next meal. I have seen very little material on this subject of bait population in relation to fishing quality. If you have any information, let me know. However, it does appear that the crappie respond better to smaller offerings at this time. Small minnows on small crappie jigs or just minnows on an Aberdeen hook seem to work the best. The crappie are going to be deep (20-25 feet deep, maybe deeper) and your best bet would be to go after dark and fish over a crappie light. Try your favorite brush pile at this depth, which should produce mostly black crappie and your main lake points over deep structure which will produce a majority of white crappie. Stockton Lake has these two varieties of crappie (black and white) and sometimes their habitats overlap, but your white crappie (which are a little bit bigger) relate more to deep structure such as rocks, humps, drop-offs than black crappie which will be a little more shallow in cover.

White bass fishing has been slow all summer. I have not witnessed the vicious top water attacks which lasted up to half an hour last summer. Your best bet to catch white bass is to slow troll weighted small crank baits or in line spinners at around 30-35 feet deep.

Marty Thompson

Thompson Fishing Guide Service

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS