4/3/22 Afternoon, Hickory Creek area

[MarkG52]

Launched at Hickory after church yesterday afternoon. Lots of folks decided that was a good time to get the pleasure boats out for a check ride. Took us probably 30 minutes in line till our turn to launch. Anyway, water at HC was IFR conditions. We hit one of our main lake points and flat and moved on pretty quickly. WT in the muck was 56 degrees. Moved down to a creek arm and found some 2 foot visibility and temps of 54-55. Picked up one small LM on a bluff wall towards the mouth and trolled pretty fast towards the back. We had marked a lot of bait idling into the mouth and started marking more bait at the back. Changed over from MB 110+1 to a 110, in Ozark Shad color, and got on em real good. Depth was 3 to 8 feet where we were. Bait in the area was key. All LM. After the bite died in that arm we ran to the back of the main arm of this holler. Picked a few off here and there and about 6:00 we were working out from the back and started marking a lot more bait and noticed some fish busting the top. For the next hour or so it was on in a big way. I had taken my underspin off of one my rods and tied on a prerigged swimbait, not sure what brand about 2.5 inch, maybe 3/8oz, and caught one first cast. We chased the schoolies around, me throwing swimbait and buddy changed over to a MB Trick Darter that he had shaved off part of the bill. Depth here was around 7-9 feet. He snagged a couple of the shad they were chasing, and we had matched the hatch pretty good. Bite tailed off about 7:00 and we hammered down back to the ramp. All told we finished with about 40 boated, most right around 1.5 to 2 pound chunks, a few smaller and several 2.5 to almost 3. All were LM. Best 5 would've gone 12-13. All in all it was a great afternoon! Keys for us were, stained not dirty water, bait in the backs of fairly big coves/arms, depths from 3-12 feet, match the hatch.   

[Quillback]

That's some great fishing!

[buckwhisperer]

Very nice report, its appreciated! Glad you had a wonderful afternoon 

[Champ188]

Nice report with great detail. Thanks for sharing!