December 29 Upper White

[Bill Babler]

Got out at the crack of daylight this morning to close to 60 degree air temp.   Surface temps main lake at SK ramp at 46.7. 

Checked 3 major creeks that were packed with millions of Shad prior to the cold snap and none to be found.   Lots of small pods of Shad main lake, with a few fish in, under and around them.  Surface temps back in the creeks at 41/43 degree early. 

Started throwing the A-rig pretty quick as I had a very reliable report of some huge bags being caught on Wednesday. I mean several 7 pounders and quite a few 4 plus.  All in the dam area as usual this time of year over the deep trees. 

From the Kings  River to Eagle Rock bridge I could catch both walleye and buck LM on almost every stop on the rig. Think I had 5 buck walleye early up to 17” and a dozen bass with one double up to about 13”. All LM, didn’t have a K all day and I fished till 3 pm.

Now for RPS. The stump/river channel fence row is totally loaded with LM and walleye.  I caught a dozen of each with no keeper walleye. Looked like they all were males. Could have maybe stretched 2 to the mark, but if their short  they’re short. 

Just a total load of walleye in this lake right now. I have never came close to catching this many this time of year.   Guy’s, I caught close to 20 on an A-rig, jig and Keitech.  Not fishing for them in the least. I have fished that stump row above ER for years and years and caught bass and a couple of walleye, but it is covered with them now. 

For the LM I had 2 keepers in the bunch but everyone of them was a buck. I left them biting.   About a 1/2 mile stretch of main lake main channel roll off. You know the location. 

Hard to fish a rig on the fence row caught most of them on a fb jig and a 2.8” Keitech on a 1/4 oz. head  running parallel with the channel.   I think they probably would have hammered a C-rig. 

Had not been that way in close to a year and simply could not believe the amount of new homes going in from ER bridge to Arkansas line. Huge homes with lots on the bluffs up there where a buzzard would be scared to roost.  Probably at least 30 new starts on that short stretch. Incredible.  

Lots of boats out with folks still being off for the holidays. Surface temps late in the day main lake right at 50 degree with air temps at 76.

Good Luck 



 

 

 

[Phil Lilley]

We need to go fishing.

[Quillback]

I must have seen you, but didn't pick you out of all the boats out there.  I mainly fished around the Pt 23 area.

For me it was all about spots, I caught 19, 3 were keepers, all in the Ned rig.  I caught a dozen of them off one point that had trees and they were all out in about 20 feet.  Other than that it was some scattered fish, catching one here and there.  

Never got a bite on the Keitech.   Never caught a walleye.

 

[Bill Babler]

Just shows the diversity of this pond. I never caught a single K.  Location, location. Those K’s are kind of ganged up and if you get on a spot like that as you did, you need to stay a while.

I only threw the Keitech along the fence row  26’ to 32’ and basically just dragged it on either side of the row.  Lost 4 baits.  

As RPS will tell you, that location gobbles baits. 

Phil and I caught a few there in the OAF derby a few years ago. Funny location really you think it would hold fish all year, but when the water hits low 60’s they skedaddle. 

As I mentioned yesterday I’ve caught a couple of walleye there, but for some reason it was loaded with males Thursday. 
 
You can easily tell a walleye bite from the LM.   The walleye will give it a couple of tugs either on the A-rig or the swimbait and really just mostly glide in.  The LM in the cold water, it just gets heavy, but when you stick them they try and fight back. 

Course with the size I was catching there was not a ton of resistance by either😜

Saw that biggest LM catch the A-rig, pretty exciting stuff to see fish eat the bait 50’ from the boat, 30’ deep.  

Spoke to some guys on a dock at Rock Creek. They were catching some really nice crappie on minnows, said they would have nothing to do with a jig but we’re crazy on the minnows. 

Got a feeling if a guy would start at Leatherwood  and fish up the river throwing a stick bait and a swimming minnow all day he would catch a nice  mess of Walters.  
 

 

 

 

[rps]

53 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Got a feeling if a guy would start at Leatherwood  and fish up the river throwing a stick bait and a swimming minnow all day he would catch a nice  mess of Walters.  

This time of year, the farther you go above Leatherwood, the higher the percentage of females will be. The girls are hearing the call of the spawn.