7-6-23. Early Morning Out of Baxter.

[rps]

In between - as Kings River merges with the lake, on the bluff side, trees sit in deep water but the tops are 10 to 30 feet deep. Both bass and walleye sit in those upper limbs in late summer.  Same deal. Jigging spoons or trolled cank baits banged through the tree tops.

[Dutch]

I would like to try that area and see if it is similar to what Jeff has put me on farther up the lake.  I’m not the brightest candle in the Menorah so please be patient with me.  I’ve read your post several times while looking at my topographic map.  I have no idea where you are referencing.  Please elaborate.  Thanks

 

[rps]

10 hours ago, Dutch said:

I would like to try that area and see if it is similar to what Jeff has put me on farther up the lake.  I’m not the brightest candle in the Menorah so please be patient with me.  I’ve read your post several times while looking at my topographic map.  I have no idea where you are referencing.  Please elaborate.  Thanks

 

South (up lake) of Lost Hill island, look at the channel as it flows by point 22.  That deep bluff has submerged trees. My largest TR bass came out of the top of them. BTW the south point where Mill Creek comes in is a deep jig place, and the tree filled East side of Lost Hill near the submerged bridge can be an excellent top water location early in the morning.

[Dutch]

Thanks.  I figured it was there or the bend north.  I used to fish in the Kings a lot but above the 86 bridge.  I have very little experience with the main lake in that area.

[Bill Babler]

Either one of those locations used to be good, but sadly those days are past. One of the biggest bass a client ever caught was off the Mill Creek bluff end point on a Redfin. 7.14. 

Now to fish either location you better be there by 4am for a few small fish bites. As soon as the sun comes up the wake boats will totally wash you up on the bank. 

There are still some, but as Randy alluded to there were trees, mostly deep pole timber on both locations with a big cedar on the Mill Creek point. Most all is gone now, with the exception of a very few pole timber. 

Either point, used to be one of my favorite float and fly locations now there are very few fish there. I’ve looked at it many times in the last 3 years with live scope and unfortunately it’s pretty sparse. 

Couple of stories on point 22. Caught my heaviest string  ever there, years ago on a Little George. Somewhere I’m guessing between 25 and 30 pounds, may have been closer to 30 pounds. One late Fall there were LM busting Shad there the entire day. It was insane.  Lost more than I got to the boat and just lost some giants. 

Son caught his best SM there on a Redfin. 4 3/4 pounder. Totally exploded on the fin. One of the most vicious strikes I ever witnessed on a topwater. Also in the Fall. 

Bill Beck and I mostly Beck but he called me over, and this was 15 years ago both caught and released with clients, close to 100 keeper spotted bass in a single morning, out off the deep pole timber Randy was speaking of. 

There were 2 groups of trees in 90ft. of water with the tops right at 30 ft.  They would come out of those trees and light the lake up and go right back to the 2 pods of trees after the feed. 

99% of the fish were keepers with some monster K’s. Clients caught every single one on white 1/2 oz. Jigging spoons, throwing them at the chasers and then jigging to the deep fish.  They were totally on fire. Again in the Fall. 

One Summer day Beck also has clients limit on walleye on crawlers off the same deep pod of trees.  He let the clients keep 3 each and the 6 he cleaned weighed 36 pounds. This was probably 17 years ago. Said they were 27’ over 99’ suspended right in the pole timber. 

Both of those groups of pole timber are gone now. You can believe I had them marked. Open ocean there now and at 7am from May to the middle of October it is an ocean there. 

Lots of memories. 

Good Luck. 










 

[Quillback]

There is some sort of kiddie camp up on that hill behind point 22 and they are out there early circling through that area kicking up wakes.  Makes it no fun to fish.  Used to catch some bass off Pinnacle Point right on the channel edge.  Haven't been up there in a while.

Here's a nine something caught late May.  Bet it would've gone over 10 when it had eggs.

[Bill Babler]

That’s a dandy. Thats KAA Camp. They’re out in wake boats prior to sun up, but they represent a teeny tiny bit of the traffic at the jct of the Kings and the White. 

Just a bit upstream from the SK ramp that’s a White Water Mecca 
 

[Champ188]

On 7/17/2023 at 9:01 PM, rps said:

In between - as Kings River merges with the lake, on the bluff side, trees sit in deep water but the tops are 10 to 30 feet deep. Both bass and walleye sit in those upper limbs in late summer.  Same deal. Jigging spoons or trolled cank baits banged through the tree tops.

I have a similar deal that I do in deep bluff-cut pockets in late summer/early fall.

[dan hufferd]

On 7/15/2023 at 7:40 AM, Bill Babler said:

I’d be hung up before I even threw it in the water. 🤪🤪🤪

I’m with Randy on the spoon however the walleye currently are super mixed in with the gills at the 18’ to 22’ range. 

I’ve heard thru the grapevine that live small crayfish and at least medium size minnows are catching some in amongst the gills. 

The guy that’s doing this is trapping his bait in flat creek.  I don’t think you can buy that type of bait anywhere. 

PS. I tried the Lindy and also 1 oz. bottom bouncers. Gills ate me up, just had to quit. 


 

I would love to have a 5 gallon bucket of gills almost as much as 4 walleye