Kim City - July 24 - Suspended fish on swimbait

[Dock-in-it]

Fished this morning and the suspended bite is fairly tough with a swimbait. Finding fish out deep is not the issue, but triggering them to bite a swimbait is the challenge. The first few cast to a group of fish can be productive but each additional cast is normally a waste. 

Bait speed seems to be key, so I lift and drop the SB to trigger a bite. A steady slow retrieve will attract some shorts but the bigger fish seem to prefer the action/speed of a falling bait.

I use a 3.3 on a 5/16 and a 2.8 on  1/4oz, the 5/16 has fewer hang ups because it seems to have less roll when it hits a tree limb. So I make  more risky cast around cover with a 5/16.

I normally stay off the main lake and check out deep history spots that I can spend 30-45 minutes trying to fool a few. My boat is routinely in 45-55 FOW and the target fish are normally suspended in the 20-30ft range.

One drawback about deep fishing is the fact that some very good history spots will just stop holding groups of fish. Some spots produce each year and others will be solid for years then dry up. 

Minor ramble: The Kimberling area has got short handed the last few years on a deep post spawn surface bite. I think a good post spawn bite depends on a short window between the bass spawn wrapping up and the shad spawn starting. This year a lot of bass spawned in 59 degree water and the shad spawn started about 68 degrees. 

The pictured fish were on SB, and I did get a few on the spoon. 7 keepers and some shorts.

WT 84-85

 

 

[curtisce]

Good as always

[Champ188]

Nice report, Dock. Great detail, as always. Thank you from a fellow OAFer for what you contribute here.