October 31, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

October 31, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Due to the fact that the lake is turning over, the fishing has been somewhat slow the last few days, however, most species of fish are being caught with some regularity.

Walleye: The key to catching walleye at this particular time is to cover as much ground as possible. Set up a drift on a main lake point with minnows and jigs or minnows and night crawlers and put the wind at your back. Another technique for covering a lot of water of course is slow trolling (1-1.5 mph) with deep diving crank baits. Most of the fish are marked at about 15 feet deep, so concentrate your efforts at this approximate depth. Main lake bluffs in the Turkey Creek arm around State park marina will also produce fish. Late in the afternoon try fan casting the banks with jigs with white or chartreuse trailers. Another spot to look for walleye is Morgan’s Bottom and Miller Cove. Hope you have a map.

Crappie: Use your electronics to find brush piles in around 15 feet of water. Back off and cast small jigs and minnows to the submerged brush and slowly reel the bait about a foot above the cover. In line spinners, Rooster Tails work well also. Crappie fishing has picked up somewhat this last week, so you can categorize it as fair. A place to look for crappie is the Turkey Creek arm around the power lines and Price Branch. The more time you spend on your electronics looking for submerged cover, the less time you’ll spend fishing in an area where there is no fish. The best technique to fish this cover is to drop a marker and then back off and cast.

Largemouth bass: You’ll have a fair shallow water bite early and late, but your more consistent bite for bigger fish will be between 15 and 20 feet of water. When lakes turn over, bass tend to go deeper. Plastic worms or jigs are your best bet at this point. Secondary points seem to be the most consistent. Look for chunk rock shore lines and fish a little bit more slowly and you should catch fish. Here again, you need to cover a lot of water, but you still need to fish thoroughly.

Marty Thompson

Thompson Fishing Guide Service

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS