December 19, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

December 19, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Walleye: After the cold front like we just experienced, the fishing will pick up substantially after 4 or 5 days of a warm spell. Walleye fishing has been good during these warmer spells off main lake points. My efforts this week have been above the 215 bridge to the dam. The best technique for this time of year when the water is cold (mid 40s) is your jig and minnow combination, your jig and night crawler combination, and spoons. Presentation is vertical. Fish have been holding in around 25 feet of water off these main lake points; however that can vary reference time of day and cloud cover. Bump the jig or the spoon off of the bottom and be focused for very light bites for the most part. Before I start to fish, I use my electronics to locate the fish. The shad will be more bunched up, therefore the walleye will be more bunched up. Another spot to look are creek channels coming out of the coves that will also hold fish. I use my color graph to find underwater springs, which appear like a geyser type configuration coming from the bottom. The water from the springs will be considerably warmer (around 53 degrees) as it comes up from the ground. Due to the fact that gizzard shad get stressed when water temperatures get 40 degrees or lower, they will congregate in these areas and appear as huge clouds. If your electronics do not indicate the spring itself, you’ll definitely be able to see the large clouds of bait. This is where the walleye will gather, sometimes in more than 50 feet of water. A slow, vertical presentation is the only way to go.

Crappie: Good crappie are being caught in 25-40 feet of water off of deep brush piles. Obviously you want to mark the fish before you start to fish. Jig and minnow or Road Runner and minnow have been our best baits. Like walleye, the crappie will congregate in deep creek channels where you locate springs. The water is a little bit warmer, and you’ll have vast clouds of bait. Like walleye, the crappie bite will be very, very light, matter of fact you won’t always feel the bite, but you can see the rod tip straighten as the crappie pick up the bait. In these locations (the springs) crappie, walleye and even white bass will be in the same place. This is also a vertical presentation of course. If you have wind, you are going to have to find a cove where you can sit right on top of the fish, or it won’t work. A year ago, I had two professional crappie fishermen that I fished with and in two days we caught 55 crappie, of which only 3 were sublegal.

Marty Thompson

Thompson Fishing Guide Service

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS

[Dutch]

Nice report. BTW the bass were biting today 15 keepers.