Largemouth bass fishing is slow. They are deep on the points in the creeks. Fish are on very tight cover or stumps and bass have to see a large bait in deep water to react to lures or even live bait. Work the large worms and a Zoom Magnum smoke red worm on a Texas rig. Later each day, try the larger Enticer black and blue or dark brown and black jig and pig on the river ledges and on points. Crank baits have been slow. Late each day use a fire tiger DT10 or DT16 Rapala crank bait add the hot mustard to the color list. All strikes will be very tight on any cover. Cast to the same areas often and use some Jacks Juice scent. On the jig with a salt trailer from Zoom, soak the plastic one day before heading to the lake to allow the scent to soak into the bait.  

Spotted bass fishing is fair and the fish are holding in brush piles down lake. The summer pattern is in effect with most of the spots biting on the south end where there is more oxygen available. Most of the fish are being caught from deep brush piles on the main lake and half way into the larger major creeks, on primary points and main lake humps. The best activity is in Bald Ridge Creek, Four Mile Creek and Six Mile Creek. Stat the day with suspending jerk baits and soft jerk baits like the Zoom Super Fluke. The spotted bass can also still be caught on a Zoom Super Fluke with a 3/0 offset Mustad in the white pearl or any shad color Keep a top water bait ready and the baits can be a Lucky Craft Sammy 85, a Storm Chug Bug, or a Zara Spook Jr. If you want to try a small crank bait, use some 10 pound Sufix and a #7 or # 5 Rapala in the new Pearl White color. Use a Lucky Craft Pointer 78 in a shad or blue back. Always keep a finesse worm rigged on a 3/16 ounce Spot Sticker head or peg the sinker on a Texas rig with a 2/0 Mustad hook. Use the smallest with possible like the 1/8 ounce bullet weight. Light rigs will go through the structure easier. The best colors are sand, watermelon, natural blue and smoke and blue colors. Be sure to work deep brush piles on points and humps about the 29 to 39 feet.  

Stripers have been feeding early in the day and the fish are out over timber down lake and in the creek mouths are the target areas. After the bite gets started, you will see the fish holding at almost exactly 42 feet. This must be the cooler water layers and all the fish are from Browns Bridge down to the dam. Down line, red hooks and a long 6 foot fluorocarbon leader with a blue back will work. Some anglers are also using a one ounce spoon with the blue tint and adding two items: a red treble hooks and a stinger hook. Jigging requires only short lifts with the rod and most anglers will use a 6 and ½ foot heavy action bait casting rod with 14 pound test Stren Magna Thin line. Night fishing has been fair from 10pm until 1am then the bite seems to die. A small white light on the water helps bring the bait fish and some anglers are even using 2 or 3 Coleman lanterns. The area in front of the dam is the best night area until the middle of next month. Just watch the Lowrance and you will see the bait fish and the stripers. There has been no top water action. Be sure you have fresh line on any rig with the fish deep. Get the herring, head to the middle of the lower lake creeks and find 80 feet of water. Get the herring to 42 feet then put one at 60 feet. Stick the rod in the holder and sit dead still. The fish are very deep all day with the cooler water down really deep in the lake. With the summer pattern, stripers head to cool deep water and it’s a good idea to try trolling. Pull the Mac Farr Super Jig to depths of 24 to 29 feet. Use lead core line or monofilament but be sure the baits are in the right range. All white buck tails with either a white or chartreuse trailer will work. Troll the center of the lower lake creek channels. The line sides will spend the summer in the cooler waters to avoid the stress of the shallow waters.

Please keep the striper surveys coming to stripersurvey.com. The DNR stocked 555,000 fingerlings this year. Check this site for the DNR results. 

Crappie fishing is fair at night and live bait has been the best bet. Use live minnows on the bridges all over the lake. Night fishing will improve as the lake is developing the thermocline. The fish and many of the other lakes game fish will become more predictable on their summer patterns. The fish are biting best all night and the angler that can spend the night on the lake will catch enough fish to have a fish fry. As the night progresses, the crappie are moving as shallow as 7 feet both up and down lake.  

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