Largemouth bass fishing is barely fair. A spinnerbait with willow leaf and Colorado blades in silver and gold’s are fair and add a white and chartreuse skirt. But be prepared to fish slow moving baits with the cold weather coming this weekend. Try a Spittin Image top water baits in bream and shad patterns up lake. Also have a Storm Chug Bug ready and work the shallow points that hold a little mud line close to shore. Later in the day switch to a Texas rigged six inch Zoom green pumpkin u tail work or other green colors. The bass relate to two and almost any wood in the water can hold bass. This week we skipped some Zoom Super Flukes into docks up lake in the creeks and the bass took the baits after they fell about 3 feet. Pearl was the best color. So concentrate your efforts on up lake docks and any wood found along the shore line where deep water is present. Natural color or bone color Bomber 6A crank baits are working on the sides of points leading into shallow coves. Work the top water bait s early and late and cover a lot of water and don't waste too much time. Keep a spoon ready for the suspended fish on the points as they will relate to schools of shad. Keep your spoons to one ounce or smaller as the bait fish hatched recently are very small.
 
Spotted bass have been feeding on the surface early and late. Use large top water baits on main lake humps and points almost all day. Large Chug Bugs, Sammy’s and Spittin Image baits worked very fast can get you a four pound fish almost daily. The fish are very scattered and there are lots of fish feeding on the surface. The top water bite will just get better weekly and the fish are going to be monsters. There are some big spots taking super spooks, red fins, chug bugs, and weightless flukes. If the wind is up, try jerk baits and spinnerbaits as they can be very productive as well. The fish are on the move and can be found in on variety of structures and depths. The Lanier Standard, a good ole brush pile, is hard to beat and may be the most consistent structure. Concentrate on main lake brush, around 25 feet deep. If you want to fish slowly, get the Texas rigged worms in greens and work the main lake points at 12 to 30 feet deep.  

Stripers are fair and the fish are still hugging the trees on the main lake. There is a little top water but nothing big time with the water still warm. The top water will be awesome if the weather cooperates and it has to get cold. If you have been out recently you have probably noticed that the fish are staying deep. They can be difficult to catch once you find them. We have had a lot of “shoppers” looking at baits and not taking them. Be sure your baits are fresh all day. Try to downsize your baits to get more bites. The pattern of chasing the big dense schools of fish on the main lake is on but there are also fish moving into the creeks and pockets. Many of the fish will soon be pushing bait up on the banks. You will also find some groups of fish that will stay on the surface longer, which is a nice change of pace from the one cast and they are gone system. Once you have them found cast small buck tails. Sometimes when you are trying to downsize, fish the jig without a trailer or trim the hair flush with the bottom of the hook to give it a smaller profile and eighth to half ounce, white with small or no trailers, small top waters, or a Rooster Tail or similar in line spinners. A medium or large minnow will do well on the float rig. If you are in a group of fish that is staying on the surface for a while, pull a free line or balloon rig while you are casting. Small bait on light line will help. If the fish are pretty dense the spoon should get the bite. Down rods will work on the deep fish as well, if you can stay on top of them. Downsizing will be an advantage here as well. The Bomber bite has been kicked in yet. We are seeing just as many fish and not nearly as many fishermen in the middle part of the lake so you may do better heading a little further up lake. Look around marker #15 on the main lake and blind cast Red Fins if the wind is calm and large Chug Bugs if there is a wind chop. KEEP MOVING AROUND.