06/26/2007
Water Temperature North End – 81 Rising
Middle South Main Channel – 80 Rising
Water Level = 6 Inches Below Normal pool
Water Clarity = Clear
Last Rain = 06/25/07

Water temperatures continue to rise into the magic 80’s and with that the shad are balled-up at the surface and the bass are gorging themselves on the readily available feast. The boils are on!

Fishing the boils are one of the most exciting ways to catch bass there is! It is a lot like hunting and fishing at the same time. Use a medium to medium light spinning rod at least 7 foot long and spooled with 8 to 10 pound test line. You must be able to cast 30 feet or more. The bait that works the best is a white Fluke or Bass Assassin 3 to 5 inches long and an 1/8th ounce jig with as big a hook as you can find. You hook the bait so the hook comes through the top (back) of the jig.

The boils are what the water looks like when the bass chase through the shad that are in large schools and at the surface. The water surface looks like it is boiling! Right now the boils are happening in the main bays. Get up at dawn, bring your gear and a large thermos of coffee, and park your boat right in the middle of your favorite bay. While your drinking your coffee scan the surface of the water for areas where the water is boiling. Then put your trolling motor on high and get within casting distance.

Cast your bait right into the boiling water and immediately start retrieving as your lure hits the water. Keep the bait at the surface with a medium pumping action and get ready for your arm to be busted by a ferocious strike. When the boils stop don’t stop casting! Cast to the same areas letting the lure drop deeper. Do a slow count, counting down to 6, 10, or deeper. The schools of shad will go from the surface to the bottom and the bass will drop deeper to continue the feeding frenzie.

Jim and I were out this pass Sunday morning at 5:30 AM. We were on fish from the time we arrived until 8:30 AM when we left to get some breakfast. We boated more than a dozen bass and lost as many. I was broken off twice and had my hook straightened out once! My equipment was a little light and I payed the price. Many of the fish swallowed the lure as it hit the water 30 feet away and I couldn’t get a good hook set causing me to loose the fish on the way to the boat as they jumped out of the water. Most of the fish were 14 inchers and Jim caught the biggest at 17 inches long. Hooo, hoooo it was fun.

While Jim and I were chasing the boils Charlie a local resident and good fisherman, just cast to the general area we were fishing but always let his lure drop to the bottom at 30 feet. Charlie caught fish as his lure droppped and as he pumped it up to the surface. He was every bit as successfull as Jim and I and may have caught more! The key is finding and area were the shad are schooled up tight from the bottom to the surface!

As the water warms the schools will move into the main channel and can be active all day long soooooo!

Fish On!

Mike O.
UBetcha Outdoors

06/19/2007

Water Temperature North End – 79Rising
Middle South Main Channel – 80 Rising
Water Level = 6 Inches Below Normal pool
Water Clarity = Clear
Last Rain = 06/18/07

My brother Charlie and I spent part of Saturday evening and most of Sunday fishing for bass. First of all the shad rises have not started but we did catch some bass in areas were the rises normally are and by jerking a fluke in open water. The biggest fish was 18 ¾” long. Sunday we spent most of the day trolling silver, black and red deep diving shad raps. We caught a number of bass. Most were 14 inches long and the biggest my brother caught. It was 16 ½” long. That beat my 16 incher! So bass fishing continues to be hot!

Crappie fishing is slow with most fish being caught on jigs or minnows in 10 foot of water over structure.


Fish On!

Mike O.
UBetcha Outdoors