Our air temperatures bounced up and down last week and the fish bite followed suit. The only thing consistent, the morning was always the best time to catch’em. Those fishermen who were on the lake before or at dawn caught the most crappie. The bite was pretty much over by 9:30 am.

My son Adam and I were out there Saturday evening, Sunday morning and evening. We caught the most on Sunday morning keeping 10. Our total for the 3 outings was 14 so as you can see the morning was the best. Overall the fishing was slow. But, whenever I’m fishing with my son or any of my children it is always a great time!

Jim was out Friday evening and caught 2 crappies. Jim and Dick were out Saturday morning and evening and Sunday morning. They kept 9 nice crappies and threw several more back on Saturday morning. Sunday morning, they kept 5 crappies, and Dick took a very nice cat on a tube jig that fought like crazy.

On the bass side of things Jim and Dick went bass fishing on Saturday afternoon and evening. Jim found 1 and Dick found lots. Dick's biggest was a 17" fish and Jim’s one bass was a 19" fish.

Jim and Dick caught all their bass on main channel points using large tubes or worms. They did not report the method they used.

The forecast for the next 7-days is for pretty much what we’ve had over the past couple weeks. So the water is cooling and warming and the fish are turning on or off! But, we are catching fish and that’s better than a kick in the pants anytime!

On a somber note Dick got a phone call Sunday morning informing him his mother was not doing well. Dick raced home and his mother passed on this passed Sunday. So we take off our fishing hats and bow our heads in honor of a great woman, who raised a great son and fisherman. Our hearts are with you and your family.

The water temperature once again is 78 degrees. The air temperature last week averaged in the low 90’s with high humidity but now is averaging in the upper 70’s. The lake is 24 inches below normal pool and clear.

The above average temperatures this past week suspended the fish and gave them a mild case of lockjaw. Water temperatures moved up into the mid 80’ from a low of 78 degrees just the week before. Some fish were caught but not the numbers we experienced last week. Since then tropical storm Rita came through on Sunday giving us a good rain soaking lowering the air and water temperatures. We did not get enough rain to raise the or muddy the waters. As a result the crappie bite is back on! Monday and Tuesday crappie fishermen reported catching many crappie and almost every boat netted at least one fish over 13 inches!

Tube jigs are doing well. Colors ranged from white & silver to neon blue. The in between the colors are chartreuse & red and chartreuse & bronze. But, minnows are working as well for those that like a little meat on the end of their hook. Most of the fish were caught in the main channel or at the beginning of bays coming off the main channel. Casting to weed beds and then making a slow retrieve worked and jigging the deeper brush at the seven foot level. Slow is working better than fast.

The forecast for the next 7-days are for daily highs to average in the high 70’s with low humidity and occasional rain.

The water temperature is 78 degrees. The air temperatures have been averaging in the low 80’s with low humidity. The lake is 24 inches below normal pool and clear.

Over the weekend the lowering water temperatures brought the crappie up and turned the bite on! A number of fishermen reported catching quantities of crappie and size as well! I fished with my buddy Jim on Friday and Saturday evening. Jim boated a 14-inch crappie on Friday and a 13 incher on Saturday. Jim filleted 20 some crappie that were 10 inches or bigger. I reported our success to my neighbor Arlen who went fishing Sunday afternoon. At 5:00 pm he came by the dock to report catching 16 crappie and showed me a 13-inch crappie!

All of our fishing was with tube jigs. Colors ranged from white & silver to neon blue. In between the colors were chartreuse & red and chartreuse & bronze. Most of the fish were caught in the main channel or at the beginning of bays coming off the main channel. Casting to weed beds and then making a slow retrieve worked and jigging the deeper brush at the seven foot level. Slow is working better than fast.

So the water is cooling and the fish are turning on! Over the next couple of weeks this should just get better. Hooo, hoooooo!

The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the high70’s to the low 80’s with low humidity and occasional rain.

Last week Chuck, Dan, Uncle Rich and I went fishing off, of Uncle Rich’s boat dock. We started at 8:00 pm and stopped at 10:00 pm. We were fishing for channel cats using night crawlers and jigs. We caught mostly bass with a few hand-sized sunfish. Dan caught the most. It was a lot of fun and just goes to show you how unpredictable and diverse LOE can be!

With the cooler weather the water temperature is dropping. The bass and crappie are starting to transition into their fall patterns. The nightlight bite is still working on crappie as reported by my friends Ed and Mike. They caught many crappies on Monday night and kept 14 big crappie. But reported the previous nights fishing wasn’t nearly as good. Another friend of mine Jim was on the lake all through the Labor Day weekend. Jim’s focus was on bass and caught a lot of them but all small. Jim was chasing the shad rises, bottom bouncing with Carolina rigs and trolling. All produced fish. Jim fished for crappie as well casting, dragging and jigging to the 10-foot level. Jim caught a few crappies, mostly less than 10 inches. One measured 12 inches.

So the water is cooling and the fish are a little mixed up. Over the next couple of weeks the fish should settle into their fall pattern and I can’t wait. That means the crappie will move into the 6 to 8 foot level and chasing jigs all day long. If it is anything like last year… Hooo, hoooooo!

The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the high 80’s with low humidity.

My daughter Jessica and her boyfriend Jim were on the lake this past weekend along with Dwight and Uncle Rich, we fished the night light bite on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. We kept 13 crappie and 1 channel cat. Jessica and I both had our line broken by something big. Jessica and Uncle Rich caught the most fish and Jessica caught the biggest crappie at 13 inches and the biggest fish with a 3-pound catfish. That’s my girl!

The night light bite involves using either a floating or sinking light. Both can be bought at local stores that sell fishing tackle. We anchored in 30 feet of water, baited with minnows on either a minnow rig or jig. We dropped our rigs to the bottom and cranked up 2 cranks. That would put our rigs about 5 feet off the bottom. Then it is just a matter of waiting.

The waiting part comes with built in entertainment. First the lights attract small minnows, then larger minnows, then shad and finally some larger bodied fish start swooping in and out the cloud of fish. We started fishing at 9:00 PM and started catching fish immediately. The peak was around 12:00 AM. By the way, with the hot lake water we found it to be better to put the fish in a cooler half filled with ice. The fish die but are ice cold making it easier to fillet and you can wait 4 plus hours before you have to fillet them. Oh, by the way, there were some questions on the legalities of catching fish with a night-light. I called a local conservation police officer and he assured me that fishing with a light is legal in the state of Illinois.

My buddy Jim and his daughter Ellen were out chasing bass on the shad rises. With the wind on Saturday they didn’t find many. On Sunday the water was calm and they caught many bass. Most were under the slot with only one measuring in the slot. But the action was good and Jim had great time fishing with his daughter Ellen.

The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the high 80’s with low humidity.

Last weekend Jim, Dick, and Dave had a great time catching bass using Carolina rigs on the points, casting spoons and Pop R’s to the boils and trolling. Many bass were caught and the Carolina rid on the points was the biggest producer.

My brother Charlie was on the lake this past weekend. Dwight, Charlie and I fished the night light bite on last week Thursday. We caught 9 crappie, 3 bass and a catfish. We did it again on Saturday with Uncle Rich and caught 19 crappie, 1 nice bass, and a channel cat. The bass was 16.5 inches (Uncle Rich caught it) and the biggest crappie was 12 inches.

Now the night light bite involves either a floating or sinking light. Both can be bought at local stores which sell fishing tackle. We anchored in 30 feet of water, baited with minnows on either a minnow rig or jig. We dropped our rigs to the bottom and cranked up 2 cranks. That would put our rigs about 5 feet off the bottom. Then it is just a matter of waiting.

The waiting part comes with built in entertainment. First the lights attract small minnows, then larger minnows, then shad and finally some larger bodied fish start swooping in and out the cloud of fish. Charlie noticed that before the larger predator fished showed up the baitfish started swimming in circles! Eventually all of this led to us catching fish just off the bottom. Most of the fish we caught were crappie and crappie always bite up.

We started fishing at 9:00 PM and it took about 2 to 3 hours before the fished started biting. The peak was around 1:30 AM. It was a lot of fun and I’m going to do it again! Special thanks to Charlie for buying the lights, aerator and figuring how to keep the minnows alive using ice packed in baggies. Oh, by the way, with the hot lake water, we found it to be better to put the fish you're keeping in a cooler half filled with ice. The fish die but are ice cold making it easier to fillet and you can wait 4 plus hours before you have to fillet them.

The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the high 80’s with low humidity.

Good Fishin and try the night light bite, it’s a blast!

The locals are reporting the fishing during daylight hours sucks but at night good fish crappie and bass are being caught. One group reported catching 50 crappie and keeping 40 that were 12" or bigger.

My brother Charlie may be down today. Dwight, Charlie and I plan on fishing the night bite with lights. I'll let you know how it goes!

The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the low 90’s. A slight chance of thunderstorms is forecasted for today and tomorrow.

Good Fishin!

Crappie fishing is spotty with some fish being caught early on weed lines next to drop-offs and as the sun gets higher in brush piles 10 to 15 feet deep. Crappie can also be caught jigging with minnows between the hours of 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM .

Bass fishing is slow. Some bass are being caught by fishing the shad rises in the early and late daylight hours. A few fish are being caught while trolling.

The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to range from the upper 80s to the low 90’s. A slight chance of thunderstorms is forecasted for today and tomorrow.

Good Fishin!

Crappie fishing is spotty with some fish being caught early on weed lines next to drop-offs and as the sun gets higher in brush piles 10 to 15 feet deep. Crappie can also be caught jigging with minnows between the hours of 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM .

With the warm weather the bass fishing has slowed. Carolina rigs are still working fish the 10-foot deep flats. Some bass are being caught on the surface and over the weeds. Some bass are being caught by fishing the shad rises in the early and late daylight hours. A few fish are being caught while trolling. Trolling with deep diving black and chrome crank baits seems to be working the best.

So get up early and cast for crappie or bass. During the middle of the day troll for bass and catch the occasional crappie or stripper. Then finish up the day by casting your Carolina rig.

Daytime high air temperatures are averaging 92-degrees. The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to range from the upper 80s to the low 90’s. A slight chance of thunderstorms is forecasted for today and tomorrow. Water temperature is on the rise at 89 degrees.

The water temperature is stable at 82 degrees and the air temperatures are averaging in the low to mid 80’s. It rained heavily yesterday and the lake is at normal pool and clear.

It’s summertime and that means crappie fishing is spotty with some fish being caught early on weed lines next to drop-offs and as the sun gets higher in brush piles 10 to 15 feet deep.

Bass fishing on the other hand is absolutely phenomenal! Carolina rigs are killing them. Fish the 10-foot deep flats. The bigger the flats, the better the fishing. Better yet are flats that have weeds and wood. Some bass are being caught on the surface and over the weeds. Most top water baits are working but if can toss a lightly weighted worm, dance it over the weeds and then let it drop, mmmm, mm!

Trolling with deep diving crank baits are producing a mixed bag of bass, crappie and the occasional hybrid stripper. Some fishermen are reporting catching bass and hybrid stripers on the boils.

So get up early and cast for crappie or bass. During the middle of the day troll for bass and catch the occasional crappie or stripper. Then finish up the day by casting your Carolina rig for bass and get ready to get your arm busted. On Saturday and Sunday, go sight seeing during the weekend on LOE. There are some sights to see, if you know what I mean!

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
Egyptian Hills Marina - Located 5.0 miles from the dam

Subdivision :	28	EHM	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
6/06/2005	80	80	90
6/07/2005	83	82	90
6/08/2005	82	82	91
6/09/2005	82	81	84
6/10/2005	82	82	90
6/11/2005	81	81	82
6/12/2005	81	80	73

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

The water temperature is stable at a 74-degree average. With air temperatures dropping into the mid-60s for a high over the weekend. It is now on the rise with temperatures in the lower 80s. We had quite a bit of rain over the weekend raising the lake level above normal pool and making the water cloudy to stained.

Many small crappie, mostly males are being caught. And big fish are being caught in front of the weeds. For catching crappie using all the favorite methods. The bite is still good and you should be able to catch eating numbers of crappie. But, I have talked to some darn good fishermen that are starting to find it difficult to catch quantities of fish 10 inches or bigger.

My buddy Jim and his daughter Ellen were one of the more successful fisherpersons with this report:

Friday we got out after a short storm. Got two very nice crappie then I hit this nice channel cat. About 7#'s. Naturally I forgot the net, so I lipped it and now have a torn up index finger!

Saturday I had to do some bailing before I got into the boat, it was that full of water. With the rain, front, cold and wind, we did well to get any fish at all.

So Sunday AM, Ellen nailed this crappie, a solid 16" fish and another that was 13.5".

Sunday after breakfast I got in a little bass fishing. Got 2 on worms, missed two on worms over weeds. Talked to a guy that had 5 over 16" by 7:30. The first two were on spinner baits very close to shore, then he was using a popper over the weeds for the rest.

We filleted 14 crappie and a cat. Threw back about a dozen smaller crappie. Of the 14 fish, 12 were female and only 2 of those were anywhere near ready to spawn. The rest were at least two weeks away based on the total lack of blood in the spawn.

The marina told me that a guy caught an 11# 2 ounce bass early last week, had it weighed then released it. Apparently that was confirmed by the lake patrol guy, not Max but his partner.

But that 16" crappie of Ellen's is the biggest I have had in the boat when specifically fishing for crappie. My other bigger ones have been flukes trolling for bass on cranks. We did get some smallish gills also.

Good job Jim & Ellen! Thanks for the report.

The bass bite is still great. Many fish are being caught in the shallows using spinner baits. But any lure from worms, to jigs, to crank baits, buzz baits are working as long as you fish it over, through or in front of the weed beds. Concentrate on points and weed lines.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
Egyptian Hills Marina - Located 5.0 miles from the dam

Subdivision :	28	EHM	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
5/12/2005	76	74	88
5/13/2005	79	71	85
5/14/2005	76	75	76
5/15/2005	73	73	66
5/16/2005	71	72	72
5/17/2005	71	72	75
5/18/2005	72	72	81

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures averaged 78-degrees. The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the upper 70s to lower 80s. A slight chance of thunderstorms is forecasted for Thursday and Sunday. Water temperature is stable at 74 degrees.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, for the North Shoreline area, the trend over the next 14 days is for the water temperature to be 78 degrees or higher. The crappies have spawned. Fish are being caught next to the weed lines. Concentrate on the points and nearby weed lines. The bass spawn has started with many fish on the beds.

The water temperature is on the rise again! With air temperatures on the rise we had a morning water temperature average of 68 degrees and that is 8 degrees warmer than I reported last week. We had very little rain. The lake is at normal pool and clearing.

Last week’s report is the same as this week. Many small crappie, mostly males are being caught. And big fish are still being caught off the shelves and drop-offs. For catching crappie using all the favorite methods. See previous reports by going to http://www.ubetchaoutdoors.com/fishreport.htm The bite is good and you should be able to catch eating numbers of crappie. But, if you want big fish, concentrate on deeper shelves and drop-offs.

I gave this advice to an inquiring reader whose wife wanted him to take her crappie fishing for the Mother’s Day weekend. Here’s his report:

Hi Mike,

We went to a main channel point at 6:00 am with minnows and bobbers. They started hitting right off the bat and we caught fish every five minutes from 6:00 to about 9:00 or 10:00. We fished in 8 to 12 ft. of water with our bait around 3 to 4 ft. down. We did the same thing from 5:00 pm till dark at the same spot that night with close to the same result just not quite as well. The morning was better. The next morning we did the same thing in the same spot with the same results and we slayed them! Not to mention the 5lb catfish I caught on a crappie rig.

How Fun! I couldn't get myself to leave the point because we were catching fish after fish. And six of them were real nice ones. So I didn't even try any other spots. But staying by the drop off areas was the best. Were the water dropped from 8ft to about 16 to 18 real fast. If you like I will keep in touch and share any and all information with you. I won't be back down for about six weeks but I will let you know.

I appreciate everything and I hope to see you on the water.
Rob

Thanks Rob, and I look forward to the pictures.

The bass bite is still great. Many fish are being caught in the shallows using spinner baits. But any lure from worms, to jigs, to crank baits, buzz baits are working as long as you fish it over, through or in front of the weed beds. Buzz baits and spinner baits are working the best on big fish with big fish being caught in the shallow areas of the lake. Concentrate on points and weed lines.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
Egyptian Hills Marina - Located 5.0 miles from the dam

Subdivision :	28	EHM	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
5/04/2005	62	61	67
5/05/2005	64	62	75
5/06/2005	66	64	76
5/07/2005	70	69	82
5/08/2005	70	69	82
5/09/2005	71	70	86
5/10/2005	71	71	88

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures averaged of 79-degrees. That is 19 degrees warmer than I reported last week! The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the low 80’s. A slight chance of thunderstorms is forecasted for Friday and Saturday of next week. Water temperature is rising at 75 degrees.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, for the North Shoreline area, the trend over the next 14 days is for the water temperature to be 80 degrees or higher. The crappies have spawned. Fish are being caught in the drop-offs next to the weed lines. Concentrate on the islands and points. The bass spawn has started with many fish on the beds.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, for the Egyptian Hills Marina area, the trend over the next 14 days is for the water temperature to be 79 degrees or higher. Crappies have started spawning and this should last for the next 1 to 2 weeks. The bass spawn has started. A lot of fish are being caught in the shallows on spinner baits.

Over the past week LOE morning water temperature averaged 60 degrees with hardly any variance. With stable temperatures the crappie started coming in to the shallows to lay their eggs.

The rain stopped this past Friday and the lake is at normal pool and clearing.

Many small crappie, mostly males are being caught. And big fish are still being caught off the shelves and drop-offs. For catching crappie using all the favorite methods see previous reports by going to http://www.ubetchaoutdoors.com/fishreport.htm) The bite has picked up and you should be able to catch eating numbers of crappie if you stick it out all day. But, if you want big fish, concentrate on deeper shelves and drop-offs. If you want quantity, fish slowly in front of the weed beds.

The bass bite is still great. Many fish are being caught in the shallows using spinner baits. But any lure from worms, to jigs, to crank baits, buzz baits are working as long as you fish it over, through or in front of the weed beds. Buzz baits and spinner baits are working the best on big fish with big fish being caught in the shallow areas of the lake. Concentrate on points and weed lines.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
Egyptian Hills Marina - Located 5.0 miles from the dam

Subdivision :	28	EHM	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
4/27/2005	61	62	64
4/28/2005	61	62	56
4/29/2005	61	62	55
4/30/2005	61	61	62
5/01/2005	61	61	64
5/02/2005	60	60	57
5/03/2005	61	61	60

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

From last week Tuesday through April 22 the high air temperature averaged in the lower 80’s with water temperature in the morning topping out at 71 degrees. Then on April 23 the high air temperature dropped into the lower 50’s with a cold rain and over the next 3 days got no higher than 63 degrees. The morning water temperature followed and dropped 10 degrees total over the next 4 days! All of this has most of the fish, crappie and bass, backing away from the shallows waiting for the return of middle spring.

We’ve received a goodly amount of rain off and on since the return of below normal temperatures. This has kept lake high and over the weed beds and the lake is again murky.

Prior to the change in weather and water temperature the fishing remained good to great. Bass are up in the shallows in the north end and starting to spawn. Crappies are beginning the spawn in the south end with many more fish moving into the shallows. Yet the big fish are still being caught off the shelves and drop-offs. For catching crappie all the favorite methods (see previous reports) are working. Even with a slower bite you should be able to catch eating numbers of crappie if you stick it out all day. But, if you want big fish, concentrate on deeper shelves and drop-offs. If you want quantity, fish slowly in front of the weed beds.

Bass may be the bigger story! Many fish are being caught in the shallows using spinner baits. But any lure from worms, to jigs, to crank baits and buzz baits are working as long as you fish it over, through or in front of the weed beds. If you like bass now’s the time to get’em!

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
4/20/2005	68	67	80
4/21/2005	69	69	82
4/22/2005	71	70	74
4/23/2005	67	66	53
4/24/2005	62	63	55
4/25/2005	61	63	63
4/26/2005	61	63	62

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures remained an average of 68-degrees. The forecast for the next 7-days is for daily highs to average in the mid to upper 60’s. Rain is forecasted almost every day. Water temperature has dropped and should remain steady at 62 degrees.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, for the North Shoreline area, the trend over the next 14 days is for the water temperature to be ?? degrees or higher. With the current water temperature and forecast I believe the water temperature will remain in the 60’s. The more interesting thing is the north end is now colder than the south end. I noticed the power plant started running again and that may warm the north end. The less rain we get the warmer the water will get. The crappies have mostly spawned in the north end. The females should be moving into deeper water with the males guarding the eggs. The bass spawn has started.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, for the Egyptian Hills Marina area, the trend over the next 14 days is for the water temperature to be ?? degrees or higher. With the current water temperature and forecast I believe the water temperature will remain in the 60’s. Some crappies have started spawning but many more are just now staging off the shelves and starting the move into the shallows. From the color of the spawn sacks, the spawn could last for the next 2 to 3 weeks. The bass spawn should start within the next week and a lot of fish are being caught in the shallows on spinner baits

Even though the weather has cooled off and the fishing has slowed doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish. In fact it should concentrate the baitfish, and that will concentrate the fish feeding on them, and that means the fisherman who puts it all together will have a great day out there!

I promised you more pictures from crappie camp but have none to share with you. Hey Al! Send me the pictures you promised!

The bite is on and the spawn…

For the past 2 weeks the morning water temperature for the north and south end of the lake is basically the same. Both ends of the lake are averaging 68 degrees in the morning and moving into the low 70’s during the day. Daily high air temperatures averaged 73 degrees.

We received a goodly amount of rain again on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and that kept the lake high and over the weed beds. For some reason the lake is clearing up even with the additional run-off.

Through Wednesday last week my brother-in-law Chuck and I fished from 4:00 to 8:00. On Wednesday my son Adam joined us. Once again we jigged a brush pile 7 foot deep and spent some time casting jigs over weeds in water that is 6 foot deep keeping our jigs just above the weeds. We continued to land good fish. Chuck seemed to have the better hand at landing the bigger fish. We continued to land fish that were 14 inches or better. The 14 inchers averaged 1 pound 10 ounces. I noticed our average size was dropping with more fish in the 10-inch and smaller showing up.

The annual crappie fishing camp kicked off on Wednesday evening with the arrival of my old friends and family. By Friday evening we had 32 people in camp and around the lake preparing for Saturday our competition day.

For over 20 years we’ve gathered at the same camp, at about the same time each year, to camp and bask in the camaraderie. Included in camp are both of my sons Jake and Adam, 2 of my brothers Charlie and Alex, my old high school buddy Rick, Bud my oldest Southern Illinois friend and his son Shawn, and of course Uncle Rich. All the rest are friends that were invited into camp as the years went on. And for most of them that is the only time I see them. When we started, my sons were 5 and 7 years old. Now they are married, have children and we are planning for my grandson’s first fishing experience. It’s hard to believe a generation has passed! Camping and fishing is by invitation only.

Friday night is a big night in camp. Fish are being filleted, strategies are being whispered and the final count on who is competing is determined. We go over the rules of the competition and discuss any potential changes. There was a vote in camp to make it illegal to spit on your bait on competition day. This came about because of the success that Uncle Rich has with the method and a concern if everybody used the spitting method how it would affect the chemical make up and quality of the water. It was decided that at Uncle Rich’s age he could spit on his minnow while he could still see it.

On Saturday we engaged in a little competition to see who can catch the 7 biggest crappie by weight and who can catch the single biggest crappie also by weight. The 7 biggest crappie would split honors with the single biggest crappie and have their name added to the camp list of winners. Come weigh-in time many crappie were caught and most impressive was the quantity of 1-pound fish. I weighed a total of 14 crappie, from various fishermen, that were over the 1-pound mark. There was a lot of small fish caught as well. The trend towards smaller fish experienced earlier in the week continued. In our camp there isn’t a second place so the first place award went to my old friend Jim who weighed 7 fish, at 7 pounds 3 ounces! Jim and Steve Jr. split the big fish award. Both fishermen weighed a crappie at 1 pound 5 ounces. Great job Jim!

Crappies were caught that day using jig or minnow with bobbers over or in front of the weeds. Vertically jigging over brush piles at 7 feet deep, Road Runners fished shallow over the weeds and over open water. With the big fish method rumored to be casting jigs or minnows onto the weedy shelves and letting it gently fall into the drop offs.

Camp broke up on Sunday but Russ and Tim stayed until Tuesday morning and were rewarded with many fish. Russ caught his biggest on Sunday landing a 1 pound 11 ounce fish. Of special mention Audie’s son landed a 1 pound 15 ounce fish on Friday and my son Adam caught a 1 pound 14 ounce fish on Friday as well. We all had a great time! I am already looking forward to next year.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
4/13/2005	63	62	54
4/14/2005	61	61	70
4/15/2005	61	61	71
4/16/2005	62	62	75
4/17/2005	68	67	82
4/18/2005	67	66	80
4/19/2005	68	67	78

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures remained an average of 73-degrees. The forecast for the next 5-days is for daily highs to average in the upper 60’s low 70’s. Water temperature is warming.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, for the North Shoreline area, the trend over the next 14 days is for the water temperature to be 72 degrees or higher. The crappies have mostly spawned in the north end. The females should be moving into deeper water with the males guarding the eggs. The bass spawn should start within the next week and a lot of fish are being caught in the shallows on spinner baits.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, for the Egyptian Hills Marina area, the trend over the next 14 days is for the water temperature to be 72 degrees or higher. Some crappies have started spawning but many more are just now staging off the shelves and starting the move into the shallows. From the color of the spawn sacks, the spawn could last for the next 2 to 3 weeks. The bass spawn should start within the next week and a lot of fish are being caught in the shallows on spinner baits. My buddy Richard claims to have a new secret method developing for catching shallow bass. To be privy to the method you have to be awarded the secret handshake… I’m not going there.

Sorry for not having any more pictures. I should have pictures of this past week, next week.

Over the past week morning water temperatures in the north and south end have evened out and moved into the 60 plus degree temperature range. Daytime highs averaged 72 degrees. In the south end, all of this and longer days are moving crappies out of the deep, to the shelves and points, with some crappie coming into the shallows chasin' and a eatin'!

We had a good rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. Our weekly rains are keeping the level of the lake on the high side and over the weed beds enough so you can work your bait or lures over them. Also the water is a little on the murky side. I believe murky water is a good thing. It isn’t so murky it hides your bait but it is murky enough so the fish have a harder time telling the difference between your lure and the real thing. Hence, more bites!

On Thursday my brother-in-law Chuck and I fished from 4:00 to 8:00. Primarily we jigged a brush pile 7 foot deep but we did spend a little time casting jigs over weeds in water that is 6 foot deep and weeds that come within 2 feet of the surface. We kept our jigs just above the weeds. We landed 25 crappie and kept 11 that were 10 inches or better. Our biggest was 15 inches and our catch included a 15, 14, and a 13 incher. On Friday and Saturday we had similar success with the biggest difference being our numbers were down, but the average size was the same! Everyday we fished the afternoon bite only because we had to. The morning bite is the best and worth getting up for.

On Monday I had the pleasure of fishing with Ed Gribac and Mike Thomas. Mike captains a charter boat on Lake Michigan. I’ve not fished his charter yet, but Mike is a good person and fisherman and I would recommend his services to my readers. For more information on fishing Lake Michigan call Mike Thomas at 708-479-5890. Tell him Mike O sent you! Both have homes on LOE and Ed is a full timer.

On Monday Ed, Mike and I fished from 6:00 AM until 2:10 PM. We caught 36 crappie! The biggest was 15 the next was 14 and we had at least 2 more that size! We caught a couple of 13 inchers and the rest fell into the 12 to 10 inch ranch with more 12 and 11 inchers than 10 inchers! It was a very good fish day and a great size average day. Ed and Mike were fishing with red and chartreuse tube jigs, tipped with minnows and cast mostly bobbers when we weren’t jigging. I fished the same way with out the minnows. We started jigging brush piles 7 feet deep and mostly we fished bobbers set 18 inches deep, casting within 10 feet from the shore with a slow to medium retrieve. Ed and Mike are good fishermen and great conversationalist. If the catching matched the never-ending conversation we would have needed another boat to hold all the fish! Ed and Mike thanks, for the memorable day.

Not to give up on the day Chuck and I went out to finish the day by fishing the last 2 hours of daylight. When we left the dock the weather was changing. We already had off and on rain since 2:30 PM. But it was just drizzling and the wind was almost non-existent. Changing weather was eminent and we were on the leading side of the massive front, which dropped a foot of snow on Colorado. Chuck and I knew the conditions were just right to land the great white crappie!

You see the great white crappie had bit off a piece of Uncle Rich's pinky skin a couple of years ago. This crappie is soooo big that when it is pulled from the water the water level will immediately drop 6 inches. Uncle Rich hooked the great white fish and fought it for 2 days! Uncle Rich can and will verify that Lake of Egypt has exactly 98 miles of shoreline! When he finally got it to the boat he realized he had no net so he had to lip it. In doing so he lost the fish, a piece of his pinky, and shouted “You no good son of a dirty !#$&*!*#*?!”. Now nobody knows exactly what that means and Uncle Rich has repeated it on occasions ever since! Uncle Rich and the family have been fishing for the great white crappie since, in hopes that catching the great fish would cure Uncle Rich’s resulting speech impediment.

We went to a point on the main channel were Ed, Mike, and I caught some of our bigger crappie earlier that day. Chuck set his bobber at 18 inches and made his cast. We were out there for only 5 minutes when Chuck made a cast, the jig hit the water and immediately the bobber disappeared! Chuck rocked the boat sideways setting the hook and all I could hear was his drag screaming. I didn’t even ask him if he needed the net. I just grabbed it and stood at the side of the boat searching the depths for the great fish to rise.

After a short fight the fish came to the surface and I deftly netted it. Chuck was beside himself! He shouted it was the biggest crappie he had ever caught! I measured the fish and it was 14 ½ inches long. Later on we weighed it. The crappie weighed 1.9 pounds or 1 pound 14 ounces! It was a very deep fish with thick shoulders. Unfortunately it was not the great white crappie.

A number of cast later Chuck was working his rig back to the boat when half way to the boat his bobber disappeared! Chuck set the hook, followed by a short fight his jig broke off. Chuck said he was probably caught on the bottom. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that when he set the hook and his rod rose up; I saw the lake drop 3 inches!!!

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
4/6/2005	59	59	68
4/7/2005	57	59	63
4/8/2005	58	58	73
4/09/2005	59	60	81
4/10/2005	63	62	82
4/11/2005	64	62	72
4/12/2005	63	61	72

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures are on the rise with a 72-degree average for the past week. That is 4 degrees warmer than last week. The forecast for the next 5-days is for daily highs to average normal and that means air temperatures in the upper 60’s low 70’s. Water temperature is warming as well.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the North Shoreline area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature should be 72 degrees or higher. The crappies are spawning in the north end. With the females moving into deeper water and the males guarding the eggs. The bass spawn should start within the next week

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the south main channel water temperatures, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature should be 72 degrees or higher. The crappie spawn will start over the next week. The crappie should be staging next to the shelves with aggressive feeding occurring on the shallow flats and back bays. It’s happening. The bass spawn should start in the next 2 weeks.

My brother Charlie went fishing with me this past weekend. We fished from noon on. My wife was over at the same time and I had chores to do. Went to a restaurant and slept in on Sunday. Our numbers on Saturday were fair and we caught a few more on Sunday but the size we caught was absolutely huge. We boated a 16 ½, 14 ¼, 13 ¼, a few 12 inchers and some ten inchers. Now the majority of our fish were caught jigging seven feet deep but, we caught some casting and retrieving that were chasing and Charlie caught one on a Road Runner.

Jim was on the lake again this weekend. He did as well on the crappie and switched over to bass. Jim caught a number of bass that were 16 plus inches. Jim was bottom bouncing a rubber worm working the points and deeper flats on the main channel.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
3/29/2005	52	51	72
3/30/2005	54	53	78
3/31/2005	57	53	68
4/01/2005	58	56	56
4/02/2005	55	53	56
4/03/2005	55	54	73
4/04/2005	57	56	76

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures are on the rise with a 68-degree average for the past week. That is 8 degrees warmer than last week. The forecast for the next 5-days is for daily highs to average normal and that means air temperatures in the 60’s or warmer. Water temperature is warming as well.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the North Shoreline area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature should be 65degrees or higher. Crappie & bass are actively feeding with more fish moving into the shallows. This is the crappie are spawning in the north end. Look for crappies to be actively feeding in the shallows and setting up camp.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the south main channel water temperatures trend over the next 14 days should be for the water temperature to be in the mid-60's. The crappie spawn should start by mid-April. From now on the crappie should be staging next to the shelves with aggressive feeding occurring on the shallow flats and back bays. I reported this last week and it’s happening.

The lake is still high and muddy in the bays. With rain in the forecast the water should remain high and murky over the next couple of weeks.

However some people always manage to do better than average. I got a report from Ed and his buddy of catching 32 crappie. They kept 18 and Ed caught one that measured 16 inches! They did this in the north end where the fish are actively feeding and the spawn is close to happening. Ed told me that all his fish were caught on minnows and bobbers set 5 foot deep. They fished the main points. If they had paid attention to me they wouldn’t have caught a fish because I told them to use jigs and fish the flats around the islands. Just goes to show you how things are changing out there daily! Good job, Ed !

I caught crappies that were average in size and numbers. Based on my schedule I had to fish the evenings and caught all my fish on the south end main channel over brush piles 12 to 20 feet deep and jigging a red/chartreuse 1/16-ounce tube jig. I was jigging 7 to 16 feet deep and the bite was slow. I did manage to jig into a 16-½ inch bass and land it. That was fun!

The Possum Gang from the Sugar Creek subdivision held their annual crappie challenge over the weekend in the rain, wind and colder than normal temperatures. The winners of the challenge boated 10 crappie and a total weight of 10.5 pounds. Now that’s pretty good, a 1-pound average. The second place team boated 7 crappie and just missed winning with 10.31 pounds. One of the crappies weighed in at over 2 pounds! That away Steve!

7 Day Water & Air Temperature
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
3/24/2005	52	48	50
3/25/2005	52	49	61
3/26/2005	55	51	48
3/27/2005	53	52	50
3/28/2005	51	52	64
3/29/2005	52	51	72
3/30/2005	54	53	77

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures have leveled off and are on the rise with a 60-degree average. That is 4 degrees warmer than last week. Most of this occurred over the past 2 days. The forecast for the next 5-days is for daily highs to average normal and that means air temperatures in the 60’s or warmer. Water temperature is warming with the north & south ends becoming equal. From this point forward the warmest water temperatures will be found in the back bays and shallows of the north and south ends.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the North Shoreline area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature should be 60 degrees or higher. Crappie & bass are actively feeding with more fish moving into the shallows. This is the crappie spawn in the North Shoreland area. Look for crappies to be actively feeding in the shallows and setting up camp the warmer the water gets.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the south main channel water temperatures trend over the next 14 days should be in the mid-60's. The crappie spawn should start by mid-April. From now on the crappie should be staging next to the shelves with aggressive feeding occurring on the shallow flats and back bays.

With all the run-off, the lake is full to the brim and going over the dam, the water is murky in the main channel and muddy in the bays. With rain in the forecast the water should remain high and murky over the next couple of weeks. Don’t let that worry you; it’s been my experience that LOE is better murky than clear. Especially with high water. It puts the fish on the banks. It may be time to get the Road Runners out !

It's happening! All last week even with lower than normal air temperatures the water temperature remained steady and then got warmer. Longer days and the sun's radiant heat are warming things up and the fish are responding! Last week fishermen started catching crappie in the shallows and flats as they move in to gorge themselves just prior to the spawn. Fish are being caught in numbers fishing 2 feet deep and over the weed beds. Primary areas to fish are on the flats around the islands and the Sunset Harbor area. Fish with or without a bobber, with or without minnows, tube jigs or Road Runners. The fish are hungry and chasing! North end temperatures are 58 degrees in the main channel and as high as 62 degrees in the shallows.

On the south end of the lake the action is on the increase as well! Crappies are largely being caught over brush piles in 16 to 7 feet of water vertically jig or with a slow drift. My buddy Jim was out again last week with his brother-in-law Dave. Between Friday evening and Sunday morning they boated over 30 crappie! Many of the fish were over 10 inches with the biggest being 13 1/2 inches! They did catch some fish in the shallows over the weeds but they were all small. South main channel morning water temperature is 50 degrees. The spawn is probably a month away but, with water temperatures on the rise, the bite is on the rise as well!

I was sort of, out of commission this past week with that virus that is going around. But, just because I'm too sick to work doesn't mean I’m too sick to fish. I managed to get out a few times and went to the North end. I caught a few crappies, some bass and a 21 inch channel cat that took 7 minutes to land! I did witness many crappies being caught by fishermen anchored just off the islands. Saturday and Sunday I was in St. Charles, MO on business.

Yesterday I was feeling better and was back on the lake. I went fishing with Uncle Rich who is getting over the virus as well. Uncle Rich said every muscle in his body ached and every pore was oozing some sort of fluid. He said he had a headache as well and used a muscle relaxant to feel better. Hmmmmmmmm?!

Anyway, Uncle Rich fished the south main channel area mostly over brush piles. We didn't hang a fish from 1:30 pm through 4:30 pm. Uncle Rich said the fish weren't biting so he asked to go home so that he could take his medicine and cook diner. (Just imagine Uncle Rich in an apron and relaxed! If that won't make you skip dinner....)

After I dropped Uncle Rich off I headed back for the brush pile. Jim had told me the primary bite was the first and last 2 hours of daylight. In the next hour I boated 2, 10 incher's, missed 2 other's and lost 2 jigs. With the 2 thing obviously working I decided 2 leave and try the shallows. Now that was a good decision! With the last 1/2 hour of daylight I made 6 cast, boated 6 crappie all over 10 inches! I was fishing over the weeds with a red/chartreuse tube and a medium fast retrieve and the crappie were chasing. In total I boated 12 crappies and the biggest was 12 1/2 inches. All the fish were males.

I called Uncle Rich to let him know. He told me he had the candles lit and couldn't be bothered. I pray Uncle Rich gets better soon!

7 Day Water & Air Temperature (More locations coming!)
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
3/15/2005	50	45	48
3/16/2005	50	45	59
3/17/2005	50	46	52
3/18/2005	54	48	61
3/19/2005	54	48	55
3/20/2005	52	48	59
3/21/2005	53	50	61

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures have leveled off and are on the rise with a 56 degree average. That is 4 degrees warmer than last week. The forecast for the next 5-days is for daily highs to remain below normal. Water temperature is stable to warming with the warmest temperatures in the North end of the lake.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the North Shoreline area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature should be 60 degrees or higher. Crappie & bass are actively feeding with more fish moving into the shallows. This is the beginning of the crappie spawn in the North Shoreland area.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the south main channel temperatures should be in the mid-50's. This should mark the beginning of the crappie pre-spawn with active fish in the shallows and staging to occur on the shelves and points.

The water is stained and not going over the dam. So I will report the lake is at normal pool and dropping, slowly.

I didn't get out on the lake this weekend (except to go to Uncle Rich's and Aunt Linda’s for dinner on Sunday). I don't have a bass fishing report. But, there were hundreds of tournament bass fishermen on LOE.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature (More locations coming!)
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
3/8/2005	48	46	42
3/9/2005	50	46	45
3/10/2005	49	45	52
3/11/2005	49	43	46
3/12/2005	49	43	68
3/13/2005	48	43	41
3/14/2005	49	44	54

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Daytime high air temperatures are averaging 52 degrees with big swings. The forecast for the next 5-days is for daily highs which will remain below normal. Water temperature is stable to warming with the warmest temperatures in the North end of the lake.

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the North Shoreline area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature could be 60 degrees. This should mean fishing would be greatly improved. Crappie & Bass should be actively feeding with more fish moving into the shallows. This should mark the beginning of the crappie spawn in the North Shoreland area.

I recorded water temperatures as high as 58 degrees at the Elks Club Point and received reports of temperatures as low as 44 degrees in the south main channel. The water is stained and going over the dam.

Bass fishing is reported as slowing down with the large swing in temperatures. I noticed the bass fishermen were throwing anything from spinner baits to rubber worms.

Don't worry, even though they are predicting snow this week, next week we could see air temperatures in the 70's with water temps re-acting accordingly. One other major influence on fishing and pre-spawn, spawn activity is the sunlight and length of day. The days are getting longer and the longer the sun is on the water the warmer it will get.

Now here's a prediction you can take to the bank! On 3/20/2005 we will have 12 hours of daylight and it will increase in length of time until 6/21/2005. The crappie will spawn before April is over and the fishing will improve weekly between now and then.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature (More locations coming!)
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
3/1/2005	46	44	36
3/2/2005	46	43	45
3/3/2005	48	44	42
3/4/2005	50	46	51
3/5/2005	51	45	66
3/6/2005	51	47	63
3/7/2005	51	48	59

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Based on the past 14 day water temperature and traditional weather patterns, the North Shoreline area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature could be 60 degrees. This should mean fishing would be greatly improved. Crappie & Bass should be actively feeding with more fish moving into the shallows. This should mark the beginning of the crappie spawn in the North Shoreland area.

The water is stained and going over the dam. A 7 pound plus bass was caught this past weekend by one of the tournament participants and overall the bass fishing is reported as being hot with many fish caught on cranks and spinners

7 Day Water & Air Temperature (More locations coming!)
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
2/22/2005	50	45	53
2/23/2005	49	45	37
2/24/2005	47	44	41
2/25/2005	48	44	52
2/26/2005	49	44	54
2/27/2005	51	45	54
2/28/2005	50	45	43

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Based on the past 14 day water temperature in the North Shoreline area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature could be 56 degrees. This should mean fishing would be greatly improved. Crappie & Bass should be actively feeding with more fish moving into the shallows. This should mark the beginning of the crappie pre-spawn in the North Shoreland area.

Uncle Rich and I went fishing on Sunday. The wind was blowing at 20 + MPH with mist, drizzle and rain with dropping barometric pressure. We opted to stay on the pier.

There was a bass tournament that day and I'm happy to report the fishermen who entered Uncle Rich's bay respected our area.

We caught 2 small bass and 2 channel catfish. One cat was 2 lbs and the other was 4 lbs. The Bass were caught on tube jigs, tipped with minnows and fished 6 feet deep. The cats were caught on the bottom with a minnow in 8 feet of water.

Correction - In previous reports I stated North Shoreland subdivision as 1 mile from the dam. After reviewing a topographic map it is actually 2.5 miles from the dam.

7 Day Water & Air Temperature (More locations coming!)
Subdivision # Description
28 North Shoreland - Located 2.5 miles from the dam and on the east side & just off the main channel.
19 Wagon Creek Haven - Located 5.0 miles from the dam & due south of Egyptian Hills on the main channel.

Subdivision :	28	19	N/A
Date	Morning Water Temp		Daily High Air Temp
2/16/2005	47	NR	46
2/17/2005	49	NR	41
2/18/2005	48	NR	45
2/19/2005	49	NR	42
2/20/2005	49	44	61
2/21/2005	49	46	59
2/22/2005	50	45	53 FH

Legend
FH = Forecasted High
NR = No Report

Based on the past 14 day water temperature in the North Shoreland area, the trend indicates over the next 14 days the water temperature could be 56 degrees.

This should mean fishing would be greatly improved. Crappie & Bass should be actively feeding with more fish moving into the shallows. This should mark the beginning of the crappie pre-spawn in the North Shoreland area

Station 1 North Shoreland Uncle Rich
Morning Water Temp, Air Temp Daily High
2/13/2005 47, 61
2/14/2005 48, 68
2/15/2005 50, 70
2/16/2005 47, 46
2/17/2005 49, 41
2/18/2005 48, 45
2/19/2005 49, 42
We will continue to record the water & air temperature daily. More locations coming!

Crappie fishing is fair at the north end with fish caught on Tube Jigs, Crappie Assassins, and minnows, fished slowly at 1 1/2 to 4 feet deep. Fish the weedy points an shelves.

Station 1 Uncle Rich
Morning Water Temp, Air Temp Daily High
2/09/2005 44
2/10/2005 44
2/11/2005 43
2/12/2005 45
2/13/2005 47
2/14/2005 50, 68
2/15/2004 48, 70
2/16/2005 47, 46

We will continue to record the water & air temperature daily. More locations coming!

Crappie fishing is fair at the north end with fish caught on Tube Jigs, Crappie Assassins, and minnows, fished slowly at 1 1/2 to 4 feet deep. Fish the weedy points an shelves.

UBetcha Outdoors and Uncle Rich has mounted a water temperature sensor in the North Shoreland area of LOE which is located approximately 1 mile form the dam. Uncle Rich has been recording the water temperature daily since 2/09/2005 with the following results:

2/09/2005 44 Degrees
2/10/2005 44 Degrees
2/11/2005 43 Degrees
2/12/2005 45 Degrees
2/13/2005 47 Degrees

We will continue to record the water temperature daily and report the results weekly until we publish this info on a daily basis. It is my plan to monitor LOE water temperature in many more locations as the year progresses in order to give the complete LOE water temperature picture, zeroing in on the springtime bite.