April 4, 2005

Water Temp 56 degrees AM, 60 degrees Afternoon

CRAPPIE
The Red Buds are blooming and the Crappie spawn has begun. Today I caught the first Crappie I believed to actually be spawning. We caught 42 nice size Crappie, all in less than 5' of water. Yesterday we had 56, shallow. The week prior I caught as few as 8 on a half day trip and as many as 70 in a full day. I've caught fish as deep as 20' and as shallow as 2'. It is important to remember that not all Crappie spawn shallow. I believe some actually spawn as deep as 18'. I've caught most of these fish on chartreuse tubes and curly tails. One day we did use minnows and fished deep. It seemed to me that the best average size fish were caught more shallow. The deeper fish were either small or real BIG (no in between).

BASS
Largemouth:
Now is a great time for anglers new to the lake to come. All you have to do is tie on a chartreuse & white spinner bait and cast the banks. You will catch bass. Fish are also being caught on Rattle Traps. My favorite color this time of the year is Pumpkinseed. Carolina Rigged lizards are also a good option now. Fish the smaller shallow bays with a spinner bait, shallow flats with a rattle trap, and gravel points and bars with a Carolina Rig.
Smallmouth:
The Small Mouth are thinking about spawning. Some big fish are being caught still on Jerk Baits. What I usually fish this time of year is a 4" twin tail grub in green pumpkin on a light 1/2 oz Carolina Rig with a 2 ft leader. I look for fish to be in around 8' of water. Fish main lake points and bars and points near the mouths of bays.

I've been catching several nice bass each day while Crappis fishing. We caught six nice Small Mouths the other day out of a brush pile 18' deep on the main lake.

BLUEGILL
Some Bluegill are shallow but some amazing numbers are in deep water on stumps and Crappie brush 10 to 18' deep.

Good fishing to you!

Captain Kirk, out.