Crappie fair using hot-n-tot's or night fishing under lights along the bluffs 

Stripers are deep using umbrella rigs and deep cranks and live shad

Largemouth Bass fair using topwater baits 

White Bass good at night under a light 

July 12, 2004

Hey - it's summer and the humidity is high with temperatures in the low 90's - Whoopee! Lake temperature is running between 80 and 83 degrees, pushing the shad and most of the game fish down into the thermocline, which has developed around 32 feet. This is the time of year where we need to change our times and fishing techniques so starting with this week's report we will talk about deep water tactics for summer success. Lake level this week is at 660.43, six feet above normal pool. Crappie fishing picked up some this week as the crappie started to return to the deep brush piles and standing trees along the bluff walls. Best baits are still crappie minnows on bright jig heads but here is a little trick - put a piece of nightcrawler on the jig along with your crappie minnow. This will increase your summer bite ratio.

Largemouth bass are hard to find during the daytime hours throughout the summer. They relocate on drop offs, cliff walls and under dock areas where they can find some shade. Slow moving baits work the best during the summer heat. Around docks fish Sinko's, Flukes, jig and pigs or Texas rigged worm with a light bullet weight. The deeper largemouth can be taken with football ¾ oz jigs or Carolina rigs worked along the bottom in the thermocline. 

Smallmouth bass do not like warm water so during the summer heat they leave the pea rock banks and moved to chunk rock ledges and channel swings where they can hide from the sun under rocks or boulders. These smallies will stay around the thermocline so figuring out how deep they are is not that hard. Fish baits that will stay on the bottom and allow you to work across the ledges. Spider Jigs, tube baits, finesse worms and grubs will be your key baits through the summer. Drop shot rigs with finesse baits will also trigger a few smallies when they are feeding on shad. 

Kentucky bass relocate under balls of shad during the hot months and will go as deep as 65 feet of water if their food source is there. Vertically fishing spoons or a drop shot with finesse baits or live bait such as a nightcrawler or shad are your best bet as we go into the dog days of summer.

Walleye have also moved to the thermocline but they are suspending at 30 to 32 feet over 50 to 60 feet of water. Long liners are catching the majority of walleye with down riggers or lead core line pulling Shad Raps, Reef Runners, Walleye Minnows or Bill Norman DD14 and DD22's. The morning bite is okay up until 9 a.m. or so then it shuts down until late afternoon. Vertical jigging will pick up on a spoon as soon as the walleye position themselves over the flooded forest and along steep points.

NIGHT TIME UPDATE: The bass bite starts to pick up around sunset until 1 a.m. 18 to 28 feet of water is the depth to key in on with jig and pigs, 8 to 10" worms or tube baits. Walleye can be caught in the same range on nightcrawler harnesses or suspending rogues, black back/orange belly.

Trout fishing on the White River has been good on Power Bait in yellow, and white if you can find an area without too much current. Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleo's, Super Dupers and Krocodiles have been working when the generation is on. The fly fishermen have had a hard time because of the generation but are doing well on olive Woolly Buggers, peach egg patterns, soft hackles matching the hatch and San Juan worms. Browns are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Countdowns and Jointed Countdowns, Rebel Floating Minnows and nightcrawlers.

 

Largemouth bass are hard to find during the daytime hours throughout the summer.  They relocate on drop offs, cliff walls and under dock areas where they can find some shade.  Slow moving baits work the best during the summer heat.  Around docks fish Sinko’s, Flukes, jig and pigs or Texas rigged worm with a light bullet weight.  The deeper largemouth can be taken with football ¾ oz jigs or Carolina rigs worked along the bottom in the thermocline.  

Smallmouth bass do not like warm water so during the summer heat they leave the pea rock banks and moved to chunk rock ledges and channel swings where they can hide from the sun under rocks or boulders.  These smallies will stay around the thermocline so figuring out how deep they are is not that hard.  Fish baits that will stay on the bottom and allow you to work across the ledges.  Spider Jigs, tube baits, finesse worms and grubs will be your key baits through the summer.  Drop shot rigs with finesse baits will also trigger a few smallies when they are feeding on shad.  Kentucky bass relocate under balls of shad during the hot months and will go as deep as 65 feet of water if their food source is there.  Vertically fishing spoons or a drop shot with finesse baits or live bait such as a nightcrawler or shad are your best bet as we go into the dog days of summer.

Walleye have also moved to the thermocline but they are suspending at 30 to 32 feet over 50 to 60 feet of water.  Long liners are catching the majority of walleye with down riggers or lead core line pulling Shad Raps, Reef Runners, Walleye Minnows or Bill Norman DD14 and DD22’s.  The morning bite is okay up until 9 a.m. or so then it shuts down until late afternoon.  Vertical jigging will pick up on a spoon as soon as the walleye position themselves over the flooded forest and along steep points.

NIGHT TIME UPDATE:  The bass bite starts to pick up around sunset until 1 a.m.  18 to 28 feet of water is the depth to key in on with jig and pigs, 8 to 10” worms or tube baits.  Walleye can be caught in the same range on nightcrawler harnesses or suspending rogues, black back/orange belly.

Trout fishing on the White River has been good on Power Bait in yellow, and white if you can find an area without too much current. Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, Super Dupers and Krocodiles have been working when the generation is on.  The fly fishermen have had a hard time because of the generation but are doing well on olive Woolly Buggers, peach egg patterns, soft hackles matching the hatch and San Juan worms.  Browns are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Countdowns and Jointed Countdowns, Rebel Floating Minnows and nightcrawlers.

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