Best bite now is fishing the pink. The pink of the morning will have the coolest water of the day and that is what the fish want most right now, along with their bellies full of shad. I’m kinda liking it a bit myself. We might be in the dog days of summer now but were getting some pretty cool mornings causing a debate with myself on wearing shorts or beans. Shorts are still the winner and the cool mornings are very confortable. The fall bite is just around the corner, along with bringing out the long johns.
For now most fish and bait are holding deep to stay cool, but that pink is bringing them to the top to play a bit before that sun gets too high. So we’re still doing our half-day trips out at midnight and also 5.30 a.m. Full day trips going out at midnight to 8 a.m.
Not what I want, but it’s what the fish want now and we are going out to catch fish. Top water baits are doing good in low light conditions for stripers and bass, but none are staying up too long with the surface temps in the low 80s, so a spoon dropped down about 25 – 35 ft. deep will bring in the most fish if you’re not live baiting.
If you’re using live bait, well, big shad are your best bet now for stripers with most being caught from the dam to Point 6 on Beaver Lake. Look for baitballs off the points and in the middle of the deeper coves. Most the stripers and shad I’m seeing are in water more than 50 ft. deep, holding 25 – 35 ft. down.
Crappie are being caught on minnows and jigs in water 25 – 35 ft. deep, and about 11 – 15 ft. down in the trees and sunken brush. Bass, when not on top, are about the same depth because that’s where all the bait is holding now. Little bait and big bait both.
We also caught some good catfish this week but had to go into town to a cabin on 62 east called Catfish something. A fishing hole with air-conditioning. Mmmm.
Well, that’s it for this week. Get them kids out on the water before school starts back. Fall is coming fast. Enjoy the pink.