We did pull some good fish this week but I couldn’t resist sharing my doorway view from Horseshoe Bend on Beaver Lake this week. I moved camp up that way after the cool fronts last week just wouldn’t let that water get up to 58°.
The first day I had stripers rolling all around me as i moved the boat from camp through the fog trying to find my people just around the corner. It took a while to find them due to I kept running into so much boat wake. When you’re the only boat out there and you come across a wake you know it’s yours, which means you’re going in circles.
Finally found my guys then we did a few more circles getting to the hot spot to find that the fish got tired of waiting on us. We did catch some nice bass but no stripers.
Saturday when I pushed off from the shore the surface activity was nothing like the day before but the warm front had the water back up river getting above 58° finally so we ran back upriver past Hickory where we were the week before. We pulled three good fish in the mouth of the War Eagle Arm.
So Sunday we went further up the War Eagle and found 62° water and got on some stripers that slapped us at least 20 times but would not take the hook. Slapping is what they do when not feeding but laying eggs and they just want to kill our big shad to protect their eggs.
We got there a bit earlier the next day and got slapped but also had some that were hungry and got another three in the boat and lost a couple more with the big fish being another nice 20-pounder but the one that got away is the one I wanted to see. He stripped out line and ran like a freight train. Even though he pulled hard, the hook was never set and when given a bit of slack, he was gone. Oh well, that’s fishing.
As I pulled the boat out Monday to head home the water temp was up to 64°. White bass and stripers are both spawning now and can be found from the mouth of the creeks all the way to as far up as you can get a boat. If you’re afoot on Beaver or Table Rock now, get to the creek arms. If you don’t find them in the back they will both also spawn on the pea gravel flats.
The points with the river or creek bending next to them are also breeding grounds for both. As you’re moving up that creek hit the shoreline brush with a minnow or jig and you should find a crappie or two. If go upriver from Holiday Island look for the walleye to be in the same bends and pea gravel along with some trout. I would not put any bait in the water now any deeper then 12 ft. deep. I am running no weight on my striper rods now and all activity we’re getting is in water less then 20 ft. deep with big shad 5 – 12 inches long being the hot bait now.
I’m home a few days now but going back up and putting in at Hickory for a trip Saturday. Still open Friday and Sunday if anyone wants to try to reel in that 40-pound fish we lost. The top water bite will still be hot all through April into May for all your bass species.
Largemouth and spotted bass will be up on that pea gravel building their nest when the stripers and whites are done doing their thing.
So shallow and pea gravel are the key words this week. Brush for crappie and trout, just put on a worm with a bit of power bait on the tip to float it off the bottom or throw a small spoon, roostertail or crankbaits trolling from the dam to Beavertown or find cool spot in the shade on the shoreline. Enjoy the spring, summer will be on us before you know it.
Johnson Guide Service (479) 253-2258 www.fishofexcellence.com