Mark Rusterholtz from Fayetteville invited George Strickland from Elkins for a striper trip last week that started with a bit of rain and wind. I love what I call soft water, so we just drug our bait to the back of Rambo Creek near Rocky Branch where we found it along with fish and bait that were both pretty active and the rods started going down with a lot more slapping than fish commencing to eat. But we managed to get three in the boat. And a nice bass.
Water temp is still holding below 72° in the mid-lake area, so no weights. The top water bite is still on with 5 – 10 in. shad being hit the most and brood shiners coming in 2nd as the best bait. Shad you can’t buy, you have to catch yourself, but the brood shiners you can get by driving to Gateway Barnett’s Pawn & Bait on the right heading to Garfield on 62.
Stripers are moving closer to home now so we’re getting on them launching from Beaver Dam lakeside park and going for a short boat ride south. Looking in the back of the creeks and the main channel flats and shallow points with a river bend is a plus.
Not been out this week here at the Island but a few crappie are being caught in Leatherwood Creek next to the marina with minnows and jigs being your best bait on the shoreline brush. Walleye are being caught from Holiday Island to Beavertown on the same bait, and trolling deep driving crankbaits off the flats.
A lot of nice trout are being caught trolling small flicker shad and crankbaits from Beavertown on up into the tailwaters. For shoreline fishing now I suggest grabbing some worms, power bait and a nice rock to sit on from the dam to Parker Bottoms on the river. Lake Leatherwood being spring fed should be turning on now, and with a trail going around it you should be able to find a nice spot where you can catch crappie, bass, redear or a catfish. It’s only a 100-acre lake so it’s easy to fish out of a smaller boat which they also rent at a reasonable price since no outboard is needed. It’s a very peaceful place to spend the day. It is also our City Park that has been here longer than Table Rock and Beaver Lake. Just pack a lunch and enjoy the Ozarks as I do.
Till next week stay dry.