So what’s a guide to do on his day off?
The smile tells what Zach Penland did this last week. Little Zoey will not be a girl afraid to touch a fish, in fact I bet she gets a 40 on her own before she’s 4. Well, she might need Dad to drive the boat.
What about that background? Looks like it’s a wall blocking a storm from coming through.
The water temps are in the low 60s. The spawn is on. Most stripers have moved upriver to lay their eggs on Beaver Lake. Look on the flats and river bends from Horseshoe Bend to as far up the White and War Eagle arms.
Don’t overlook the creeks along the way. No weights using balloons and planer boards to get your shiners or shad away from the boat and into that shoreline water.
The topwater bite is on. So while you’re moving real slow dragging your bait with your trolling motor you should have someone throwing something up in the bow.
Stripers aren’t the only ones wanting to spawn now. The white bass on Beaver and here at Holiday Island are being caught going up the creeks and rivers, just use smaller baits. A lot of crappie are being caught in the shoreline brush where they’ll spawn. A minnow or jig under a float or a long crappie rod is the best way to get to them without spooning now.
Bass are already moving up into the shoreline gravel as shallow as two feet to build their nest, which they can be very aggressive trying to protect. Moving a soft plastic lizard or worm slowly by them is a good way to catch them now.
Bream are even being caught off the shoreline with worms and crickets. Trout are in the tailwaters from the dam to Beavertown and easy to catch trolling small crankbaits in the deeper water, and also putting a bit of worm with some power bait on the tip fished off the bottom from the shoreline.
Walleye are moving back into the lake from their spawn. Trolling about 12 ft. deep off the edge of the flats are catching a few. Spoonbill are still being caught snagging below the dam when they’re running water.
If someone wants to buy my 11 ft. snagging rod and reel, along with all you need to catch one of these big fish, or if you can’t get in the water and need to get out, give me a call.