Well, this pic shows we still have some big bass here at the Island. I caught this one Monday evening after all the people left, in the back of the creek in two feet of water while trying for some crappie for my dinner. Used a minnow under a float, and boy was that fun! Twenty-three inches next to that crappie that’s almost 12 inches he sure looks big. Look at that tail, that’s from fanning the bottom to lay her eggs. Water temp here about 71° and this shows fish are shallow near the shoreline.
The water here is still high which gives all the baby fish plenty of room to hide for a good spawn. I was also happy to see the water has cleared up a lot. Beaver Lake has been clear all along from the dam to Rocky Branch.
Stripers are being caught in Indian Creek, Big Clifty, Little Clifty, Rambo Creek and off the flats in between. Start with the points at the mouth of these creeks and work your way in ‘til you see or catch.
Topwater is still the best artificial bait. Freelining shad is the best live bait, then add some weight and get down below 20 feet when the sun gets high.
I seem to be booked the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th with two trips here and two on Beaver. But open this weekend if you need help getting on the water. I’m going to cook me some fish now for a late lunch. I do believe our floods are over and it looks like Beaver Bridge is getting close to being open again. It is all getting back to normal now, so enjoy.
Johnson Guide Service www.fishofexcellence.com (479) 253-2258