Well, the water temp has finally gotten up to 80° which is a sign that it’s warm enough to swim and stripers are into their summer pattern on Beaver Lake now. Most stripers are below the thermocline at 20 – 40 feet deep into the deeper part of the lake from here at the dam to the Rocky Branch area.
So it’s weights on and big bait for big fish from now to September. This here is Gena and daughter, Faith Bryan, from Cheyenne, Okla., holding a 12 and a 32-pounder we got on Friday. Both fish were caught on a big gizzard shad down about 28 feet in water between 40 and 60 feet deep off the edge of a flat.
Here at the Island we’re finally getting up past Beaver Bridge, and evenings seem to be best when they’re generating, which moves smaller shad upriver to cool. Walleye, spotted and white bass are moving with them to feed alongside of some big trout. Minnows, jigs, roostertails and rapalla type lures should all work.
What I like to do here is take my cast net and get them small shad when they first come up so we’re fishing what they’re feeding on.
Look for crappie, bigger perch and bass in the sunken brush from 6 to 12 feet deep. Jigs and minnows under a slip float works best for me.
Well, that’s it for this week. Take a kid fishing and don’t forget the swimsuits.
Johnson Guide Service, www.fishofexcellence.com (479) 253- 2258