Well, I’ve been a little under the weather this last week. We seem to be going back and forth with spring playing with us. But it is now here, it’s just these chilly nights not moving water temps up fast enough to make me happy.
I went out here at the Island Monday and our warmest water was in the creek arm at Leatherwood Creek, running about 55° in the back.
Whites and stripers both like that 58° – 64° to spawn. The males move up the river and creek arms, then the big females move in to lay their eggs after. We caught a few smaller male white bass and three spotted bass using crankbaits that ran about 6 ft. deep.
Best fishing was from about mid-creek in 14-foot water – 5-foot water in the back. We also went after stripers Sunday way up the War Eagle arm in Beaver Lake, where we also found 55° water.
Stripers are moving in and way up the creek, but on our day we had that NE wind again so they did not come up. We played around a bit with a light pole and small crankbait and found some crappie, plus male and female white bass moving up. So it looks like the fish are wanting to run but we just need more of these 50° nights and 70° days to come up to 58°, and according to the forecast we’ve got it coming again this week. Creek water from a warm rain and it is on.
If not fishing the water flowing in I would suggest fishing where the sun shines the most in water 6 – 14 ft. deep with live bait or artificial that resembles a minnow, shad, crawdad or worm. Take a kid with you to increase your odds or keep you busy if the fish don’t bite.