03-27-2004, 08:06 PM
[#000000][size 2][font "Arial"][size 2]The lake elevation is 1001.8-feet, 5.9-feet higher than it was last week. The lake elevation is predicted to rise 2.4-inches over the next two days. Water surface temperatures are in the low-50's in most locations, higher in protected, stained areas on sunny afternoons. There is a plankton bloom in some locations which is giving the water a brown-streaked appearance. This is a natural phenomenon. Realizing that fish may use it as shade from bright sunlight, some anglers target the stain where the water is otherwise clear. The rise in the water level has set afloat every downed tree, log, limb and buoyant object which was on the shoreline over the winter. The upper half of the lake, especially, is thickly littered with floating debris. Boaters should exercise caution. [/size][/font]
[size 2][font "Arial"]SUMMARY
Since last week's report, there have been snow, rain and extreme winds across the area. The upper river section is in the midst of the walleye run, but suffered its second setback due to changing water conditions in two weeks. The sudden rise in the water level adversely affected fishing across the lake. Few fish were brought in. On days when the winds exceeded 40-mph, the lake saw little, to no fishing pressure. SMALLMOUTH are staging for the spawn; the water rise will not keep these fish down for long. LARGEMOUTH BASS and SPOTTED BASS slowed with the water's rise, but were showing signs of returning to hitting well in the creek hollows. WALLEYE fishing slowed upriver with stained water and snow melt lowering the temperature. CRAPPIE are hitting in the brush in stained water on the upper half of the lake. Lower end crappie were not hitting well. STRIPED BASS catches continue to be slow. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]CRAPPIE
Fair upriver, slow on the lower end. 5 to 10-feet, in shoreline brush Small Twisters on leadhead jigs, small doll flies or tuffy minnows. The best crappie fishing was on the upper half of the lake, from the main channel sections of the Clinch above Point 28, and on the Powell above Point 15. Fish very close to the bank, shallow, in muddy or mud-stained water in the creek headwaters. Dusk or dawn is best. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]SMALLMOUTH BASS
Moderate. 3 to 15-feet. Bandit crankbaits (orange, yellow or crawfish color with orange or yellow bellies) produced well, close to the bank in rocky areas. Float 'n Fly, plastic jerk baits on 1/4-oz leadheads, Float 'n Fly along rocky banks and gravel-to-large-rock transition zones for suspended fish. Some are holding close to the rocky banks, shallow. Many smallmouth are staging in shallower water, close to deep-water dropoffs, in anticipation of the spawn. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Moderate. 3 to 10-feet. Largemouth were hitting willow-leaf spinners, small Bandit-type crankbaits, or jointed jerk baits in the stained sections of the lake. Fish crankbaits with a tight action (small Bandits), or spinners very close to, and parallel to the bank, especially in stained water. Flipping with plastic jigs near wood structure in stained water sections. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]STRIPED BASS
Slow. Surface to 35-feet deep. Alewife, gizzard shad near the surface on drift lines, or downrigged as deep as 30-feet. Cove Creek action slowed, but the fish were being located in schools of shad and alewife from 20- to 40-feet deep in mid-channel. Stripers were also holding in the channel above the 33-Bridge, 20-feet deep. Finding the fish was easier than getting them to bite. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]WALLEYE
Slow, improving. 15-feet, on the bottom. Powell River near Greasy Hollow; Clinch near Bridgeport and above to Point 32. Some as high as Slate Creek and Point 33. Jigs tipped with minnows vertically jigged, or trolled, on the bottom.[/font][/size][/size][/#000000][font "Arial"] [/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Hatches:[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Patterns[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Fish Species[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul] [li]Bluegill [li]Crappie [li]Striped Bass [li]Largemouth Bass [li]Smallmouth Bass [li]Walleye[/li][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font]
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[size 2][font "Arial"]SUMMARY
Since last week's report, there have been snow, rain and extreme winds across the area. The upper river section is in the midst of the walleye run, but suffered its second setback due to changing water conditions in two weeks. The sudden rise in the water level adversely affected fishing across the lake. Few fish were brought in. On days when the winds exceeded 40-mph, the lake saw little, to no fishing pressure. SMALLMOUTH are staging for the spawn; the water rise will not keep these fish down for long. LARGEMOUTH BASS and SPOTTED BASS slowed with the water's rise, but were showing signs of returning to hitting well in the creek hollows. WALLEYE fishing slowed upriver with stained water and snow melt lowering the temperature. CRAPPIE are hitting in the brush in stained water on the upper half of the lake. Lower end crappie were not hitting well. STRIPED BASS catches continue to be slow. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]CRAPPIE
Fair upriver, slow on the lower end. 5 to 10-feet, in shoreline brush Small Twisters on leadhead jigs, small doll flies or tuffy minnows. The best crappie fishing was on the upper half of the lake, from the main channel sections of the Clinch above Point 28, and on the Powell above Point 15. Fish very close to the bank, shallow, in muddy or mud-stained water in the creek headwaters. Dusk or dawn is best. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]SMALLMOUTH BASS
Moderate. 3 to 15-feet. Bandit crankbaits (orange, yellow or crawfish color with orange or yellow bellies) produced well, close to the bank in rocky areas. Float 'n Fly, plastic jerk baits on 1/4-oz leadheads, Float 'n Fly along rocky banks and gravel-to-large-rock transition zones for suspended fish. Some are holding close to the rocky banks, shallow. Many smallmouth are staging in shallower water, close to deep-water dropoffs, in anticipation of the spawn. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Moderate. 3 to 10-feet. Largemouth were hitting willow-leaf spinners, small Bandit-type crankbaits, or jointed jerk baits in the stained sections of the lake. Fish crankbaits with a tight action (small Bandits), or spinners very close to, and parallel to the bank, especially in stained water. Flipping with plastic jigs near wood structure in stained water sections. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]STRIPED BASS
Slow. Surface to 35-feet deep. Alewife, gizzard shad near the surface on drift lines, or downrigged as deep as 30-feet. Cove Creek action slowed, but the fish were being located in schools of shad and alewife from 20- to 40-feet deep in mid-channel. Stripers were also holding in the channel above the 33-Bridge, 20-feet deep. Finding the fish was easier than getting them to bite. [/font][/size]
[size 2][font "Arial"]WALLEYE
Slow, improving. 15-feet, on the bottom. Powell River near Greasy Hollow; Clinch near Bridgeport and above to Point 32. Some as high as Slate Creek and Point 33. Jigs tipped with minnows vertically jigged, or trolled, on the bottom.[/font][/size][/size][/#000000][font "Arial"] [/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Hatches:[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Patterns[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Fish Species[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul] [li]Bluegill [li]Crappie [li]Striped Bass [li]Largemouth Bass [li]Smallmouth Bass [li]Walleye[/li][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font]
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