One thing about being busy as a guide, I don't seem to have time to keep my reports current. Since my last report, the spawn has begun, some fish have spawned, but as of this writing there are many yet to spawn. Water temps are starting out in the mid 60's and on the hotter days getting up to 70 and above. Water clarity seems to vary almost daily and also depending where you are on the lake and also with the direction of the wind. So far the reports from those sight fishing have been with mixed results, mostly small males being caught and also with the vast amount of cover, hard to find and hard to see those bedding fish. The lake level as of this writing stands at 7.72 ft which is still slightly over the full level and higher than normal for this time of the year. The shad are spawning and huge schools are being seen all around the lake, they are spawning in the tules and along the docks and walls. If you can find the bass actively feeding on them, you can load the boat pretty fast with LV's, flukes, under spins and jerkbaits and spinner baits. With all of this being said, the bass bite for the past ten days or so has been very slow and very tough at times for those using artificials and even the live bait which I have used for most of my trips has gotten tougher. Once the spawn cycle gets somewhat completed, the fish will need to feed up from the rigors of the spawn and the bite should get much better. The drop shot and wacky rigged senko's should come into play much stronger than the current bite. When the bass are trying to spawn, the bite is always tougher because they are not interested in eating. With the higher water levels and the inconsistent weather patterns we have had, this has all combined to make the tough bite we are now experiencing. For those who may think the spawn is done, several of the bigger fish my customers caught this past week showed no signs of spawning. The crappie bite has slowed down, but if you are persistent and cover water, you can still find them. Lot's of bait, lot's of water, lot's of crappie, lot's of blue gill and lot's of bass in the 1 to 2 lb with a lot of big bass caught early this year should make for a great season. Stay Safe, be courteous, practice catch and release, God Bless, Bob
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