01/18/2012
Lake level is 2.8 foot low
Water is normal to stained
The winter crappie bite is on for Stockton Lake. For the most part, this report shouldn’t change from week to week, unless we get really warm.
To find the fish, the first thing you need to do is find their dinner. Unless myself, crappie, walleye, and bass, all like shad for dinner. This is the time of year that you really need to learn to read your graph. Even if you have a cheaper graph, you can still use it to your advantage. Shad can and will move from place to place, and can even be in different depths. The secret is locating them and staying on top of them. It’s important to keep your marker bouy close to you so you can throw it in to mark the location of the fish. Rule 1 is not to throw it right next to your boat, you will have to fight it all day, throw it far enough out to give you a good way to mark the shad and stay out of the marker. Once you have located the shad, it’s time to get down to some fishing. I usually start out about 1 crank off of the bottom of the lake, and then bring the lure up very slow until i find the active fish. You will be able to catch crappie, walleye, and bass this way. I have even seen catfish caught under the winter shad. Fish will feed all winter long, so they have to be close to the food source. I use all of the way up to a 1/4 oz jig head and down to 1/16 if there isn’t any wind. doesn’t seem to effect the bite much and color doesn’t seem very important. Crappie niblets can help get a few more bites or a good garlic scent ect.
Now how to find the shad. Last week I kind of explained what you might see on your screen. I have the 1197 csi and can see up to 150 feet off each side of the boat as well as under the boat. this is a huge help in locating schools of shad. if all you have is a sonar unit, that is still ok, you might just have to look a little harder. what you are looking for is a “cloud” or a really tightly packed group of fish. under this cloud, if you see arches, then that is a huge bonus. you know the fish are down there. Once you see the cloud on your screen, then mark that spot either with your gps or a marker bouy. and it’s time to fish.
For the past 2 years we have found huge schools of shad. so big I would have bet they were brush piles, but no hang ups and they moved around to much to be brush. make sure you mark the depth what type of bank etc which will aid you in locating more shad later. sometimes you can fish one school all day and load the boat up with crappie and walleye and the next the fish are on the move. You move to, be the fish!!
Remember, get to know your electronics, study it, read about it, then you can go out and catch some crappie instead of just going fishing for the day. Good luck and if you have to much problem, I have a few openings through feb so give me a call.
Bob Bennett
Stockton Lake Guide Service
417-234-8988
Bob Bennett
Stockton Lake Guide Service
417-637-BASS Office
417-234-8988 Cell