By
Water Temp: 67-74 F 
SMALLMOUTH BASS have gone ballistic. The open water reefs that
were vacant last month are now RED HOT.
Smallmouth bass from 6 inches to 2 pounds are surrounding reefs and long rocky
points. Smaller bass are right on top of the reef in a few feet of clear water.
Larger fish are residing off the reef edge at depths from 15-25 feet.
This reef in
the middle of
It's a sure thing to toss a single tail plastic grub (smoke, green or pumpkin)
on a quarter ounce jig head to waiting bass. Just let the grub hit the reef and
drag it a few feet at a time. Smallmouth bass will be all over it like a puppy
chewing a bone.
Bass spawning is all but over. There may be a few bass still guarding nests but
the rising lake covered the nests beyond visibility. Just fish the open reef
structure now and perhaps a guarding male can be caught. If not, there are so
many bass hitting that spawning is no longer significant.
Other fish species have made the switch to the 25 foot bottom contour on
outside primary points leading into deep water. Stripers, walleye, and
largemouth bass are consistently found on irregular bottom contours marked by
"yellow water reefs" mixed with "deep blue water". Look for
the flat shoreline with lots of reefs and extended points to find a mixed bag
of fish. Points often have a "saddle" just off shore with another
reef much further out in the bay. This is the best habitat to fish this week.
To effectively fish reefs, employ a combination of casting or trolling the reef
edges (with shallow runners like jerk baits or Wally divers), to spooning deep
on the reef edge, or dragging a plastic grub or tube at 20 feet. Bass, stripers
and walleye will all hit the same lures when the hot spot is located.
Yellow water reefs
surrounded by deeper blue water are the prime habitat this week.
I caught nothing but fat stripers today using the end of reef technique. The
reaction bait (spoon or crank bait) was appealing to stripers that feed on
sunfish and crayfish. These fish have left the schools to forage on their own.
They have fared better than the schooling stripers that do not get fed every
day.
Schooling stripers are still being handily caught on bait in the main channel
between the dam and the back of
At Bullfrog/Halls bait fishing is good
from
Spring fishing is now at a
peak. It will remain good for the remainder of May and then slow down in June.
Morning and evening fishing is best with fish shallow along the shore. Fishing
slows mid day with the sun straight overhead when fish move deeper. Concentrate
on the deep edges of open water reefs to catch fish all day long.