by Capt Sam Williams
Water temperature: mid 80’s, lake level: 189.22 msl, clarity: slight stain to clear.
With the river still up, the bass are holding under the pads and grass patches near shore. The early morning topwater bite is exciting. Hollow body frogs thrown deep into the cover and worked out slowly is getting a good bite. Topwater baits worked just outside the cover is a great choice as well. When this bite slows, we are throwing a heavy Texas rigged blue sapphire Strike Zone Meat Stick back in the cover and working it our really slowly. The fish we are catching are quality bass. The deeper fish are hitting big worms on a heavy Texas rigs and Carolina rigs worked up or down the ledge near trash piles.
Crappie are on the deeper structure. Vertical jigging tipped with a minnow are getting a mess to eat. The bream are under the cover with the bass. Live bait worked on the edges is working. Beetle Spins in black and chartreuse on the outer edges are working too. Shellcrackers are bedding on the flats near creek mouths. Red worms on the bottom are the trick. Catfish are hitting jugs really well. Cut bait on the bottom are getting a good mess too.