by Preston Harden
As of mid-August the water level is 7 feet below full pool and the water temperature is 84°.
Fishing has been awesome in August. The cool weather and the cool water have the fish very active. Last year with the hot weather and the hot water, the fishing got tough in August. This year is much different. The hybrids and stripers are stacked up in the lower Lake. They have been schooling on the surface most days, especially with the cool and cloudy weather we have had lately. September will be like August with many fish in the deep water of the lower Lake. Most of the bigger stripers that my customers have caught have come from 80 feet to 120 feet deep lately.
The largemouth and spotted bass are still off the bank around brush piles in 15 to 30 feet deep water. Good electronics will tell you if the fish are under you whether you are looking 20 feet deep for bass or 120 feet deep for stripers. Be patient and trust your electronics. Have a Sammy or other topwater plug ready in case fish hit the surface. If you mark fish on the sonar, don’t be afraid to go small with light line. You have to get the bite before you can catch the fish.