By Preston Harden
Water level- 1 ft. Above full pool Water temp.- 82
As we go thru June, most game fish migrate to cooler, deeper water. Hybrids and stripers are moving south toward the lower lake. Bass and crappie are moving to deeper water away from the shallows. Electronics become more important to locate fish in deeper water.
By July, the water is hot in the upper water column. Stripers and hybrids have to have cool, oxygenated water. This need pushes them down lake to better water quality. Look from mid-lake to the dam. When you locate fish on your sonar, lower a lively blue back herring to right above the fish. This time of year, herring rarely get refused. Another technique is to power reel thru the school with a big spoon or a big jig head and a swim bait. I also keep a top water plug ready in case fish chase bait to the surface.
Bass and crappie find cooler water at depths of 20 to 30 feet deep. They do not migrate far from their shallow areas. Look for them around brush and other structure off the bank. Crappie love small minnows on a slip float right above where you find them. Bass will come up 20 feet to smash a top water plug.worked above structure. They will eat a soft plastic on a drop shot or a shaky head worked close to the structure.