I'm a day late with this, but it's summer and things don't change that much. Generally. I was practicing for a tournament on this day, so obviously I don't usually share, but I can't fish the darn thing now so here you go. Damn.
Lake level is full pool, water temps in the low 80's, water clarity better overall with a decent plankton bloom. About 2-3' most places, maybe half that where I caught bass. This was the key.
Weather was hot, muggy, but very windy from several directions as there were widely scattered thunderstorms pushing some air around. The sky was mostly hazy to partly cloudy for the six hours that I fished. I fished the Osage arm from Osage Bluff to the dam.
First of five keepers came on a flat main lake point on a Spook (first cast of the day). I think that is something to run with the first hour or so, but I didn't get started until about 8.
The rest of the fish came from timber on flats, with fencerows being the key. The shallowest fish came from about 4' of water, the deepest about 11'. When they bit it was very aggressive, possibly because they were competing. One time I caught two back-to-back- I just "checked" the spot after catching a keeper and got tight-lined by another one who just had to have the bait. An "oops" moment when practicing.
Baits were 10" worms and a Brush Hog. Color don't matter much but the big worm was Tequila Sunrise and the Hog was something in a green with red flake. The fish don't care as long as you get it in front of them.
If someone is fishin' Truman this weekend get ahold of me and I'll tell you where. I don't give a rip, not this weekend.
Dale
Dale, tks for sharing the trip with us. Congrats on finding and boating the catch ~shade
Were you swimming the worm, pulling or lift and drop? In the heat of the next 10 days, the coves with old farm ponds on the USGS Quads should have cold springs on the bottom. Bass won't be over the springs but will be on the edges where the oxygen is better.
Wizard
Quote from: Wizard on July 28, 2023, 02:04:59 PMWere you swimming the worm, pulling or lift and drop? In the heat of the next 10 days, the coves with old farm ponds on the USGS Quads should have cold springs on the bottom. Bass won't be over the springs but will be on the edges where the oxygen is better.
Wizard
All good stuff Mal, and true as ever (although you don't have to share EVERYTHING). These fish were just holding where they do on Truman in the summer when there's some water color. Not rocket science at all. With some more practice I'd have worked on the "rocket science" stuff. No worm swimming, and I tried. A bunch. They just don't seem to be suspended yet.
I broke my tow vehicle- it coded BAD, shut it down NOW, so I did. So no fishin'. God wants me to do something else I guess.
Dale
Thanks for the report Dale. Do you guys still use the over sized bladed spinner baits up there much anymore. Used to be great in the summer when they were less than 10 ft
I do (shhhhh...).
Dale