LAKE CONDITIONS: The lake level at mid week was 168.85 feet msl with one generator running 2 hrs daily from 7 to 9 p.m. Surface water temperatures are running from 58 to 63 degrees with the north end of the lake having stained conditions with mid lake having slightly stained with some clear areas while south Toledo remains clear to very clear. Major drains and feeder creeks are stained to very stained.
FISHING REPORTS/BASS: Fishing remains good to excellent with winds being the major factor. Bass are shallow and will bite most days if winds allow you to get to the fish and also allow anglers to make a presentation with the bait which seems natural to the bass.
Some days last week the fish wanted a slow moving plastic but about all you could present in 25 mph winds was a Stanley spinnerbait, lipless crankbaits or medium Texas or Carolina rig. We did catch several bass on spinnerbaits and some on Rat-L-Traps but also on lizards (Berkley Power Lizards and Zoom) in black/blue tail and green pumpkin. When winds allowed, we also caught bass on wacky rigged Berkley Wacky Crawlers and Senkos in watermelon and green pumpkin.
Top water presentations are just beginning to work, especially after 2-3 days of warm-ups. Another very productive pattern has been to rig a weightless TX rigged lizard, Berkley Sinking Minnow, Senko, Power Jerk Shad or similar soft plastic and work it slowly over shallow grass. This pattern can be outstanding but needs little or no wind to be productive.
