Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Stockton 12/17/04 :

Main Lake: The water temperature has dropped quite a bit over the past week, your best bite is an Eakins' jig in PB&J with an Eakins craw. Fish deep points and bluff ends working the bait from 5' - 20' deep keeping the boat in 30' of water or deeper. The key is to fish slowly, the fish are in a state of shock and are not very active right now. There have been a few fish caught on these same deep points on rouges and Lucky Craft Pointers, best colors and chartreuse shad and nishiki, unlike in January and February you won't need to pause the bait as long, a couple of twitches and about a five second pause is all it takes to trigger a strike.

Above the bridges: The colder water up the rivers has made for a tougher bite than on the main lake. Most of the fish are being caught on Eakins jigs in black/ blue flash with a twin tailed trailer or with a black / blue tube . Either bait needs to be fished very slowly around wood cover on channel swings or deep points any wood cover or rock piles need to be fished thoroughly. The jerk bait bite has started up the river as well, 5 - 10 second pauses between jerks seem to be all it takes to trigger a strike. Look at the same points and channel swings with shad on them to be successful.

Crappie fishing has been tough, live minnows over deeper wood is your best bet fish 15' -35'.

Walleye fishing is back to a day by day proposition, best bite has been trolling crankbaits on main lake channel swings.

White bass fishing is great when the wind is blowing, hit pea gravel points with rooster tails, grubs and small crankbaits.