Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Stockton 05/15/05:

Main Lake: Best bite on the main lake continues to be targeting small mouth with either a Jewel spider jig or a Chomper ultra tube; The fish are post spawn and range from 15' - 25' deep on pea gravel flats and points near deeper water, it is an easy presentation cast toward the bank and slowly drag the bait back to the boat, the bite can be very hard to detect from just a spongy feeling to just loosing contact with the bottom so pay attention and set the hook often. Best colors continue to be PB&J in the jig with a PB&J Chompers trailer and either cinnamon purple or green pumpkin / black in the tube.

Above the bridges: When the wind is blowing look for schools of shad following the zooplankton to windy chunk rock banks and throw a white and chartreuse Jewel tandem rush spinner bait, parallel the bank from 3' - 6' deep. When the wind isn't blowing look for fish to be on channel swing chunk rock transition banks, best bait has been an Eakins' jig in brown or black / blue flash depending on water color, fish from the bank out to about 12' deep .

Trolling has been the best method for walleye over the past week, fish have been around 20' - 30' deep some have been suspending deeper but for the most part they can be caught trolling both crankbaits and crawler harnesses.

Crappie have slowed a little last week but all and all the bite is still pretty good, look for them to be 12' - 20' deep on wood cover.