Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Stockton 06/13/07

Guide’s warning: Stockton Lake has come up at least a foot in the last 48 hours. As of today, it is 874.27, therefore there is a tremendous amount of debris in the water. However, the debris in the water that I am concerned about right now is not a stump or a log, it’s a very large ski boat that makes dangerous waves and is usually driven by a completely selfish, lawless jerk.

I have been fishing in Old State Park, Hawker Cove, Googer Cove, and many others and have been rocked around on 5 foot waves like a cork. I saw one boat with a lady in it almost get swamped, I’ve had water slop over the side of my gunnels on my 21 foot boat as these selfish, lawless boaters drag their kids within feet of fishermen as they fish in these coves to get out of the wind.

Will this be another Lake of the Ozarks (which ranks in the top 3 most dangerous waterways in the United States, surpassed only by the Pacific Ocean and the Colorado River)? I hope not. Not only is this inconvenient, it is dangerous for us fishermen and it is against the law.

We need to stand together as anglers or we will be literally washed out of the lake. Write down boat registration numbers and carry your video camera, ready to record evidence; it may come in handy if you have to go to court or testify against a lawless boater. I have had to apologize to my clients on numerous occasions for them being slammed around in my boat. The direct phone number to call if you need the Water Patrol on ANY Missouri waterway is 573-751-3333; program this number into your phone and do not hesitate to contact the Water Patrol to tell them about dangerous boaters.

Walleye fishing has been fair; slow troll crawler harnesses along the bluffs on each side of the 215 bridge or drift minnows and jigs. The fish will be deep on sunny days, so you’ll have to find them with your sonar. They’ll come up a little more shallow on cloudy days, but they’ll be in the same locations. I would also concentrate on main lake points using the same technique.

Check out the flats across from Mutton Creek because the walleye have started to gather here to feed on shad. Another place to look would be the bluffs directly across from State Park. Rule of thumb: the more water you cover, the better chances you’ll have in finding the walleye. The summer pattern dictates that they follow the shad throughout the lake and can be anywhere.

Largemouth bass: with the lake on the rise, you need to be on the move. These fish have been spreading out along the shore and are scattered. Spinner baits or crank baits fan casted along the banks have been catching some fish. On bright, sunny days, these fish will be deep in the brush, so I have been flipping creature baits. Color doesn’t really seem to matter.

When you are flipping or pitching, boat control is vitally important, meaning: if the fish knows you are there, he won’t be. Position your boat so the fish can’t see you. Top water is still iffy, but I would give it a try with something like a Scum Frog that is weedless due to the fact that you will be fishing in brush. I keep my plastic worm rigged to drag over secondary or main lake points to catch bigger fish. For you jig fishermen, I can only say three words without giving too much information: orange, brown, green. The rest is up to you.

Crappie fishing is good on Stockton Lake. The spawn has concluded for the most part, and the fish are in their summer pattern, which is a neat way of saying you’ll find them off of deep secondary lake points. The old jig and minnow is the way to go for me, but that’s just one opinion. Crappie jigs with crappie niblets are catching fish, but the jig and minnow combination catches bigger fish. Forget the marked crappie beds, and look for brush 25-30 feet deep off secondary points, and you’ll catch very few sublegal fish. Remember: to catch big fish you have to fish where big fish live.

White bass fishing has been somewhat slow because the fish are scattered and deep. The top water bite is hit and miss, but hopefully that will get better soon. Look for white bass 30+ feet deep off main lake points. The easiest way to get these fish is vertical jigging spoons or jigs. Trolling crank baits works late in the day when the fish come up shallow chasing shad.

Marty Thompson
Thompson Fishing Guide Service
www.fishstockton.com
417-424-BASS