Sorry it has been a while since my last report. Fishing is slowly starting to improve on live bait. Great news from the several of tough days earlier in the month were as it was topwater or nothing! Don't get me wrong I absolutely love the topwater fishing but since the draw down of the lake it has became so inconsistent and speratic that you surely cannot depend on it for day to day limits.
On the overcast days there are still some large schools coming up briefly throughout the day but the sunny days you will see little too nothing. Alewives are slowly becoming easier to harvest again with a little patience each morning as gizzards haven't been too hard to catch either. I have been primarily bottom fishing bouncing around several places each morning which has been turning up some massive small mouth as well! Lots of fish are still schooled on the main lake right now scattered from burnside to the dam but have been tough too stay over unless they come to the surface or the birds give their location away which is why I generally stick to the bottom this time of year until the "turnover". The lake will not turnover all at once. But when it does at whatever area turns first those fish in that area will be free from the dead non oxygenated water that is stressing a lot of our stripers right now and they will spread throughout the water column to roam freely again in cool replenished waters once again. That is when I will primarily go back to pulling planer boards. That's not to say fish cannot be caught on boards right now at all. Still yet a lot of fish roaming the deep water are very inactive unless they come to the surface to feed right now. Don't be afraid of the cooler weather, our boats are covered and heated and the bite is going to continue to improve. I enjoy the winter time fishing! Good luck to you and good fishing!Jared (606)872-1515