If you are after cats and gills, don't let anyone scare you off.
I live 25 miles from the lake, and I quit fishing it back in '98. Since then I've bought a boat that is too big (motor limit of 150 hp in summer and 200 in winter) to fish Malone. Otherwise I think I would give it another chance. I know a lot of folks who catch great bass from that lake.
Now for cats..... I found a bluff wall I used to fish when I had my pontoon. I would pull up and hope the fish would leave me alone...LOL. I used a float... slip float, and minnows. There is an underground stream or something that comes in right there on that wall, well under water. I caught a ton of nice blue or channel cats. I released them all, but man they were perfect size. All went from 2 to 10 lbs. Perfect eating sizes... the smaller ones.
I am sure I could take someone back to that bluff, but I would have to spend some time looking for it. I know I can not tell you how to get to it. There is some current on the wall, and leads to a point and it is in the no ski zone down toward the state ramp.
If looking for bass, my best have come from the point right by the state ramp, and there are some nice bass back in the no ski zone as well, or so I am told. My best bass days came back in an area known as sherwood point. The guy that used to run Shady Cliff... Nat Noffsinger, used to have a hand drawn map of the lake that he had in his little office.
Good luck, and let us all know how you do.
BTW, this is a great night lake this time of year from what I've been told.
Tight lines and God Bless
Danny
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