[WNCSLIM]

6-12-14 Fontana Had Bruce and Richard with me today. Have been fishing all over lately and was nice to get back on home turf. Have been to FL, Hartwell, Chatuge and finally back from traveling. This is the first time I have seen a bunch of breaking fish on the summer pattern. The only trouble is they were eating 1/2 inch shad and it was tough to get them to bite. I am tying up some micro jigs for next trip. Fish were everywhere and mostly in open water in small schools. Even normal sized crappie jigs were too big, used the smallest X-raps, rooster tails, tiny flukes with only a small section left and nothing got bit as well as it should have. Fun day on the water and missed the worst of the rain, glad to see the shad had a good spawn, wasn't thinking they had so was great to see lots of action. Go small and see you later. capt. James

 

[jab0106]

what time of year is best for bass fishing here? i really want to make the trip sometime.

 

[LWinchester]

Amazing! From Forney Creek to Eagle Creek all I catch are trout. They seem to be scattered but most everywhere. Doesn't seem to matter if it's breaking fish or fish down to 60 ft. All trout.

 

[gambusia]

Brown trout or rainbow/steelhead trout?

 

[WNCSLIM]

Went for a while today, no breaking fish, only caught a couple of steelhead down near Hazel. Did a bunch of looking, just didn't see too much, there must be somewhere they are flat stacked up, but not where I looked today.

 

[LWinchester]

Rainbow/steelhead. Went yesterday evening. Same story. Trout milling around 30-40 feet deep, singles and doubles just here there and yonder. Tiny shad on top with a break here and there. Could be something besides trout but that's all I'm catching. Not big, pretty consistent 10-14 inchers. This was over the deepest water just outside Fish Trap. I throw a lipless crank to the breakers and use a blue Rapala ice jig on deeper fish. It's not fast action, just one now and again. Whole lot of fishing, occasional catching.

 

[pantherdev]

Same here. Only Rainbows while trolling.

 

[WNCSLIM]

We have caught the best bass right on the bank with crickets and I mean right on the bank not 5 feet out. It was a little better when the water just had gotten all the way up, but there are still some there. Can't imagine they are all over the lake right on the banks but I sure haven't marked any schools of fish out anywhere. Looking at last several years hopefully we are about a week from them coming back out to play.

 

[Jettroller]

Fished some yesterday and I too find lots of scattered trout. Big storm rolled in yesterday on the lake very large swells and rough water and right after it was over fish everywhere of all kinds in alarka 30ft to 90ft. Most I had seen all year in one spot. Walleye far and few between and small in size. I did have some luck early at the mouth of forney and the tuck.
i sure was glad I had the thunderjet instead of my basstracker when that storm came
tight lines...