Got on the water at 2:30 pm. The lake was very different since the last time I went just before Christmas. First thing I noticed was that the sonar was showing nothing, not even a minnow, in shallower water. I used to see all kinds of junk driving out of the marina but it was all gone. When I got to 25 FOW the sonar started showing signs of life again. 40 FOW is loaded with balls of shad and bigger fish on bottom.

I tried catching shad in my usual places and couldn't even find one... They had moved out to deeper water. I didn't feel like even trying to get them in 25 ft, so I was glad I brought a bag of gizzard shad from the freezer.

On my way to the south end of the lake to drift in deep water I spotted a big flotilla of pelicans and cormorants in shallow water. I got as close as I could without spooking them, but they got up when I was about 100 yards away. I anchored in about 6 FOW, cast a shad head where the were, and as soon as I put that rod in the holder it had a fish on. Boated 8 fish in about 20 minutes. I couldn't seem to get more than 2 rods out at a time without one of them getting bit. It was fast and furious and quickly died off.

Went to go try the deep humps by the dam drifting. Made some nice drifts over two humps, saw tons of fish on the sonar, but never got bit. I'm sure with more time I would get something going, but I thought I would check to see if the birds went back to the shallow spot they were in.

I got lucky and they were there. Anchored and cast to where they had been sitting and fish hit right away. Great action until it got dark.

When I pulled into the marina at dark I noticed the sonar was showing tons of shad. They must have moved in for the lights. Threw the cast net out and caught a bunch of huge gizzard shad. 10" and bigger. Score! Loaded up the livewell and brought them home for future trips.

Caught about 20 nice sized blues in just a couple hours of fishing. No monsters this time. All went back in the lake.

Great report Sandog, thanks.

great report Sir!!!

Sounds like a fun day!

Nice report wtg.