Got to the lake late, had planned to arrive around first light but turned alarm clock off and went back to sleep. Didn't arrive until about 9:30 a.m. Wanted to see what it looked like with the lake being lowered several feet and hopefully catch a few fish. Water temps were 47 at the ramp and at dam. Gradually warmed up but never saw 50 degrees.








Planned to fish the big bridge but saw a lot of birds flying around in the direction of the dam so I headed along the bank in that direction and checking things out. Long stretches of bank were just silt/sand and then there were a few areas like above where there was bigger rock, gravel and shell leading into the reeds well above the water line.


Plenty of bait but really deep and after about 15 minutes of trying to fish in 28 feet of water I headed on over to the dam.


Not much going on here at all very little bait.


Spent an hour in this area throwing a 6 xd and a spoon. Nothing. I rarely fish this area of the lake but thought it would be better than fishing the other side on the way to the big bridge. No better, no worse.


Thought for sure I would catch something here. Nope. Threw a spinner bait and 6xd.

Finally made it to big bridge and didn't see the normal schools of bait and fish that I'm used to seeing. A couple of boats are fishing for crappie and catching a few. After a 100 or so casts and still not a tap in my favorite spot, I'm now officially on a photo trip.


It's around 1:30 and I'm headed on a roundabout route to the railroad bridge. Paddling down the middle of the lake and checking out all the stumps that are now visible. Stumps I've never seen before in the 5 years I've been fishing on the lake. Throwing swimbait, spinner bait, and 6xd at every big stump I see in 6 to 12 feet of water. Nothing. Finally make it to the railroad bridge and start cranking. Not much on graph but at this point who cares. Slow rolling spinnerbait, barely moving crankbait... more nothing. Decide to go to a smaller finesse spinner bait and get one of first cast in 6 feet of water. Skunkbuster... I'm relieved. Water temps are now 49. Thought the water might have been warmer but on the way back it had warmed a little all the way back to ramp so I think the whole lake from one end to the other was pretty much the same.

Once I'd caught that bass on finesse spinner bait I tied the same color spinner bait I'd been using all day with double willow leaf blades back on another rod. Thought it was probably where I was fishing or the fish just turned on but I wanted to use the bigger bait as that is my go to spinner bait and I catch bigger fish on it. Fish another hour alternating between the two. Catch a second one with finesse spinner bait. I'm drifting with the wind moving shallow for a while then paddling out deeper, fishing from less than 2 feet to 6 feet. Finally get a third, again on the finesse spinner bait. Miss one, and then get a fourth on the finesse bait. Should have gotten more but I am so hard headed trying to prove to myself I can catch one on the willow leaf. My zig zag pattern from 2 to 6 feet resulted in all fish caught in 6 feet. I'm past the highline wires behind the railroad bridge, water is getting to where I'm not finding any water deep enough and forego heading further back even though there was some good looking grass on further back... or it was before the plant shut down. Fished my way back in a different area... nothing. It was a very subtle bite today, had to let bait go all the way to bottom and pull it so slow that blades were barely turning on finesse spinner.














Fish around the railroad bridge on the way out, nothing, start paddling in when it starts sprinkling and I stop to eat, then turn around and decide I'm going to catch my 5th bass if it takes all night. Head back under rail road bridge fish 15 more minutes with nothing and decide to heck with it... I'll catch the 5th one at the big bridge on way in. Paddle like a madman for 22 minutes to make it there. Fish another 15 minutes nothing... then start in.



Thinking I might catch something on that hump. in that last big cove on right on way back in. Its dark ,I'm flying while watching depth and bang... if comes up quick.


Its not a hump any more.. its an island.

Fished in the deeper water on both sides of it... nothing.

Finally make it in.





Could have been worse so no complaints..

For those that plan to go there the courtesy dock is completely out of the water but plenty of sand along bank.

The small ramp is definitely a no go. I almost broke my ankle stepping off the edge of it.


All is well that ends well.

Thanks for the report, you did better than I would have guessed. Did any of the bass ask you �what the heck happened?� I gotta get out there and see all the stumps and reminisce about what it used to look like when they were way above water line.

Iconn4, I really enjoy reading your reports. Thank you for taking the time to let those of us who don't get to get out as often as we like to join you in your adventures.

I normally don't go into so much detail but as you can tell, I was damn proud of those four runts. I put in a lot of miles yesterday and am feeling it today. Would have posted in the bass forum but after seeing those posts on biggest bass you've ever seen and best 5 fish stringer, I decided to hide out out here for this one. Now if I'd caught a fifth one yesterday I'd probably posted in the OFF TOPIC forum to rub it in.

Enjoyed the write up and pictures.....but I respectfully disagree with you on those bass being "runts"....lol. Pretty nice bass, could have been skunked...

Wow! What a report! Good job, dude.

great report; appreciate the time and effort to put it together. going to be interesting with the water level change. is it still going down? will they let it go back to 'normal' after finishing their work?

Awesome post!

Tin Man, the latest report is they have opened the gates at Monticello's damn and are going to leave them open. The gates feed into Bob Sandlin and since it is currently at full pool, Monticello will maintain current level, which is around 2.75 below normal. The main concern is another drought that takes Bob Sandlin down 6' or 7' below full pool. That would be bad news for Monticello.

Great report and pics.

Great report and some decent fish in cold water.
To be honest all the pictures of the lake just make me sad or mad and fishing there won't be the same.

Is the boat ramp useable for a full size boat?