Persistence pays off ! Fished with Chris (aka doctorxring) yesterday from the Perch Destroyer. Fred (aka Rionator) was supposed to fish with us, but had to cancel due to a family friend emergency. Water temp was mid 60s everywhere on the lake except for the discharge where it was low 70s & water level was about a 1.5 feet low. The water color appeared normal to me, after reading reports of a green algae bloom color. Started at daybreak, but the fog was so bad we hung around the west side of the lake til around 10 am. We fished hard and really had nothing until 2:30 in the afternoon...tried 10 different areas inshore & offshore. Tried for both bass & bluegill. Finally found an area near the intake that looked promising on the side scan & it was on. From that one spot (from 2:30 to 5:00)we caught around 20 bluegill, 2 rios, 12 catfish, 1 bass, and lost 2 real nice bass that went airborne near the boat. The 2 biggest catfish went from 6.2 lbs to around 7.5 lbs. Most of the bluegill were average size (4-6 inches) but there were a few better ones mixed in. These ginormous catfish really gave our little ultra lite tackle all it could handle & then some, but actually had no breakoffs on the 6 lb test line. Chris fished with the bait of champions all day, & I used the Gulp Alive minnows. While we caught fish on both, the worms produced better. When I started putting a tiny pinched off worm on the exposed hook, behind the minnow, I caught more fish for sure. So, while we didn't find that motherload of big bluegill we were hoping for, it was still a fun & productive trip.

Great day indeed and persistence does pay off! Nice fish. Good job guys.




Side Note: Do you think you can catch Bluegill throughout the winter on Fayette based on what you found?

I told my wife we caught a bunch of Gorilla Cats ! These fish were the healthiest and strongest cats I've ever caught. Super chunky
and great fighters.

We had a great time yesterday trying to sort out the wintertime perch mystery on Fayette. We found some perch but the cats were
a great bonus. So much fun on ultra light.

This is a down scan screen shot of the place we found the perch and cats. A rocky slope that hit the lake floor at 20 feet.

Great place for an ambush!

Some nice fights right there! Especially on ultralights.



Nice fish. Good job.

Looks like a great day on the water once you figured them out. Nice photos too!

Thanks Chuck & Cuervo for the replies.

Gitter...It's too early to tell about the bluegill. While we found a few, it was nothing compared to the summer bite. So...the search will continue as we eliminate unproductive water...

I would say productive is a great word to describe that trip!! Sweet post, Vogey!!

Thanks Vogey!

Nothing beats time on the water. You guys caught some super fish especially the cat's. Super fights on the ultralight for sure. Super job guys.




Side Note: Have you ever caught a Crappie on Fayette?

Laker...The crappie all died off a few years after the lake opened. The water just gets too hot for them to survive there...at least that's what I was told many, many years ago...

Steve you are right about the crappie dying off a few years after the lake opened. Just like they died off on Calaveras. Once those generators started heating up, and cooling down with that lake water the heat of the discharge made it impossible for the crappie to survive.

Chuck...So, I am curious how crappie survive in Decker lake? I know they are there, because I caught one when I went earlier this year.

Thanks Vogey. I have never caught a crappie on Fayette either. Just like you I have caught Crappie on Decker. Just my opinion the power plant on Decker seemed to me was smaller than the one on Fayette.
Also the water temperatures were cooler on Decker compared to Fayette the times I have fished the lakes. The power plant on Decker has also been closed down for a few years . I caught my first Texas crappie on Decker
in 2012. Since then I have caught a couple more.

Water temperatures on different water bodies simply cannot maintain the life of certain fish species.! As for Decker and Fayette goes both are power plant lakes. Back in my bass club days many years ago I fished Fayette a lot. The water temperature was for the most part on the hot side during the late spring,summer,and mid fall months. Cannot speak for Decker. Just guessing. The water temperatures on Decker were cooler than Fayette's. Just my two cents.