Spent 3 hours this morning on Dunlap hunting for crackers. Fished where I've always found them, plus several new places. Fished shallow, deep, creeks, docks, stumps, sandbars, found zero. Obviously they are still in the lake, but have moved somewhere unknown or just not eating for some reason. I have no explanation why they are so hard to find now. If anyone can offer info I would welcome it.

Joe Ed. I know the feeling. Me and Mike were out on Dunlap the other day and places they are usually at we blanked. I have also gotten several PM's from Anglers up north saying the same thing. I think they are refinancing their loans at a different bank. Hopefully they (anglers)are still looking for em. We have not a standing change in over a week now. Can't say it was for a lack of trying.

From what you just said, they are obviously focused on something other than eating at this time of year. The info I got from the internet indicates they spawn may, june, and july in shallow water close to shore. I suspected such this morning, hence why I fished a couple of shallow water areas I know on Dunlap. I know of two more I will probably try tomorrow. I think the lack of bite is because they moved and I haven't found them. I've always thought most spawners aggressively feed on anything near their nest. But who knows? Thanks for your feedback Mr. Banker, and true, they must be negotiating new loans at a bank I don't know.

Sooner or later they will start biting again. In the meantime keep nailing em on Mcqueeney. I have enjoyed the reports and pictures.

Hey Joe Ed, I couldn't find any in the "usual" spots either but got a few around some downed branches just sticking out of the water. It wasn't a large tree or anything. I was tired of paddling so I took a break and found some. Some good ones too. I think they chase the food like most other fish. so if the clams(mussels) are plentiful at a specific time of year then they will be on the shell beds, or if the snails are around submerged tree branches then they will be there. So if you know of some of these places I would try there. I don't have the pattern figured out yet either but just some food for thought. I am coming up on my first full year on Dunlap but didn't get to get out on the lake as much this spring due to transportation issues. I will figure them out though.

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. My one year fishing Dunlap anniversary is coming up soon also, July. I bought my boat the day before the June flood last year. Fished it briefly that day. Then had to wait what seemed like forever to get back at it since GBRA shut her down til mid Julyish. I was thinking about all this earlier wondering if the Cracker scarcity is an annual event, Didn't fish for them last year so don't know.

That is exactly what happened with me. I bought my canoe and before I even got it out there they closed the lakes for the flood. Man was I itching to get out there. Ended up going to Calaveras a few times and doing pretty good there though. We can exchange info if you want. I know I caught all of my 12 plus inchers from October through early December. We'll see how it pans out this year barring any major floods.

Try up river by the Mill. This week cold front pushed them a little deeper and the rain helped.

Funny you said that because this morning I started upriver, first time ever. Nothing there so went down to the blue house by the deep hole and fished those docks. Caught one 8" cracker, one goggleye, 2 rios. Fished several other new places plus some usual ones. I also realized I was not catching any sunnies to speak of which got me to thinking about what Mr. Banker recently said about the bite being off. So I went to some places where I have always caught sunnies. Zero So, come daylight tommorrow I'm going after redbrest, gills, etc with my reliable crickets. I'll know in the morning if indee3d the Dunlap bite is off

PM Ed "Edwinfeaster". He and his wife managed to catch some nice ones on Dunlap yesterday. He posted his story. I also went out for a few this morning up by the dam and managed to catch three nice Gills in the 8 inch range. The rest were dinks. No Redear.

Mr Wgpj
Try fishing the old generator next to the dam, at times its good.

Hard for me to believe Dunlap is acting up and on the fritz after a bonanza month of April with redbreast. But, I supposed these things happen even at such good places like Lake Dunlap. I did not catch many redears in April and onlya few big ones, but redears were about all I caught last November.

Over here in the FL panhandle it's been way of all month. I have been out 5 times since I got home May 1 (going again tomorrow) and put only 11 or 12 sunnies in the freezer. Trying to collect enough to have a decent fish fry.
After the April caper on Dunlap I'm about ready to commit hari kari......... Something has got to give soon.


On one trip I managed a monster 2.5 incher that thought he could handle a popping bug but it got stuck in his mouth...

I've been to Dunlap just once so far, I'm going to try it out again soon. With my luck, though, I won't find a redear there until June 1st. :p

I never get tired of seeing small panfish take on a bait they have no chance of eating whole! I guess that napoleonic attitude is the reason we love them so much. Great Pic!

Still working on catching my first redear...