Fishing Report Archives

Hey y’all from the Excel 230 Elite. As I write this, a quick shower has just passed my home. Two days of showers has only totaled just under an inch but I’m thankful for it. The forecast looks good for a soaking rain over the next couple of days. It can’t come too soon because our lake needs a big injection of fresh water.

I was on the lake several days last week and every day saw a totally different bite. I spent one day searching areas I wouldn’t be inclined to fish normally. I not only was mapping for new waypoints but also to see what fish inhabited those areas. I found the population of drums is in great shape as is the channel catfish population. We also have a couple of good crappie spawns showing up in my catch. While many are a couple of years away from being keeper size, the future still looks good.

I always try to pre-fish for my guide trips. Saturday found me and Savy, our Boykin Spaniel female, covering miles of the lake pulling double jig rigs. I normally refer this tactic as longlining. The crappie haven’t wanted to chase my crankbaits at 1.7-2.0mph so I slowed down to 1.0-1.2mph with the jigs. It ended up being the ticket for a livewell full of nice crappie. It was the crappie’s lucky day because I wasn’t keeping fish. I’m also not the selfie type so I didn’t take any pics. Savy didn’t want to hold any fish for pics.

I had a pair of new clients from Winchester, Ky. Sunday. They were new to longlining and we got to dodge showers early. The areas that had been so productive the day before held crappie that absolutely refused to cooperate. My Humminbird Solix units showed constant areas of baitfish and crappie but getting them to bite was rare. Short crappie as well as small yellow bass kept us busy.

Most of my time was spent replacing Crappie Magnet Fin Spins. I was using 6 pound test K9 Fishing fluorocarbon line but it was no match for the stakebeds I was purposely fishing close to.

The trip ended up being if you get lemons, make lemonade. Catfish ended up being our lemons. While we broke off some, we ended up netting most. My clients were happy with catfish fillets to go with some crappie and yellow bass. The crappie had clammed up with the change of the weather.

The rest of the week may be wet for fishing but I’ll be out there. I only have a short time left as owner of my Excel Bay Pro 230 Elite. A friend of mine has decided it will be his next boat.

I’ve been working closely with Excel management and design team to come up with a new model with many features I’ve been asking for. The main feature will be a flat floor from the helm to the transom. So many of my clients who fished out of my Storm Cat 230 loved this because they didn’t have to step up and down to access the rear fishing deck. As I get older with titanium knee and hip replacements, it is a required feature. A walk-thru windshield is another.

The final design should be finalized soon and production started immediately. Hopefully I’ll have it by year’s end. Stay tuned.

Saturday you would have thought it was the first of May due to the boat traffic. A 300 boat college bass tournament at Paris Landing was responsible for most of the traffic. Sunday the lake was vacant until early afternoon.

Hopefully we have seen the last of the 90-degree temperatures and the surface temperatures will drop back to seasonal norms. Afternoon surface temps have been back up into the mid 80s. Fishing will improve as those temps get back into the low 70s. A slow drop is best for fishing to remain good. The migration into the bays and creeks for bait and gamefish will follow the surface temp drop.

Most crappie that are being caught are in 12-18 feet of water around structure. A few are shallower while a few are deeper. I’m seeing the return of spider riggers pushing minnows and jigs. The Livescopers are a constant sight.

Air temperatures in the 80s make for much more comfortable conditions. If you haven’t had your boat out since the crappie spawn, make sure it is ready. Cranking the engine with a set of muffs attached to a garden hose at home could keep you from tying up a ramp. Make sure all your safety items are in the boat.

Be careful out there! Welcome to our slice of Heaven.