Doug Wynn

Hello from the Excel 230 Elite.

We have finally had a few nice days sandwiched between storm systems. I'm hoping this system we're experiencing today doesn’t bring the monsoon rains of the last. We need these lake levels to get back down to summer pool as forecast for the weekend.

The sudden rise in levels last weekend made fishing tough for many. It also kicked some species into high gear. I know there were some huge redears caught during high water. One was weighed locally on certified scales at 2.93 pounds! Now that is a huge Redear anywhere. The next full moon is approaching and this should set the bluegills, redears, and catfish on fire.

The trash in the water has made our trolling tough. We are constantly having to watch for grass, pine needles, and twigs on our lines. Water was in much better shape yesterday even though it took most of our time to finally find biting fish.

As the water level recedes, the fish will be moving into their summertime hangouts. For many species, that will be on main lake structure. I see the bass fishermen are already working main lake channels and drop offs.

Yesterday we caught some bragging-sized white bass along with the crappie. We are running medium and deep runners along the drops where the out-going current is washing the bait over the drops. Some of our fish yesterday were no more than a few feet deep over 25+ foot drops. As I say often, your electronics will tell you where to put your baits if you pay attention to them.

Watch out for pleasure boats out there. We had an unpleasant encounter yesterday with two boats that insisted on following us as we worked our way out of the area they chose to call their own, after we had been fishing there for an hour! No words had been said or hand gestures exchanged. We just made the decision to get away from them and their choice of music.

I guess they thought passing us then stopping in front of us a couple of times was the right thing to do. My clients and I thought otherwise. We chose to just get well away from them, a tactic I endorse but I understand such actions often bring a much more confrontational result. These are big lakes but some just seem to think it is a fun thing to harass fishermen. It is not only unlawful but can lead to unpleasant results. I don’t recommend it to either side.

Be careful out there! Watch out for gremlins, floating and stationary. Help those who need help. Wear your PFDs. Release those undersized fish and learn the game laws and regulations. Give your fellow boaters a wide berth and leave the petty games at home. Enjoy our slice of Heaven.