Pre-spawn: Look for
staging fish heading back creeks. As the water reaches 48-50,
start at the mouths of the creeks and fish your way back
with flat sided cranks (crayfish and chartreuse both work
well), 4-5" lizards, and jig and pork combos (blue and
black, black, brown and orange, black and chartreuse. Also
pay attention to bends in the creek channel where fish may
stage during there journey to spawning areas. Take
time to check out main river rocks for smallies and spots,
up above Maysville all the way to Kinnikinnick creek.
Spawn: As the water
reaches 65,I generally will start towards the backs of
the major creeks, and work my way out to the middle sections. Look
for protected, hard bottom areas in 1-3 feet of water. Because
of siltation, fish will spawn in the 'cups' of stumps, the
small depressions in the tops of some stumps. This can be
a great pattern, pitching a soft plastic like a western plastics
sweeper or a lizard into these stumps. If you hit it just
right (right before the fish really begin to lay the eggs,
you can actually catch a boat load of fish) Try baby brush
hogs, floating worms, lizards.
Postspawn/ early
summer: Some
fish will always stay in the back water areas, and many will
move towards or to the main river. Spotted bass will generally
be found either in the backs of creeks if there is water
coming in, close to the mouths of creeks, or in the main
river. Smallmouths will almost always be found on the main
river but may be close to mouths of creeks, and will sometimes
be found in the backs of creeks in depth and current is availiable.
I like to fish topwater during this period, because you will
find alot of suspended fish resting after the spawn, and
this is one of the only ways to get them to react. Small
buzzbaits (black or white), popping baits (rico's and yellow
magic seems to work best), and zara puppy. Never hesitate
to throw topwater anytime of the day on the river. If
they are on it, you will catch fish in the bright sun during
the middle of the afternoon as well as during low light conditions.
Summer: Topwaters,
crankbaits, spinnerbaits, flippin jigs and tubes. Try
main river areas as well as creeks. One will generally
be noticably better. Creek mouths are almost always good.
Concentrate on weeds, rocks, stumps, pts., and laydown wood
on flats when fishing the main river. Always take the current
into consideration. Any small twig will hold a spotted
bass at times, especially if it is close to a break.
Fall: Buzzbait in creeks,
pop-r main river. Look at spotted bass bite carefully. Fish
wood close to main river drops with 4-7"worms, rock,
weeds, and close to creek mouths. Current is the key.
Use bomber 6a's as the water cools. If you catch a
spotted bass on main river rocks, there is probably a limit
of them there, just keep checking that same spot periodically
throughout the day. Cranking mud flats in the backs of creeks
can be productive for largemouth. Again, fish any isolated
laydown on main river flats very thoroughly. Their are many decent
creeks in this pool; brush, straight, eagle, bull skin, big
and little locust, bracken, big turtle, and white-oak has
there own little stocking program.
Winter: Go to Florida
or Texas where there is real fishing
from Bryan
Honnerlaw, Wilmington
Ohio
