Anyone here been to Lake Monticello recently or during previous winters?

Next week will be my first trip there.  I'm looking forward to fishing some warm waters and hoping for some nice action.

Any tips or suggestions for fishing this warm water lake?

What Ive heard also is they are yet to start spawning.      Most locals think the next moon will start the bedding.

Gotta love power plant lakes.

Well, I'm off to Monticello tomorrow morning.   Locals are saying the water temps are between 70 and 80 right now.  I'm so excited!

I'm hoping to slay them with the Fat Ika tomorrow, this will be my first time to try it.

I was told, if you want numbers,  drop shotting the railroad bridge will put alot of numbers in the boat.

Want size, hit the creek bends with something bigger baits and fished slow north of the railroad tressel, also trick worm the pads for good slot fish.

good luck,  I have tournament in Jan there.

Matt

I have not been in a couple years but can tell you to idle once past the bridge.  It's a stump fest over there on the far side.  Also, the outlet is usually good for a fish or two.

Well, unfortunately the trip was a complete failure.

We tried for an hour to get the motor to start but she just wouldn't do it.  My buddy's boat is kinda old, and he hadn't taken it out in several months.  We launched anyways and fished the grass line next to the boat dock for a bit but we couldn't get to where we wanted to go.  We caught a couple fish and called it a day.  We dropped off his boat at a shop for repair and we'll try again in a couple weeks.

Getting a boat back on the trailer with the trolling motor alone isn't very fun.

I was so excited about fishing some warm water.... :-(

> :'(

Sorry to hear that man.  I have had it happen to me a few times.  I am originally from Mt. Pleasant, TX so I got a few chances to fish the lake.  If you go to the far side (west) and go under the last rail bridge, immediately on your left their is a small patch of lilly pads and moss.  I had a buddy pull in an 8 or 9 pounder on a frog topwater right there.  Try it out.  Also ( hope I dont step on any toes), if you fish the dam that joins lake Bob sandlin and Monticello (fish from the sandlin side) during the summer with some dark jigs on the rocks, you can catch some monsters!!