Hello All,

I just joined the forums and bassrecourses and it seems to be the greatest recourse online.

I fish small club tournament at local lake for 2 years now, and unfortunately can't do any good.

It is 2.5-3 hour evening turny that takes place weekly.

I wanted to ask some questions to maybe give me some direction to go. I have read everything online and read bassmaster and other magazines but can't seem to apply the methods described on this particular lake.

A little background on the lake:

It is a small lake in Central Oklahoma (lake Thunderbird). The water is 3 ft. below normal right now and very muddy. water is around 63-65.Average depth is 12-15 ft

Questions:

1. Do you think the spawn is over or is it still going on? (it has been colder this spring)

2. Where would you concentrate your fishing effort, points, coves, Riprap by the dam?

3. What would be good search lures in muddy water.

4. if you were to fish a lake mentioned above, how would you approach it?

I know this is very broad question and the best approach is to go and figure it out on the water but if you could give me some pointers I will greatly appreciate it.

thank you

Those sound like the same conditions that are going on right now on my home tournament lake, except the cold weather.

Water level is way low and dirty. I would concentrate (and have been) on structure, particularly in the 3-7' range. I would use a flashy Pointer Minnow, spinnerbait, jig, rattletrap (chrome) and Senkos. Work all structure thoroughly with all baits until you find which works best. More than likely it will be a couple baits, but the ones mentioned should produce hits.

Lastly, there are over 150 fish released from the same boat ramp every month on my home lake. Do NOT forget to fish that area. You only have 2.5-3 hours to fish, so concentrate on staying close to the launch site as possible and targeting those fish.

With muddy water there are many flash baits to use but I would try top water, Snake,Frog,Spook. Fish can't see as far so make some noise on top. The fish are more than likely still spawning and some are done so fish the bedding areas working the shore line all the way to your boat. Also try a jig the same color as the water or the bottom of the Lk with matching trailers.

Hello All,

I just joined the forums and bassrecourses and it seems to be the greatest recourse online.

I fish small club tournament at local lake for 2 years now, and unfortunately can't do any good.

It is 2.5-3 hour evening turny that takes place weekly.

I wanted to ask some questions to maybe give me some direction to go. I have read everything online and read bassmaster and other magazines but can't seem to apply the methods described on this particular lake.

A little background on the lake:

It is a small lake in Central Oklahoma (lake Thunderbird). The water is 3 ft. below normal right now and very muddy. water is around 63-65.Average depth is 12-15 ft

Questions:

1. Do you think the spawn is over or is it still going on? (it has been colder this spring)

2. Where would you concentrate your fishing effort, points, coves, Riprap by the dam?

3. What would be good search lures in muddy water.

4. if you were to fish a lake mentioned above, how would you approach it?

I know this is very broad question and the best approach is to go and figure it out on the water but if you could give me some pointers I will greatly appreciate it.

thank you

1. No, the bass should be in mid spawn with some post spawners and spawners.

2. Spawning areas are usaully wind protected with some brush and pea gravel in coves or bays.

3 & 4. A 3 hour tournament you better have them located before it starts! Being an afternoon event try a buzzer or spinnerbait in 1' to 5' of water near the bank. Then follow that up with a T-rigged dark (black) soft plastic 6" lizard or 7" to 10" power worm and cast it right on the bank and work out to the first break line or depth change; 5' to 7'.Use a rattle style weight, hop the worm and then shake it in place before moving it. Cast to any stick up you see.

Parallel the shoreline about 30 feet out from the bank and work the entire cove or bay out to any point or channel break. If you know of any ditches running through the flat area, fish it.

Another good lure is a deep diver like DD-15 in black/red retrieved slow enough to bottom bump slightly in 3' to 7' of water during sundown.

Good luck.

Tom

Thank you all for the informative replies..

I went out this evening for couple of hours to try out some of your suggestions unfortunately without any luck.

The water temp was down to 61 from 65is on Saturday. I tried the bank around stumps with a jig an some worms, then moved little deeper (5-10') and tried some marked trees with a jig and worm, My friend in the meantime was using a shaky head and top water. We also tried some drop shot in 20' in front of a water tower, I could see fish on the electronics but no takers.

I have a turny this Wednesday so I am going to go out some tomorrow and see if I can figure something out.

would you suggest staying in one spot or move around if nothing bites say 15-30 min.

thank you

Thank you all for the informative replies..

I went out this evening for couple of hours to try out some of your suggestions unfortunately without any luck.

The water temp was down to 61 from 65is on Saturday. I tried the bank around stumps with a jig an some worms, then moved little deeper (5-10') and tried some marked trees with a jig and worm, My friend in the meantime was using a shaky head and top water. We also tried some drop shot in 20' in front of a water tower, I could see fish on the electronics but no takers.

I have a turny this Wednesday so I am going to go out some tomorrow and see if I can figure something out.

would you suggest staying in one spot or move around if nothing bites say 15-30 min.

thank you

Sounds like you are fishing deeper water areas near a dam (water tower).

Divide the lake into 1/3 sections; lower 1/3 is the dam area, middle 1/3 is center main lake area and the upper 1/3 is where the river

creek enters on a smaller lake or each creek arm on large lakes. Fish the upper 1/3 area unless the water colder, then fish the warmer middle 1/3 area.

It is very difficult to feel or detect a spawner strike on a jig because the bass doesn't try to eat it, it bites it very quickly and spits it out. Soft plastic worms or Senko's the bass may hold onto longer and move with it before rejecting it, this lets you detect a strike easier. Spawners will slap at the reaction lures and you may see a swirl, not a strike. If this happens cast a Senko where the bass swirled.

Tom

I was fishing a cove that is 12-13’ deep at the mouth and goes to 2-3’ in the back and has a deeper channel in the center and there are stumps everywhere. Lots of people fishing the bank (stumps) for crappy that is spawning there, we even got some on worms today. The bottom is mainly muddy so I don’t know if bass will spawn there? There is a rocky point at the mouth of the creek that drops off to 12 feet and there are marked trees all over the point. Last turny some of the teams got some fish out of the cove but no idea where or how. The water tower is mid lake and has a deep intake with riprap around the sides usually very good spot during the summer.

Thank you

I was fishing a cove that is 12-13’ deep at the mouth and goes to 2-3’ in the back and has a deeper channel in the center and there are stumps everywhere. Lots of people fishing the bank (stumps) for crappy that is spawning there, we even got some on worms today. The bottom is mainly muddy so I don’t know if bass will spawn there? There is a rocky point at the mouth of the creek that drops off to 12 feet and there are marked trees all over the point. Last turny some of the teams got some fish out of the cove but no idea where or how. The water tower is mid lake and has a deep intake with riprap around the sides usually very good spot during the summer.

Thank you

Crappie spawn before bass, so that indicates your fish are pre spawn and should be in deeper water near the spawning sites. Bass eat crappis, so try a crappie color deep diving crank bait, Matts bluegill/crappie swimbait or deeper running "slow rolled " spinner bait. The channel should hold some good bass and the inside secondary points where two bays join near any spawning areas. Use you sonar to locate bass, they should be groups roaming the deeper breaks.

Good luck.

Tom

I have friends in the USAF stationed @ Tinker & they tournament fish, I’ll see what I can find out on Thunderbird.

May 1. Elevation is 3.1 feet below normal and clear; Largemouth bass good on plastic worms and spinnerbaits in coves with structure.

Apparently someone I know is fishing the same tournament or one during the same time period because they are tight lipped.

Thank you guys for all the info.

Went out tonight with a game plan to not stay in one spot for more than 15min if I don’t get any bites. Almost fished half of the lake in 4 hours.

Managed to catch 2 keepers on a spinerbait and we got like 20 sandbass lol. I fished from the bank all the way to deep(10') . I can see lots of fish in 10' on the sonar but can’t get them to bite.

Can you tell the difference between a largemouth bass and let say sandy or carp other than the size of the arch which also can be large or small due to fish's time under the boat?

Last week the first place team had a 3 fish limit of 21lb which is impressive by any standards.

Tomorrow I am going to stick with the spinerbait and maybe small warm for the partner in the back.

I will like to fish some topwater but don’t have the confidence. Is water temp. of 63 to cold for top water?

We had a cold front over the weekend and last several nights been in low 40s which cooled of the water, I think this means to slow down and go little deeper?

Thank you guys for all the info.

Went out tonight with a game plan to not stay in one spot for more than 15min if I don’t get any bites. Almost fished half of the lake in 4 hours.

Managed to catch 2 keepers on a spinerbait and we got like 20 sandbass lol. I fished from the bank all the way to deep(10') . I can see lots of fish in 10' on the sonar but can’t get them to bite.

Can you tell the difference between a largemouth bass and let say sandy or carp other than the size of the arch which also can be large or small due to fish's time under the boat?

Last week the first place team had a 3 fish limit of 21lb which is impressive by any standards.

Tomorrow I am going to stick with the spinerbait and maybe small warm for the partner in the back.

I will like to fish some topwater but don’t have the confidence. Is water temp. of 63 to cold for top water?

We had a cold front over the weekend and last several nights been in low 40s which cooled of the water, I think this means to slow down and go little deeper?

The cold night air affects the surface water, little affect on the overall water column, unless it's windy.

Sounds like you need to stay with your strengths and fish slower and deeper; fan cast the area and out into deeper water and work up hill until you locate the bass. 21 lbs (7 lb average for 3 bass) is impressive, someone is on them! At least you know where they are not located.

Your down looking sonar is only about 3' diamter in 10' of water, very difficult to meter bass without spooking them by the boat approaching them. A bass would be a good size arch at 10' depth, you more than likely metering bait fish or other small fish like the ones you are catching.

Good luck.

PS; spinnerbaits and worms was good advice.