The Waters Are Changing

 Not much new going on around the lake these days. The water temperature is still in the high 80's and although there are a few nice fish to be caught, they are few and far between. Most fish are caught in 20 plus feet of water and there are very few schools being spotted on the sonar screen. The hot water and constant sun has again this year caused grass to grow where it hasn't grown before. The grass is OK as far as the fish are concerned but when fishing deep, you have to check your lines regularly. Even a small amount of grass on the hook will cause the fish not to bite. I have caught a surprising number of gar this summer. This week I caught one that was nearly 4 feet long. There are a few shad schools showing up in the coves but not as many as in past years. I always use the bait sightings as an indicator of fish activity because he shad are the primary food for every species of fish in the lake. Haven' caught any crappie lately, the channel cats are much bigger than they have been and the blue cats have also been rare this summer. They should start getting active as the water cools. The bait situation has stabilized and shiners are again available but the price has gone up a little and the shiners are smaller than usual but still effective for the bass and other species. Keep fishing guys, the good months are about to arrive soon.