Bartletts Ferry Fishing Report – September 2010

Bartletts Ferry: Level: Full pool. Temp: High 80s to low 90s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Fair. Dennis Hudson said the bite is still fair at best. There have been some pretty good fish in the 4 1/2- to 5-lb. range caught in his weekly tournaments, but the numbers are off. These better fish are starting to show up in the backs of the creeks, and they are being caught pitching jigs in the brush and overhanging trees. Dennis said a 5/16- or 1/4-oz. jig in brown or green pumpkin is a good choice for this bite. The small spotted bass are stacked up on main-lake rock points in the 10- to 12-foot range. Dennis said they will eat a shaky-head finesse worm in a green color. The fish stacked up at the Halawaka Creek bridge are starting to get smart, said Dennis. You can still get a few bites on topwater, but they’ll only swipe at it a few times before the game is up. There is also a good night bite, and the best pattern has been throwing big worms around brush and dock lights, said Dennis. “Things are starting to turn around,” Dennis said optimistically. “Over the next few weeks, the days should be getting shorter, and things should start to cool off — at least a little bit. The fish should start moving up into the creeks some.” In the coming weeks, Dennis said he’ll be concentrating on bank cover up the creeks with a small jig and a tube or creature bait.