Lake Burton Fishing Report – February 2010

Burton: Level: 8.6 feet below full pool. Temp: 42 degrees. Clarity: Clear to slight stain. With the bottom dropped out of Burton, Murray’s Cove ramp is the only public ramp open.

Spotted Bass: Decent. Wes Carlton said the spots are biting pretty well now that the ice has melted. He’s finding them in the 20-foot depths in ditches about halfway back into the creeks. He said the best baits for this bite are either a drop shot or a Texas-rigged worm. He likes a finesse worm in either green pumpkin or watermelon for the Texas rig, and he’ll fish a Roboworm in any dark color on his drop shot.

Largemouths: Decent. Wes said he’s been catching some largemouths fishing mid-lake humps in the 17- to 28-foot range. The ticket has been a Fish Head Spin dressed with a paddle-tail swimbait, like a 5- to 6-inch Money Minnow or Shadalicious. Drop the bait all way down to the bottom, and fish it just as slow as you can without getting hung up, said Wes.

Trout: Good. The trout are biting well, said Wes, but they are always moving and it can be tough to stay on top of them. The fish he has been catching are mostly good-sized browns with a handful of smaller rainbows mixed in. They have been suspended in the thousands in the 16- to 21-foot range at the mouths of the creeks right off the main lake. The best bait has been a small spoon. Wes likes a 3/16- to 1/4-oz. Weldon’s Wiggle Spoon in either gold or silver with a white-hair tail.

Walleye: Good. Wes said the walleye are starting to show up on humps in the mouths of the creeks. He’s caught some pretty good ones fishing Shad Raps. He said a size 6 bait in shad color has been working. Also, the GSR7 in glass black has been catching fish.