Lake Burton Fishing Report – October 2017

Burton: Level: Full pool. Temp: 71 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The bass fishing has been a little tough the last few days. With the cooler air temps, it seems like most of the bigger fish are deep. We have been catching some spotted bass on drop shots over a 28- to 30-foot bottom close to brush and rock ledges. Try using a small Fluke Jr. on a drop shot, and work these areas slowly. The bass should start feeding on top soon and will pull up on main-lake points and humps within the next few weeks. This is my favorite time of year to catch these big spots and largemouth on topwater plugs. Try using a Sammy in the herring color and working main-lake points that have a ledge on one side or the other.”

Brown Trout: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The trout bite has picked up the last few days. With all the recent rains, these fish have been feeding on top when we have cloud cover. We have been casting a Kastmaster spoon for these surfacing fish. Be prepared to hook into some heavy fish. Try letting the spoon sink for a couple of seconds, and then try a slow jerking retrieve back toward the boat. We have also been catching a few brown trout freelining blueback herring. Try letting the baits out 60 to 80 feet behind the boat. We like to maintain a speed of 0.8 to 1 mph. This keeps the baits straight and allows them to dive a little. Look for this pattern to continue and for the fish to start feeding more hours during the day.”

Walleye: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The walleye should start moving up shallower as the water cools over the next couple of weeks. Most of these fish have been hanging out on a 40- to 60-foot bottom and are hard to catch during the summer months. The trolling bite should start up as the water temps near 60 degrees.”