Lake Russell Fishing Report April 2012

Russell: Level: 2.2 feet below full pool. Temp: 67-71 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear; slight stain in the backs of the creeks.

Bass: Good. Kerry Partain reports, “The fishing is really starting to pick up as the water has warmed up, and the bass are heading for the spawning pockets. There are a lot of buck bass up shallow, and you can catch them on a Carolina- or Texas-rigged Zoom lizard or curly tail worm in green-pumpkin color. The bigger fish are being caught around wood. There are also still some fish out on the main lake and mouths of major creeks that seem to be keying on baitfish, especially when the wind is blowing. When I find these conditions, I like to run a Scorpion spinnerbait or the Buckeye pulse jig through these areas. The next couple of weeks, we should see a lot of fish cruising the banks and spawning. As we move into April, I expect to see the blueback herring begin to move shallow a little early this year. Some of the bigger fish that spawn early will be feeding on these baitfish around rocks, shallow points or shoals, and you can catch them on the Zoom Super Fluke, spinnerbaits and topwater.”