Lake Russell Fishing Report – December 2008

Russell: Level: 4.3 feet below full pool. Temp: Low 50s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Excellent, said Trad Whaley. “The fish are set up deep just where they’re supposed to be. I didn’t even try and caught 17 the other day. Get on the edges of the trees or find a bald spot in 32 to 38 feet of water,” Trad said. “I don’t fish that way, and I can find them, so anyone should be able to with their electronics. The fish are spooky sometimes if you ride over them. Shut it down, they’ll come back. Get on those big flats, and find a bald spot, a place with no trees, like a hump. It’s a better bite when it’s sunny. When it’s cloudy, they seem to move up and roam in those trees.” Trad recommends drop-shot rigs and jigging spoons, and fishing the clearer water. “They’re all spotted bass, but there are tons of them, and there are some 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-pounders in there. Most are pound-and-half spots. There are still some shallow-water fish. There’s still some bait in the backs of the creeks. In mid December, look for that Blade Runner bite on the ditches. Fish the ditches on the flat points in 8 to 12 feet of water with deep water nearby. That bite is great for a bunch of 2-pounders. Note: Trad has announced April 4 as the date for the second-annual Claire Whaley Benefit Bass Tournament, which will be held out of the Hwy 72 ramp.

Stripers: “Some huge stripers are being caught right now. They’re coming up, boiling water. There are not many — you won’t catch numbers — but this is trophy lake.” Russell has rarely been stocked, but stripers move into the lake from other reservoirs, and they are typically big by the time they get there.