Lake Russell Fishing Report – July 2007

Russell: Level: Down 0.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 81-84 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Fair. Tournament angler Trad Whaley said a good topwater bite first thing in the morning that has helped him cash in some recent tournaments will end shortly, if it’s not already gone by July 1. He said the best daylight bite for largemouths will be in the standing timber or on the reef markers at the ends of the long points where they run out close to the main channels. In the timber, Trad said a big worm should produce a few bites, and the quality will be better. The bass typically hold about 8 to 14 feet down on the tree, which may be sitting in 30 feet of water. On the main-lake poles, use Carolina-rigged worms, or if there is good current from water release at the dam, try a crankbait.

Crappie: Poor. Jerry Craft said, “The hot weather has really slowed down the crappie bite, but anglers can look around bridge pilings in 18 to 25 feet of water. Most of the bites are at night. We were catching some in 8 to 12 feet of water on treetops, but the hot weather seems to have slowed it down and pushed fish deeper. Jerry said he mainly uses live minnows on a slider float but sometimes uses a Popeye jig from Kentucky. He usually fishes around a green light he drops over the edge of the boat. “Chartreuse, yellow and white seem the be the most effective colors,” said Jerry. He likes to fish around the outside of the light in the darkness. The fish stay in the dark shadow near the light.