Lake Russell Fishing Report July 2017

Russell: Level: 0.3 feet above full pool. Temp: Low 80s. Clarity: Clear on main lake and stained in the creeks.

Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The fishing has been slow the past couple of weeks with all the rain, and the bass are still in transition to the normal summer patterns. We have been catching a lot of smaller bass on crankbaits when it’s cloudy in 8 to 15 feet of water on rocky points and shoals. You can also catch fish in these same areas on sunny days using a drop shot with a Zoom Finesse Worm or Swamp Crawler. The bigger Lake Russell bass are starting to set up on the deeper points and humps, and you can catch them on Carolina-rigged Zoom Trick Worms or Texas-rigged Zoom Mag II or Ol’ Monster worms. I throw the bigger worms on a Falcon finesse jig rod, which has excellent sensitivity and also has the backbone to get the big bass out of the deep timber and brush. As we head into July and the water begins to heat up, the fishing should be better in the evenings and at night on the deeper points and humps when the bass move up out of deep water to feed.”