Lake Russell Fishing Report – May 2007

Russell: Level: Down 1 foot below full pool. Temp: Mid 60 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: “The hottest thing on the lake right now is the spotted bass bite,” said Russell guide Wendell Wilson. The spots are on nearly any main-lake point, hump or reef marker on the lower end of the lake, and they are eager to hit. Wendell said he has been catching spots over largemouths at a 9-to-1 ratio. “The spots will hit a Spot Remover or a Spot Sticker, whichever one you like with a finesse worm,” said Wendell. He said most anglers on the lake are using green pumpkin or worms in other shades of green, but he has done well with cotton-candy colored worms. “They will also hit a pearl fluke on a Fish Head Spin. They will bite all day, but it is better on cloudy days with wind.”

Crappie: The spawn is mostly over, said Wendell. The fish that are still up shallow are mostly smaller fish. Wendell said the best bite for bigger fish occurred during the second week of March, and it has tailed off from there. Your best bet to catch bigger fish is to deep-troll jigs 8 or 10 feet deep in water 12 feet deep in the creeks to catch fish that have spawned and pulled out to deeper water.