Lake Russell Fishing Report May 2013

Russell: Level: 0.5 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 60s to low 70s. Clarity: Stained up the lake in the river arms; main lake is lightly stained to mostly clear depending on area and depth.

Bass: May is a fun time to fish. The weather is warm, and the fishing can be hot. Most of the lake will be in a postspawn mode with maybe a few fish still spawning at the lower end near the dam in the early part of the month. Where are the fish? Right where they were in the prespawn—secondary points near deeper water. Some bass will also be hanging around the shallows as the bluegill move up to spawn. On the main-lake points, look for some good topwater action as the blueback herring move up to spawn as well. During this month I fish crankbaits at various depths. I like to throw the Rapala DT series and the Thundershad crankbaits. On my light-line Carolina rig will be a Trick Worm fished slowly. Finally, a shaky head with a floating Robo Worm will also find its way into my arsenal for May. For my topwater, I prefer a Thundershad 600. It is a wake bait and can call bass up from deep water. The other bait I will have tied on will be a Zoom Super Fluke to work around the points, as well.