Lake Russell Fishing Report – November 2006

Russell: Level: 0.3 feet below full. Temp: 66-68 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good in the pockets and in the backs of the creeks where shad are bunched up. Try a Super Fluke or a Pointer 78 jerkbait. Also try a Carolina-rigged green pumpkin worm if you’re not seeing bass chasing shad. Early and late and on cloudy days you can get some bass interested in topwater like a buzzbait or a Pop R. For spotted bass, fish a drop-shot rig on the points near the pole markers in 12 to 20 feet of water.

Crappie: Good, with lots of crappie already in the backs of the creeks. “They’re biting pretty good, down eight to 15 feet, and they’re far up in the backs of the feeder creeks,” said Russell crappie expert Jerry Craft. “We’re catching them on minnows. I caught 24 last week, and they’re averaging about a pound. You might get lucky and get one about 1 1/2 pounds. If you catch one, you’re going to catch five to seven, then you’ll have to move around and find another little bunch.”