Lake Weiss Fishing Report July 2013

Weiss: Level: feet below full pool. Temp: 82-86 degrees. Clarity: It’s ranging from clear to stained.

Bass: Guide and tournament pro Warren Barnes reports, “Bass fishing on Weiss is great right now. The bass are in the summer mode all over the lake. The early morning topwater bite is awesome all over the lake. Buzzbaits and walkers like the IMA Skimmer are my favorites on flats and around docks early in the morning. As for the buzzbaits, I have been using the squeaky, more quiet ones. If there is a breeze blowing early, work the flats with a louder clacking buzzer, and burn it back to the boat. This will draw some very hard hits from both spots and largemouth. Later in the day, the spotted bass are biting good as well. Finesse baits like the Reins Swamp Mover worm on a Tackle Doctors shaky head and stroking a 1/2-oz. Revenge football jig and an Ima Beast Hunter deep crankbait is working for me. Fish these baits on the main-lake points, roadbeds and drops that have a hard bottom. Fishing at night is a blast right now as well. Black spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are working best, and as always use something loud. As we get into August, I would look for these same patterns to still be producing. The baitfish should start bunching up into tighter groups, and the bass will do the same.” Guide Mark Collins reports, “Most postspawn bass have moved to shallow docks, seawalls and rip-rap rock near the spawning areas. Jigs, worms and shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits are catching a lot of fish. Some fish are starting to show up on secondary points and roadbeds in 4 to 8 feet of water.”

Crappie: Good. “Most crappie have moved to deeper brush and cover on the flats and old river channel ledges 8 to 14 feet deep,” Mark said. “Spider rigging with live minnows is the way to catch these postspawn crappie. Shooting docks with a 1/24-oz. Jiffy Jig is still producing some crappie. Crappie are still being caught around the docks, and the night fishing is really getting good, also.”

Stripe: Fair. “They are starting to show up on the river ledges in the main lake and the Cave Hole in Little River. Live shad downlined 8 to 10 feet deep and shad fished on a flatline behind the boat are the ways to catch these fish.”

Catfish: “Biting good in the flats 8 to 20 feet deep on cut shad,” Mark said.