Lake Weiss Fishing Report – November 2006

Weiss: Level: 3.4 feet below full pool. Temp: 70 degrees. Clarity: Main lake is clear.

Bass: With the water temperature holding up through most of October, most of the fish were still deep, according to Weiss guide Jerry Sims. “They are still catching them out on the ledges on crankbaits and jerkbaits,” said Jerry. So far the topwater bite for bass hasn’t fired up, he said. Kevin Randall said the report is that the bass are tearing up spinnerbaits and worms on wood structure in three to five feet along the edge of the river channels.

Crappie: Excellent. “The crappie are still out on the ledges, and they are still catching them on minnows on bottom-bumping rigs,” said Jerry. Look for ditches, brush or stumps that create a variation on the ledge, and fish minnows in the 12- to 14-foot range. By the first of November, and with cooler water temperatures, the fish will begin moving up and the trolling bite along the creek channels will pick up.

Stripers: Excellent for small fish. Jerry said there are acres of fish coming up early and late, or all day on cloudy days, anywhere along the river channel from the causeway bridge down the lake. “The stripers are schooling by the blue-million, but they are small — only three to eight inches long. There were three or four acres of them in front of Bay Springs, and acres of them around Hog Island. If you throw a Little Cleo or a small Crocodile spoon you can have a ball catching them,” Jerry said. For bigger fish, live shad fished along the river channel ledge is the better bet.