Paradise PFA Fishing Report – April 2008

Paradise Public Fishing Area: Levels: Full pool. Temp: 65-68 degrees. Clarity: Lightly stained. Lake Patrick has 36-inch visibility.

Bass: Fair. “Bass are starting to feed a little more aggressively,” said Area Manager Charles West. “Anglers are catching 2- to 3-lb. bass on Carolina-rigged 6- to 7 1/2-inch plastic worms. Red shad, tequila shad and pumpkinseed have been the best colors. Also doing well are the albino, white pearl, and Tennessee-shad colored flukes. Bites have been good in Lake Bobben and Patrick,” Charles said.

Crappie: Fair. Charles reports that crappie are biting in 6 to 8 feet of water using 1/32- to 1/16-oz. float-rigged jigs. Anglers have had good luck fishing the 1 1/2-inch tube jigs in Lake Patrick. Crappie have also been hitting blue/white, black/green and chartreuse jigs in lakes Patrick, Russell and Horseshoe 2. Minnows are not allowed at Paradise PFA.

Bream: Good. Redear are biting in Lake Russell, Patrick and Lake Horseshoe 3. The best bait has been red wigglers fished on the bottom in water 6 to 8 feet deep. Redear normally begin bedding by the middle of April and will peak around the first part of June. Bluegill have started to bed and are being caught along grass edges and shallow cover on crickets and popping bugs. Lake Patrick, Horseshoe 4 and Horseshoe 2 have been the best. Fish crickets in 3 to 4 feet of water just off the bottom, and use the lightest-weight line possible; 4- to 6-lb. test is perfect.

Channel Catfish: Fair. Catfish anglers have reported catching a few 2-lb. channel catfish on chicken liver in Horseshoe 5 and Horseshoe 1. Lake Horseshoe 1 and 2 received supplemental stockings of 10-inch channel catfish in January of this year. Those fish are being fed daily, and some are now reaching harvestable size.