Fishing Report
Stockton Lake Fishing Report, Courtesy Stockton Lake Guide Service
January 21, 2012
Lake Level is 2.8’ low
Clarity is normal to stained
Water temp 40
The winter crappie bite is on for Stockton Lake!
For the most part, this report shouldn't change
from week to week, unless we get really warm.
To find the fish, the first thing you need to do is
find their dinner. Unless myself, crappie, walleye,
and bass, all like shad for dinner. This is the time
of year that you really need to learn to read your
graph. Even if you have a cheaper graph, you can
still use it to your advantage. Shad can and will
move from place to place, and can even be in
different depths. The secret is locating them and
staying on top of them. It's important to keep your
marker bouy close to you so you can throw it in to
mark the location of the fish. Rule 1 is not to throw
it right next to your boat, you will have to fight it
all day. Throw it far enough out to give you a good
way to mark the shad and stay out of the marker.
Once you have located the shad, it's time to get
down to some fishing. I usually start out about
1 crank off of the bottom of the lake, and then bring
the lure up very slow until I find the active fish. You
will be able to catch crappie, walleye, and bass
this way. I have even seen catfish caught under the
winter shad. Fish will feed all winter long, so they
have to be close to the food source. I use all of
the way up to a 1/4 oz jig head and down to 1/16 if
there isn't any wind. doesn't seem to effect the
bite much and color doesn't seem very important.
Crappie niblets can help get a few more bites or a
good garlic scent, etc. Now how to find the shad.
Last week I kind of explained what you might see on
your screen. I have the 1197 csi and can see up to
150 feet off each side of the boat as well as under
the boat. This is a huge help in locating schools
of shad. If all you have is a sonar unit, that is still ok,
you might just have to look a little harder.
What you are looking for is a "cloud" or a really tightly
packed group of fish. Under this cloud, if you see
arches, then that is a huge bonus. You know the fish
are down there. Once you see the cloud on your
screen, mark that spot either with your gps or a
marker bouy. It's time to fish.
For the past 2 years we have found huge schools
of shad. So big I would have bet they were brush piles,
but no hang ups and they moved around to much to
be brush. Make sure you mark the depth, what type
of bank, etc., which will aid you in locating more
shad later. Sometimes you can fish one school all day
and load the boat up with crappie and walleye and the
next the fish are on the move. You move too, be
the fish!! Remember, get to know your electronics,
study it, read about it, then you can go out and catch
some crappie instead of just going fishing for the day.
Good luck this week and please remember that the water
is getting very cold. Take some dry clothes, let someone
know where you are putting in, and wear a life vest!
Bob Bennett
Meet The Guides Of The Stockton Lake Association!
