[Neal/CO]

Hadn't been in a month because of hunting and needed to figure something out for several upcoming charters. I got a late start 10 am because I am just not that fond of being cold anymore, lol. I got a tip from Riv that they were in shallow hammering shad so I just ran around the first two hours hitting main lake points. I was starting to get worried when I finally found the motherload up river. We ended up with 37 eyes and nice limit of 19-20 inchers. My friend Greg got into a big school of wipers and tried to call me to come back east but I didn't get the call till about an hour and a half later He landed a dozen.

Water was 52 degrees and the shad are definitely shallow trying to stay warm! I sawed hundreds of dead and maimed 1" shad floating above the carnage! Jerkbaits and snap jigging did most of the damage. I did find a big ball of shad that had settled in a deep saddle in about 30 feet of water and I stopped and hammered some nice fish out of that school with a 1/2 oz PK Flutterfish spoon. Hope the weather stays nice for a while!!

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[Yearnin-fer Naknek]

I tried a spot last Sunday that I'd never been to. Went clear up to Swallows (guess that's what it's called at the end of swallows road) and put the belly boat in there. I only got a couple of hours at the end of the day because the boy and the wife had to see the new Justice League movie first. Gal Gadot IS hot. Water was 45.5 degrees up there. The balls of shad were so thick that they would totally black out my fish finder at times. All I caught were a couple of foul hooked shad and one shad that took the fly. It was around 10 inches long. You know the shad are thick when you can foul hook a 1.5 inch fish. I did get a couple of hits that felt like good fish, but they were there and gone in an instant. Was planning on maybe going tomorrow, but it looks like I may have to work. Will definitely be there one day this weekend, but probably a little bit further east.

 

[Neal/CO]

I tried a spot last Sunday that I'd never been to. Went clear up to Swallows (guess that's what it's called at the end of swallows road) and put the belly boat in there. I only got a couple of hours at the end of the day because the boy and the wife had to see the new Justice League movie first. Gal Gadot IS hot. Water was 45.5 degrees up there. The balls of shad were so thick that they would totally black out my fish finder at times. All I caught were a couple of foul hooked shad and one shad that took the fly. It was around 10 inches long. You know the shad are thick when you can foul hook a 1.5 inch fish. I did get a couple of hits that felt like good fish, but they were there and gone in an instant. Was planning on maybe going tomorrow, but it looks like I may have to work. Will definitely be there one day this weekend, but probably a little bit further east.

It is real hit and miss right now. It is just a matter of finding a school that is shallow feeding. I didn't catch anything for over an hour then popped three keepers on five casts and then they were gone or spooked.

 

[earplug]

Kayak fished the South Marina Cove shallows. Didn't mark many bait balls. Noted the fish liked the sunny side much better. About a three degree difference. Ended with one RBT in less then six FOW.

 

[Neal/CO]

Kayak fished the South Marina Cove shallows. Didn't mark many bait balls. Noted the fish liked the sunny side much better. About a three degree difference. Ended with one RBT in less then six FOW.

The shad seemed to off moved up shallower on the flats and all the carnage is going on in shallow water on the north shores. Wind was also blowing into the north shores also.

 

[GRABABREWSKI]

Nice, Walleyes are a little easier to process than big ass Elk!
With all the dying shad, sounds like time for some slabbing.

 

[Palerider]

Nice, Walleyes are a little easier to process than big ass Elk!
With all the dying shad, sounds like time for some slabbing.

Yes it is. Today's catch pictured.

 

[Neal/CO]

Nice, Walleyes are a little easier to process than big ass Elk!
With all the dying shad, sounds like time for some slabbing.

The Shad haven't Moved out deep over the humps yet. They are up on the flats mostly shallow because the water is warmer. A couple of more cold snaps should send them into that deeper slab pattern?

Elk hunting damn near killed me this year, lol.

 

[GRABABREWSKI]

Yes it is. Today's catch pictured.

Very nice!:thumb::thumb: I'll take that kind of slabbing any day!

 

[Zman]

Yes it is. Today's catch pictured.

Now thats impressive in a state that has a dearth of crappies...

 

[Palerider]

Thanks--I'd gladly exchange it for a limit of walleyes. Crappie are tasty but I like the 'eye a lot better. I keep hoping a walleye wizard will show me the ropes in exchange for some slab secrets. Same on the wipers. Elusive critters they are.