Conditions have been good the last few weeks with a few cold spells and rain keeping all the streams cooler than usual for this time of year.  I have been contacting fish daily on several styles and types of bait.  The early morning top water baits such as Lake X lures Lil Bastard have been very productive.  Then as the sun gets high, blades Double 8s and Single 9s have been producing a lot of fish. On the high sky days, when the fish are lazy, I’ve been having luck on sucker baits and pull pause rubber.  I’m particularly fond of the Hell Razor and Boogeyman by Hellbender lures because of it’s hang and ability to stay in the strike zone.  

Several of the river systems that I fish tend to get very clear and have a lot of fishing pressure.  A tactic I like to use is to drag a sucker bait on the bottom through the sand like a feeding sucker.  This presentation has put many many big fish in my boat.  In clear water high pressure situations, there are several great sucker bait options out there, but my personal favorite is the succubus by Riverwolf and the old customs suckers.  With all the rain, some of the smaller creek systems have been stained and muddy.  In those situations, I’ve found that throwing something bright with a lot of noise and vibration paired with slowing your retrieve down and doing good 8s put more fish in the boat.

This past week, I’ve floated the creek system four of the last seven days contacting between seven and thirteen fish per float.  The close quarters of creek fishing makes for excitement with up close and personal eats, with most happening at your feet boat side.  For small boats, smaller gear and small water with some big fish, I suggest to anyone with creeks that contain musky, get out and give them a try.  They are very often overlooked and have produced some of my best days on the water.

Trey Leadman

Great Outdoor Adventures