C J Strike Reservoir Fishing Report

Current Fishing Report: Good

Smallmouth bass fishing is currently experiencing good results using the latest high-tech fish finders and forward-facing sonar. Especially anglers who fish from a boat, are improving their catch rate. Even when fishing is slow, it's easier to catch them when you know exactly where they are holding. The advent of new lures and equipment has also improved success for anglers fishing from the bank. Savvy anglers, who study smallmouth movements and patterns, continue to catch nice fish, even without the new technology.

SUMMER. Summer smallmouth bass hold around rocky structure during the day and move shallower to feed during low-light periods. Tubes, football jigs, and deep-diving crankbaits consistently produce quality fish. During the warmer months, Smallmouth bass typically feed shallow early and late in the day, in 8 to 15 feet of water. They are often caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish, minnows and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. Popular Summer holding areas include rip rap shorelines, as well as rocky points, humps and structure near the thermocline. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 15 to 30 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some fast action.

FALL. Cooling water triggers aggressive feeding as bass chase schools of baitfish along rocky banks, points, and channel breaks. Once Fall arrives smallmouth move into coves and bays, 6 to 18 feet deep. They thrive in the cooler, shallow water, which is an ideal environment for them. Locals report that tube jigs, and drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics, are popular in 10' water or deeper. Worms, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits, are also successful when bass are shallow to mid depths. Later in Fall, smallies move to 10 to 20 feet deep.

WINTER. Bass become less active but remain catchable with slow presentations near deep rocky structure and channel breaks. Winter isolates smallies around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. They can generally be found from 20 to 40 feet deep. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs tempt smallmouth to bite in deep water. I like to work these deeper haunts very slowly in cold weather, as the bass are somewhat sluggish. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Smallmouth fishing can be very good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days.

SPRING. Spring is the reservoir's premier smallmouth bass season. Fish move from deep staging areas to rocky spawning habitat before feeding aggressively after the spawn. Water temperatures have risen into the 50's, and smallmouth are moving from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They are feeding aggressively in 10 to 18 feet of water at this time, and are typically caught on jerkbaits, crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into shallower water, 3 to 10 feet deep and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Some of the better spawning areas include protected, shallow flats and points. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 8 to 15 feet deep, and feed aggressively. Crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, plastic worms, spoons and swimbaits are catching smallies during this period.

Current Fishing Good To Very Good

Black crappie are being caught using new technologies, reducing the amount of time it takes to locate schools. Forward-facing sonar is allowing anglers, fishing from a boat, to locate schools and focus fishing time on areas with good numbers of crappie. Anglers fishing from the bank still have to search via test casting, until a school is located. Then, they are catching them as anglers have for many decades, before the new electronics became available. Light tackle, with 4 lb to 8 lb line, is a popular choice.

SUMMER. Summer crappie suspend around submerged brush, standing timber, and docks during the day, moving shallower during low-light periods to feed. Vertical jigging and slip-float presentations produce consistent catches. Water temperatures get quite warm, and crappie fishing is usually pretty good. They feed in 8 to 15 feet of water early and late in the day, until the hot Summer sun causes them to retreat to depths of 15 to 20 feet. Also, a few have embedded in the shade of slightly shallower vegetation. This is a good time to focus around brush piles, standing timber, deep lay downs, bridge pilings and deeper docks. Some of the best fishing is early morning, late evening, or night. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep structure and around creek channel edges, using fish-finder electronics.

FALL. Cooling temperatures concentrate crappie around creek channels, brush piles, and submerged timber as they feed heavily before winter. As Fall begins cooling the shallows, baitfish, move into shallow flats, coves and bays, which draws crappie into these areas. They will be feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter, in 10 to 15 feet of water. Minnows, hair jigs, and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon. Late Fall which turns the shallows cold, starts pushing crappie deeper, toward winter holding areas. Small flutter spoons, fished in 10 to 12 feet of water, are a good option during this transition. Good results typically come around points, creek channels, and brush piles.

WINTER. Winter crappie school tightly around deep brush and timber. Slow vertical presentations with small jigs or live minnows produce the best catches. The water temperature drop into the 30's and low 40's. The shallows turn cold, causing crappie to migrate to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. Typically they are caught using a very slow presentation, in 15 to 30 feet of water. Most are caught around creek channel bends, submerged timber, deep brush piles, and main-lake structure. Good reports often come from anglers targeting standing timber and brush piles. When they suspend in open water, they often relate to some cover, or structure change, directly below them. During warming trends, especially warm afternoons, they are drawn into slightly shallower water to feed.

SPRING. Spring offers outstanding crappie fishing as fish move into shallow brush and shoreline cover to spawn. During the peak spawn, limits are common for anglers fishing shallow cover. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 8 to 15 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as both black crappie and white crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 2 to 8 feet of water. Vegetation, docks, brush and wood are where most anglers catch crappie using small crappie jigs or live minnows. After the spawn, crappie typically move outside the spawning area and hold on cover close by, in 6 to 12 feet of water. Once they move out of the shallows, anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

Current Fishing Report: Good

The use of new technology is helping anglers catch more rainbow trout in lakes. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently the best way to locate trout, especially when they school in deep water. Rainbows are caught trolling, casting or jigging, once located on these sophisticated fish finders. Fly fishing is not covered in this website, but rainbow trout are being caught on plenty of other lures and bait.

SUMMER. Rainbow trout seek cooler water during summer and are most active early and late in the day. Trolling spoons, spinners, and crankbaits through deeper water is the most productive approach. Once Summer arrived, the warmer water has driven rainbow deeper. They tend to be caught in 25 to 45 feet deep during midday. Trolling the main basin with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Later in the Summer they hang out cooler zones, around 35 to 45 feet deep. Trout commonly suspend above the thermocline, over humps, deep channel edges and mid-lake structure. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Early and late in the day they feed in 15 to 30 feet of water. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with fairly heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits into deeper water.

FALL. Cooling temperatures bring trout into shallower water where they actively feed along rocky shorelines, points, and current areas. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, again draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers catch them 8 to 20 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, and flats in the upper regions of the lake. Rainbows also feed on deeper rocky structure, humps, and ledges, anywhere baitfish gather. By Fall, these trout have had a full season to grow, and there are typically some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, spoons, jigs, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits. Later in Autumn, they move into 5 to 15 feet of water.

WINTER. Winter trout remain active in cold water and often cruise near the surface or suspend over deep water. Slow trolling and bait fishing are highly effective. Jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, typically catch nice rainbows out of 5 to 15 feet of water. These baits work well around the old river channel in the main basin, along rip rap around the dam, and along the edges of channel troughs. Vertical jigging with spoons, jigs and bait, have been the best approach during the early, cold-water season. In January, they often drop deeper, to around 20 feet. Slowly worked offerings are more likely to attract bites during colder water.

SPRING. Spring is one of the best times to target rainbow trout. Fish become highly active as water temperatures rise, feeding aggressively along shorelines, points, and current seams before moving deeper in late spring. As the water begins to warm this in Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding spots, to feeding areas in 3 to 10 feet of water. A good number of rainbows are typically caught from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day. Inlets and creek mouths, as well as rocky shorelines and rip rap tend to warm quickly and attract feeding, pre-spawn fish. Shallow flats and rocky structure are also quick to warm in the afternoon sun. Creek mouths, points, shallow coves, and flats adjacent to deep water are popular in Spring. Mid Spring finds them feeding in 12 to 15 feet of water, after they spawn, then working out to closer to 20 feet deep. A wide variety of small spinners, spoons and bait catch most of the fish.