Potholes in September

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nate on September 17, 2012 at 4:40pm

I was there on Saturday, it was fun. Its fishing super small right now in the dunes area but still worth a go in the AM. There wasn't much room and there was a contest going which made it even smaller. The Lmb bite was hot in a few of the small drains that come off the creek channel up in the dunes until about 10am. I was fishing crank baits in about 3-6 foot of water when I found most success. I really wish I had some big worms to slow things down a bit. I really I missed out on a lot of better fish because I was 100% rigged up for a more breezy day. We were supposed to get wind but it was slick water all day. I didn't see any real big fish being pulled but a couple in the 3lbs range. After the dunes seemed to slow due to the heat it took me a while to find a good smallmouth pattern. I tried finding them on my graph next to the bird islands and drop shotting them but only came up with dinks (FYI these fish were spitting up yellow perch about 1.5 - 2 inches long). I tried the riprap next to to Eastern-most spillway (looking for current), dropshoting, scrounger grub and splitshot senko which was a slow bite again. Finally, I really started catching them on a bluff wall next to that spillway that is kinda in the middle of the damn. I was positioning my boat about 8 foot from the wall and running a 3xd down the wall and back to the boat. There was a small amount of shade there that seemed to make all the difference. I think I got between 14-18 fish on this pattern, half of them were dinks, the other half where keepers, but two were in the upper 2lbs range. This bite never slowed but I made the poor decision to head back to the dunes in hope that I could find some bigger fish around cover and shade. No such luck however. The sun was high and shade or cover are almost nowhere to be found up there. You guys will have fun. Potholes is great in the fall. Good Luck.

Permalink Reply by Paul Harmon on September 18, 2012 at 4:59am

I like carolina rigged lizards in the Crab Creek area. When you get close to the channel there are a couple of dunes with nice drops, crank them, like sexy shad this time of year.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Lunde on September 18, 2012 at 11:28am

Thank you Nathan and Paul for your responses. 

Is it possible to get into the crab creek area with a prop boat? and how far do I want to try to get in with a prop boat.. Its a skeeter ZX185 with 150 merc. 

Permalink Reply by Nate on September 18, 2012 at 12:05pm

It did not seem like it. I made an attempt at it but gave up quickly because I figured that if I could barely motor the channel near the mouth there is no way I could make it to the spillway. I would not be surprised if the drawdown is over 20' right now. Over by Perch Point I was looking up at trees that I was deep water cranking in the spring.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Lunde on September 18, 2012 at 12:45pm

Again thank you Nathan..