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where should i go from mardon to catch some bass on potholes and what should i use.  heading over tuesday the 5th.

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I would head out to the dunes and fish the channel edges with spinnerbaits, cranks and jigs. I'm not sure what the water temps are there right now, but I would imagine that it's probably a prespawn pattern, so you should be finding fish in transiitonal areas, and possibly in future bedding areas. I've caught very nice bass right in front of the willows at MarDon when the water is still high. Might even try a plastic worm on a Texas/Carolina rig, or drop shot in front of those flooded willows. All else fails, float a nightcrawler under a bobber, 4-6' leader,around flooded brush and grass.
To be honest at this particular time and water level I would not send someone who knows very little about the lake into the dunes.  For one there aren't many dunes right now and if you start fishing on tops of willows you aren't going to catch fish.  Channels are hard to decipher in high water unless you know where to find the main flows...  I would go over to the Island and fish between that and the dam in 6-25ft of water with jigs and plastics.  Also I would go into Frenchmans and fish jigs, tubes, and spinnerbaits.  There can be a good crankbait bite this time of year, but you have to throw those in the right areas.  The Lind Coulee arm can be very good if you know where to look and there is a popular spawning area called the gravel pit that will have fish staging outside and probably already pushed in.  Like John says the shoreline between Mardon and Blythe is decent for prespawn and spawn in the bushes and on the rocky reefs.  I hope the wind stays down for ya.  The reports I have gotten recently have been a no go due to big winds.

P.J.

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the area.  I'm planning on hitting it in a few weeks work permitting probably mid-May.  I don't have any experience on the lake; would you suggest the same areas or will I see water levels dropping enough to change my approach?  I know I can't get a map of the dunes but is there a map you would suggest of the area in general?  Thanks

P.J. Koshi said:

To be honest at this particular time and water level I would not send someone who knows very little about the lake into the dunes.  For one there aren't many dunes right now and if you start fishing on tops of willows you aren't going to catch fish.  Channels are hard to decipher in high water unless you know where to find the main flows...  I would go over to the Island and fish between that and the dam in 6-25ft of water with jigs and plastics.  Also I would go into Frenchmans and fish jigs, tubes, and spinnerbaits.  There can be a good crankbait bite this time of year, but you have to throw those in the right areas.  The Lind Coulee arm can be very good if you know where to look and there is a popular spawning area called the gravel pit that will have fish staging outside and probably already pushed in.  Like John says the shoreline between Mardon and Blythe is decent for prespawn and spawn in the bushes and on the rocky reefs.  I hope the wind stays down for ya.  The reports I have gotten recently have been a no go due to big winds.
i dont remember the name but i got a water proof map of 3 lakes:potholes moses and sammamish

Casey McCune said:

P.J.

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the area.  I'm planning on hitting it in a few weeks work permitting probably mid-May.  I don't have any experience on the lake; would you suggest the same areas or will I see water levels dropping enough to change my approach?  I know I can't get a map of the dunes but is there a map you would suggest of the area in general?  Thanks

P.J. Koshi said:

To be honest at this particular time and water level I would not send someone who knows very little about the lake into the dunes.  For one there aren't many dunes right now and if you start fishing on tops of willows you aren't going to catch fish.  Channels are hard to decipher in high water unless you know where to find the main flows...  I would go over to the Island and fish between that and the dam in 6-25ft of water with jigs and plastics.  Also I would go into Frenchmans and fish jigs, tubes, and spinnerbaits.  There can be a good crankbait bite this time of year, but you have to throw those in the right areas.  The Lind Coulee arm can be very good if you know where to look and there is a popular spawning area called the gravel pit that will have fish staging outside and probably already pushed in.  Like John says the shoreline between Mardon and Blythe is decent for prespawn and spawn in the bushes and on the rocky reefs.  I hope the wind stays down for ya.  The reports I have gotten recently have been a no go due to big winds.

You can get a decent map by FishnMap Co. but to be honest this map is useless for navigating the Dunes. Its helpful for the main lake and Lind Coulee, but the Dunes are kinda like no mans land.  I have been going out there for about 6 years now and there are still just a handful of things I can get to consistently without my GPS.  

 

Casey- I would suggest the same areas, but even more heavily emphasize the roadbeds on the face of the dam and the area around the Mardon Campground.  The water will still be quite high.

Yesterday the water temps were 44-46 on the main body, 48-51 up in the top of crab creek. Lind Coulee arm was a little higher.

 

Casy,

 

The lake is in fill mode now. Smallies are hitting pretty good right now. Found largies havent quite moved in yet. Stuck 16 lbs on Sunday on smallies. Biggest two were a 4-13 and a 4-6.

Casey McCune said:

P.J.

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the area.  I'm planning on hitting it in a few weeks work permitting probably mid-May.  I don't have any experience on the lake; would you suggest the same areas or will I see water levels dropping enough to change my approach?  I know I can't get a map of the dunes but is there a map you would suggest of the area in general?  Thanks

P.J. Koshi said:

To be honest at this particular time and water level I would not send someone who knows very little about the lake into the dunes.  For one there aren't many dunes right now and if you start fishing on tops of willows you aren't going to catch fish.  Channels are hard to decipher in high water unless you know where to find the main flows...  I would go over to the Island and fish between that and the dam in 6-25ft of water with jigs and plastics.  Also I would go into Frenchmans and fish jigs, tubes, and spinnerbaits.  There can be a good crankbait bite this time of year, but you have to throw those in the right areas.  The Lind Coulee arm can be very good if you know where to look and there is a popular spawning area called the gravel pit that will have fish staging outside and probably already pushed in.  Like John says the shoreline between Mardon and Blythe is decent for prespawn and spawn in the bushes and on the rocky reefs.  I hope the wind stays down for ya.  The reports I have gotten recently have been a no go due to big winds.
Thanks for the info; always appreciate hearing from guys willing to point me in the right direction.

Russ Baker said:

Casy,

 

The lake is in fill mode now. Smallies are hitting pretty good right now. Found largies havent quite moved in yet. Stuck 16 lbs on Sunday on smallies. Biggest two were a 4-13 and a 4-6.

Casey McCune said:

P.J.

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the area.  I'm planning on hitting it in a few weeks work permitting probably mid-May.  I don't have any experience on the lake; would you suggest the same areas or will I see water levels dropping enough to change my approach?  I know I can't get a map of the dunes but is there a map you would suggest of the area in general?  Thanks

P.J. Koshi said:

To be honest at this particular time and water level I would not send someone who knows very little about the lake into the dunes.  For one there aren't many dunes right now and if you start fishing on tops of willows you aren't going to catch fish.  Channels are hard to decipher in high water unless you know where to find the main flows...  I would go over to the Island and fish between that and the dam in 6-25ft of water with jigs and plastics.  Also I would go into Frenchmans and fish jigs, tubes, and spinnerbaits.  There can be a good crankbait bite this time of year, but you have to throw those in the right areas.  The Lind Coulee arm can be very good if you know where to look and there is a popular spawning area called the gravel pit that will have fish staging outside and probably already pushed in.  Like John says the shoreline between Mardon and Blythe is decent for prespawn and spawn in the bushes and on the rocky reefs.  I hope the wind stays down for ya.  The reports I have gotten recently have been a no go due to big winds.
I guess the lake is pretty high then. I dont think I've ever fished it before May. But the last time I was there in May it was friggin sweet! I remember it being very easy to find fish.

P.J. Koshi said:
To be honest at this particular time and water level I would not send someone who knows very little about the lake into the dunes.  For one there aren't many dunes right now and if you start fishing on tops of willows you aren't going to catch fish.  Channels are hard to decipher in high water unless you know where to find the main flows...  I would go over to the Island and fish between that and the dam in 6-25ft of water with jigs and plastics.  Also I would go into Frenchmans and fish jigs, tubes, and spinnerbaits.  There can be a good crankbait bite this time of year, but you have to throw those in the right areas.  The Lind Coulee arm can be very good if you know where to look and there is a popular spawning area called the gravel pit that will have fish staging outside and probably already pushed in.  Like John says the shoreline between Mardon and Blythe is decent for prespawn and spawn in the bushes and on the rocky reefs.  I hope the wind stays down for ya.  The reports I have gotten recently have been a no go due to big winds.
Early April can be real tough and real good it is that time period where it will just turn on and off like a light then come the end of April it turns on and stays INSANE through about the first week in June...

Yupp, water is still high, I rarely get to fish it while the water is above 1040ft ele.

Pretty syked to head back over friday, was there last tuesday and went through 2 batteries on the bow because of wind but the trip should be mellow this time around

P.J. Koshi said:

Early April can be real tough and real good it is that time period where it will just turn on and off like a light then come the end of April it turns on and stays INSANE through about the first week in June...
just got back fished 2 days me my dad and my uncle wayne bailey. my uncle was the only one to catcha fish. a 2lb 1oz smallie in lind coullee on a strike king red i shad in a red craw type color but thats it caught off a gravel point

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