Weather unstable, fronts coming in and passing bye with rain, wind and periods of cold unstable air.
Water temp 53-64deg
Water clear to 10ft.
This was our annual Kids,Dads,and freinds Camping fishing trip. We have chosen Lake Pardee the last few years for Holiday weekend camping close to home, a chance at a trophy sized largemouth or smallmouth bass and a safer place for boating on a Holiday weekend. Lake Pardee does not allow jet ski’s or water skiers on the lake,there is also no swimming allowed on the lake. They do provice a clean and well maintained pair of swimming pools for the kids right on site!
Fishing was all over the board the 4 days we were there. We had three bass boats fishing all over the lake trying to figure out the bass. The fish were in 3 phases of the spawn with 90% being in post spawn. There are a few bed fish in areas with flats and grassy banks. These same areas are holding the cruising fish. Most Bass were from 3-4lbs in these areas. When the sun did shine through the bed fish would lock up and were catchable but sparse throughout the lake. The post spawn fish were extremly difficult to catch with the changing weather. The Pre spawn fish were up the river near cooler water, these fish were catchable but you had to work for them.
Four patterns caught bass in this 4 day span by three differnet boaters. Drop shotting Arrons Majic, and mornig dawn worms caught the majority of the fish. MM3 and Red crawler caught the better sized fish in the 3-4 lb class these were pre spawn fish. Rip baits caught fish to 4lbs but you may get 1 bite a day. Split shotting 4″ oxblood worms worked when it got calm. When the breeze would pick up then the swimbait fish would eat. These fish were also 3-4lbs each. Many post spawn fish would smack the swimbaits, but would not committ to eating them.
Key tips, coves and bays with flats have spawning fish, backs of pockets and guts have smaller fish,river bluff walls with wind have better quality and more active fish. Island tops on the main lake have smallmouth and will chase rip baits.
Need warm stable weather to improve the bite.
Good Luck
Ron Howe
More information on Lake Pardee Click HERE