Lathem Lately?

RamblinWreck

Senior Member
One is a bluegill, the other is a redear or shellcracker, but you are 100% correct about them being good eating. Only walleye is better in my book (freshwater).
 

Coenen

Senior Member
Good day yesterday before I got rained on in the evening. Got 8 or 10, all bass, most on the swimbait. Those thunder showers sneak up on you up there! Made for a really unpleasant paddle to the ramp.

Saw some nice fish still cruising the shallows, but the action was out over open water. I think they're almost relating more to light penetration than anything else.

Also worth noting, hours have been extended, posted close is now 8PM, open has been earlier as well. Can't confirm exactly when, but I've been hitting at not long after 8, and there are already boats way down lake from me.
 
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RamblinWreck

Senior Member
Man the wind can get up on that hill, too! The culvert, and the concrete bridge, are the only cover on the lake until you get to your vehicle. I wouldn't want to be under either one if there is lightning cracking about. I always take the parka; have not needed it - yet.

In my search for crappie and 'crackers, I've been catching some nice bass lately, sometimes unexpectedly on the UL + jig, but lately I've been packing a bass finesse stick with a spybait tied on, or sometimes a fluke. If I see 'em on the sonar, I chunk it at them. They have been hanging out at 15 feet a lot when the sun is out, and higher up on cloudy mornings/evenings. I've caught mostly dinks off the bank, I've been fishing the ledges and breaks farther out.
 

Coenen

Senior Member
Should've made a break for the culvert! I think that was closer. I definitely found space in the yak to get all of my rods laid down horizontally once it started thundering.

Agreed on the depth thing. They're sitting out there looking up. I still have seen some shallow / cruising fish in the AM, but once the sun is really up that open water bite is the one that plays. I'll add this as well, those shallow fish are ultra spooky from getting beat on. They react negatively even to hearing a lure splash down close by. You've got to be on your game to even have a chance.
 
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jocko755

Senior Member
Yeah definitely summer pattern and deeper now. Uh the wind can whip up the white caps fast too along with the storms. I was fortunate it was blowing me back to the ramp!
 

RamblinWreck

Senior Member
Got r-u-n-n-o-f-t by storms yesterday, but I did catch this 1.2 lb. 'cracker before it hit.
ltss2.jpg
 

jocko755

Senior Member
I made it out Thursday. Caught 3 small ones.930 to 1230 so I didn’t see any top water bites. All my bites were swimbait and spinnerbait. I don’t have electronics so the deep suspended bass elude me. I fish off points deep. All my bites were on shallow flats. This lake continues to frustrate. Guess live bait is the way to go.
 

RamblinWreck

Senior Member
Nah, just fish for the crappie, and the dang bass won't leave your jig alone! Caught this 3 lb. bass and a few others yesterday on a Bobby Garland Baby shad in blue ice color. I had to down-size to a BG Itty Bitty swim-r to get the crappie to bite. Took about 5 minutes to get it to the net, using UL rod with 2 lb test mono.
ltssbass2.jpg
 

Coenen

Senior Member
Anyone else get a piece of this afternoon's excitement? I'm gonna start loading up at 3pm if there's going to be a major T-storm rolling through at 4 O'clock every weekend day. So much for those extended operating hours.

Trip as a whole was good. Got on early with some friends. Didn't do anything too differently. Swimbait, spybait, find 'em and grind 'em. The Yellow Creek arm has some stain; visibility is still good(3-4ft+), but not ultra-clear(8ft+) like it has been. Managed five good ones, a dink, and few pull offs. The spybait works, but they really do like to just nip at the tail.

EDIT: Weekend open is closer to 7:15-7:30.
 
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RamblinWreck

Senior Member
Fished opening to noon. Crappie bite was on fire this morning, on brush in 14-18 FOW. I caught too many to count, and only kept 6 (small cooler), but they were SLABS over a pound. Here's the biggest, 1.5 lbs. They wanted small baits; I used 1/32 oz jig with BG Itty Bitty swim-R in monkey milk, and also a sowbug color trout magnet. Slayed 'em. Also caught a 2 and a 4 lb green trash fish.
july20crppy.jpg
 

RamblinWreck

Senior Member
Not too long, about a foot a second. You don't want to hit bottom or you'll get weeds on it. Crappie like the bait a little above them, I am told. The LM were up higher and hit it on the fall, they were schooling up top in the morning all over the lake. I use hi-vis line so I can see the thump.
 

Geffellz18

Senior Member
Heading that way this Friday, weather permitting. Never been there. Any assistance on what to use this time of year and where to target them would be greatly appreciative.
 

hopper

Senior Member
Heading that way this Friday, weather permitting. Never been there. Any assistance on what to use this time of year and where to target them would be greatly appreciative.
Haven't been in awhile. Things seem to change quick on that lake. When they ain't biting I can normally get a few on weightless senkos wacky rigged around deeper structure. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 

Coenen

Senior Member
Was out there yesterday. Water temp seems to have peaked. It was low 80's on the main lake.

I was going to throw big stuff on some of the main lake depth transitions, but got caught up chasing schoolers. Schooling bite was weird. First area I worked was loaded with fish that wouldn't play. I left them for a different pack, threw the same stuff and wrecked house. Go figure.

Swimbait did the majority of the damage. Turned my finder all the way up(apparently I need to check my 'ducer setup) so I could really see fish, and put in some good work with the drop shot as well.

Ended up with 8 or 10, mostly in the 12-14" range with a few in the 14-16" range. No bigs.

Also of note, I caught a nice spot that hacked up a big bait(6" range) that looked a lot like a herring. The mouth was wrong(not nearly large enough), but I don't think it was a threadfin either. I found that very interesting.

DNR was in the parking lot, and checked my license at the ramp while I was loading up. The copy saved on my phone was good enough. Also, hours at the lake are going back to 8am-5pm here in the second week of September. ? Just when it's gonna start getting good.
 

RamblinWreck

Senior Member
It has been reported there are some bluebacks in the lake now. Lake manager doesn't think there are very many. Not enough personnel to inspect everyone's live well coming in, but you can bet some "bucket biologist" put them in there. Jerks.
 
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