Stillhouse Lake Report: January

Water temp has been holding from 50-53 degrees and the lake is still low, so be sure to watch out for submerged trees especially on the north-east side of the island. As far as the fishing this month is concerned, it has been hit or miss. Fisherman who get in the right area during the right time can really catch some big bass right now, but if you're not in the right place at the right time, it can be extremely tough and frustrating.

Baits to have tied on include a jigging spoon, shakey head, football head jig, carolina rig, and a rattle-trap.

The rattle-trap in either red or chrome blue will work. This pattern works best around submerged hydrilla because it will concentrate the fish, but the grass isn't necessary to catch fish, you can catch them off of flats with stumps and gravel as well. I have been throwing this bait on a PG 142 and have been really impressed with the hook-up to land ratio when using this rod.

The other baits I have mentioned should work on off-shore structure deeper than 15 ft. Look for the bait to tell you which depth to start fishing. This will give you a starting point to refine your pattern for that particular day. Later in the month, look for sharp drops adjacent to main river or creek channels with chunk rock, or areas where a creek channel intersects a main river channel because big females will begin staging on these types of areas in preperation for the spawn.

Good Luck and Tightlines!

Adrian Barnes