Kevin Van Dam Forums

This lake is a natural, clear, deep lake. Alot of nice smallmouth and largemouth. We have had a cold spring so far, but the fish were on the beds for the last week or two. From local reports, there has been a mix of spawned out fish and prespawners. This week has been in the 90s so far, but the temp is supposed to drop to the 60s for the rest of the week with rain and thunderstorms through saturday. My tournament is Sunday, high of 72 with isolated t-storms. I have a plan to fish some shallow stuff early where the largemouth tend to hang out, mooring bouys, dock footings, ect. Then move to deeper water to rock pile/ sandgrass areas, where the smallmouth grow big. Would you guys stick with this plan with this weather, or stay deeper all day and forget about the shallow docks? There isnt much wood in the water, highly developed shorline and very heavy pressure on the weekends with pleasure boaters, even in bad weather they are out there. It is Lake Geneva in Wisconsin if you want to look at the lake. I dont want to outhink myself this time like I did at my last tournament. Thanks guys

Your plan is what I would probably do in a lake like that. I would probably stick with a drop shot most of the day. In the shallows in the morning I would drag the dropshot in open water and around the docks. When out in deeper water I would drag it until I find some fish then go over and vertical drop on them if possible. I would also have a Senko tied on if I am in need of catching some fish.

i’d check out the first deep water ledge off the spawning beds, might be some post spawners there. u could use several different baits.

if you are hunting for fish, use something you can fish fast and cover water in various depths, ie spinnerbait, lipless, crankbait or even a swimming jig. once you find some biters, then you can slow down and drop shot em. 

if you have KVD’s bass strategies book, read what he says about the pleasure boaters and skiers. the cooler temps and rain and cloud cover might actually turn the fish on as long as you are not on the back end of the cold front.

docks and buoys are always a good place to try, since largermouth tend to be heavier than smallies, if you can boat a few of them, might just be enough.

have a tube tied on for the sandy grass bottoms and rock piles, either match the color of the bottom or crawdad color or usual color selection with water color and weather conditions. go by your gut instincts and your depth finder, wear that depth finder out.

Main thing is be safe and have fun, GL!

it sounds like you have a pretty good game plan. go jack them up!

Yeah, Im pretty stoked for this one. Last year at this lake I got a 4.5lber and a 3 and a 2. That was during a thunderstorm and rain all day. This lake does fish better with some cloud cover and wind, being so clear. I am just thinkin about 3 days straight of 60s and rain after all the heat, might put them in a funk. Oh well, only 1 thing to do, go out there and smoke em.

Stick with you original plan it sounds pretty good to me.  Good luck.

Clear water and cloudy skies tells me to fish shallow. Fish should be roaming, at least those not spawned out and resting. With storms coming in the wind might help make the shallow bite even better.
I always check the 8-12 FOW depths when there are both post-spawners and pre-spawn fish around. One good spot along a migration route could load your boat in 5 casts.

yea maybe you will find a staging area or ledge the pre and post spawners are stacked up on close to the beds. keep an eye on the birds and depth finder for big balls of shad. i’m thinking the cold front will actually turn these fish on, i don’t know what the water temps are there but here in chicago they went up 20 degrees in the last 10 days or so, a cooling rain might help. i think the fish here in the north are more acclimated to cooler water anyway. i got a feeling you are going to do great.

The temps dropping from 90’s to 60’s has me thinking that they may be reluctant to bite.  If you aren’t getting reaction strikes from your search baits, try slowing things down a bit with suspended jerk baits.

I went and got me some 10in power worms, if they dont eat that I have a drop shot some tubes and a shakeyhead to throw. Thats if they dont want to eat a topwater or a shallow crank in the morning.

the rain should put some color in the water so it won’t be as clear as usual. look for any flooded timber or banks. they’ll be stacked up in those places because of a new food supply and the baitfish will be in there feeding also.

raining like crazy here in chicago, as long as you have cloud cover sunday, i think the fish will be on the feedbag. if it is bluebird skies might be a little tougher, but more color in the water should help, i would start out shallow with a reaction bait, crank, spinnerbait etc and if nothing that way, then go to deep humps and ledges and drop shot em.

Don’t forget about topwaters. I finished 3rd in a tourney last sunday on a clear lake with nothing but topwaters all day. Had 4 keepers in the first 45 mins. then added another later in the day. All with a pop r.  Good luck!!

Well, the topwater hits were on thiis morning. I used a small spook, cant remember what its called, but the small spook. 5 casts into the day and the 1st fish was in the boat. A healthy 15 in largemouth. I had 3 more blowups within 1/2 hr but no hook ups. The fish would either push water at the lure or blow it out of the water, but not get any hooks in them. At about 630 am the topwater died. We got some sun and it was done. I tried some tubes on docks and caught my limit of rock bass but no real bass. I went to a flat that was near and got one on a footloose crankbait. I thought maybe that would produce. Nope just that one. I needed to retie some rods, change some weights on my tubes, ect. I retied my dropshot so that the leader would br longer. When I was retieing some other rods I tossed the dropshot over the side of the boat and sure enough, my 3rd keeper came while I was retying another rod. 930am and 3 in the boat. The area I was fishing was frustrating me though because I could see alot of bass crusing, but they wanted nothing to do with anything. I moved to another spawnong area and as I got close, I seen 3 boats working the area I wanteed to go to. I thought I was screwed, but I noticed a little rise on the depthfinder fron 12ft to 10 ft. I dropped the trolling motor and started dropshotting the area. I caught a 3lb 11oz smallmouth on the 2nd cast. Then another just a bit later. 11 am and I had my limit. We still cant cull in wisconsin unless your in a permittted tournament. I knew 1 of the largemouths I caught was close so I remessured it. It was 1/4 in short of 14 ins. I threw it back and started fishing again and got a 17in smallmouth. I ended up with 11lb 11oz limit and big bass with the 3-11 smallmouth. I am happy I listened to my gut with the color changes on the dropshot and making the leader longer to keeep the bait out of the slimy weeds.

Congrats!! Good job on making the right adjustments!!

Congrats Stickum! What place did you end up in?