Hey huner7711 when you return to your waters

[moswampy]

you will not be dissapointed. Great shad population with grass has returned to Smithville over the last 4 years. COE has been putting in erosion control on the mainlake and the crappie fishing has been good to excellent. Think long pole and big chart jig, oh and stay above the old refuge for jigging. Mainlake has been good for trolling slabs as you wade through 15" white bass.

 

[hunter7711]

Anybody ever crankbait up there. If I remember the dam, it's not built for crankbaiting. You say I should stay upriver from Trimble if long pollin? I haven't been on the lake since the late 80's

 

[moswampy]

I pull the dickens out of cranks on the lake with great success. Never on the dam but some of the larger mainlake points. One you can make several wide turns and not get out of productive water. have to wade through the big white bass when pulling them

 

[moswampy]

Oh Above Trimble and right in the area is where I start. Most go up Linn/Roberts creek I like to go just above and start on the channel edges in the big trees. 15-20fow did me best last year, secondary stickups off the main stem more productive. Still plenty of heavy hedge rows around. CampBranch gets beat on hard by the average fishermen due to the ease of navigation. River still holds the bigguns. MDC has placed a lot of piles on the mainlake and have maps. That really keeps down the pressure up river IMHO in the summer a fella could dip trees starting just North of the Linn/Roberts opening and go North. He would not reach Twin Coves before the fish went to Fall pattern. That is unless he did not leave after limiting every day.

 

[hunter7711]

Last fall I went up and fished with ScottV and had a ball pullin and pushin Bandits. He runs 4 out each side. My boat isn't making the trip, but I have a elderly uncle that has no one to go fishin with and he has a small boat. To tell the truth, when I fished the lake it was only for bass. We had one place that would probably be good for crankbaits. We would line up golf course point and the biggest tree on the course and the go across the lake. There was a very long break line at 17' we fished. There was also a double creek channel that came in there.