Two over ten pounds after a change.

[Randall]

Well I have been in a slump over the past few months for fish over ten pounds. > Water levels are low at Lake Varner and fishing has been much different than in years past. We have had 100+ degree weather at the end of summer and a warm fall so far as well with no rain. Most of my big bass spots have no water on them and others have way less water than normal causing the fish to move off these spots and out of these areas. I have been looking for where these fish moved to nearby with no results. I had no problem getting fish up to nine pounds with lots of sevens and eights but the ten pound plus fish have been hiding. I have had a teen fish on twice but lost it both times.  :'(Well late last week I decided to take a new approach and fish the lake like I was fishing a new lake and forget about all the areas and spots I have used in the past. This would mean finding new spots and a lot of time looking for things that hold the right combination for a big one.  Two days of just riding around with the GPS in hand watching the depthfinder and very little fishing paid off. I found the fish I was looking for. First fish weighed 12lbs 12oz and was almost 28 inches long after it lost its lunch in the livewell and took a dump on me as I tried to measure and weigh it. I am calling it thirteen pounds. ;D Second fish weighed 10lbs 2oz and was also almost 28 inches long but a little skinny. Both fish hit trickworms on eight pound line which always adds to the fun. I also lost two fish that were nine or ten pounds and had plenty of smaller fish as well. Add to this the fact that I also fished at JW Smith for two days which has an incredible topwater bite right now where we had around 100 blowups and way over fifty quality size fish from two to five pounds in two days as well an eight pounder and a few that got off. I would say I had a pretty good week. Here is the big one it was almost dark when we went back to the ramp so the pic came out kind of a strange color almost like a black and white photo.

[Randall]

Here is the JW Smith 8lber that hit a big eight inch swimbait on top and a good one that hit a toad bait over grass.

[Randall]

Here are some more fish from this week including the ten pounder in the top right corner.

[Lightninrod]

Lawd have mercy!  Way to figure them out Randall!

I'm coming back up there sometime soon!

Dan

[Triton9]

thats a Great bunch of fish, keep up the good work

[rondef]

Nice fish, I would love to catch an LMB that large.

[SneakySnook]

WTG! Great looking bass.

[ejtaylor822]

Those are really nice.  Congratulations on figuring them out.

[Pa Angler]

OOOOOOOH my those fish are slamin. Hog heaven great fish.

[fourbizz]

You're the man Randall!

I am in the same situation. Most lakes out here are down 50 feet or even more! The hookset arm hasn't got much use, but the GPS sure has!

Sure wish I had some of those pesky 7 and 8 pounders to keep me company though, LOL!

[T-rig]

Those are some good fish! They sure are skinny though. Is there a lack of food in the lake?

[Randall]

Those are some good fish! They sure are skinny though. Is there a lack of food in the lake?

My personal feeling is that there is a lack of enough large forage in the lake that the bigger fish need to get fat. The first fish was not as skinny as it looks in the photo. It was a muscular thick and very healthy looking fish. We were in a hurry to get back to the ramp before the lake closed and didn't have time to get good photos. The ten pound fish was skinny and most of the year this is how our bigger fish look. Our Department of Natural Resources here in Georgia has a policy of trying to control shad populations with hybrid striped bass which creates competition for the bass as well as keeps our numbers of large shad that these bigger fish need to get fat in the lake down. There are plenty of long fish in the lake that are 27 and 28 inches long but they just don't get fat. We catch a lot of 27 and 28 inch fish that are only seven or eight pounds. Last year we had a unique thing happen in the lake which kind of supports my theory on lack of large shad. Water all over the lake was 42 degrees after a cold week in late winter but after another week of warm weather water at the dam was 48 while water in the main creek on the lake was 58. Almost every shad in the lake went up into that creek to get into the warmer water and those fish in that creek were fat for the next month. Its the only time I have ever seen them this fat. They all looked like the fish in this photo. Thats normaly a three or four pound fish on Varner but that one was over six pounds. Almost every fish in the creek at that time was about two pounds heavier than normal for this time of year because it was loaded with shad. Most of the fish had big gizzard shad tails sticking out of their throats.

[roadwarrior]

Man, those are some fine fish.

8-)

[deepsessions]

nice fish and good work out there!

[T-rig]

Thanks for the info Randall! That last fish sure is fat. That's how I like them!

[LakeAnnaBasser]

Nice fish man.

[Chris at Tech]

Needless to say when I'm able to put 7+ fish in the boat on this lake, a good fisherman will get 20

[Jimzee]

Randall, you are a fine fisherman.  Always posting pics of fish that I dream about catching.  Well done!!  

[Jake.]

Great fish man. You ALWAYS seem to pull out some bigguns.  

[Matt Fly]

Randall,    

     We have the same symptoms on lakes that are down also.     I'm sure you've heard about Choke Canyon, Amistad, and Falcon down in South Texas.

Past years, those lakes have been down 20-50 ft at times, those bass that are currently being caught have been there the whole time, just not hitting anyones baits to be caught.

   Then, the rains and floods over night and then the high 20-40 lb one day tourney stringers started appearing.      

I just think those bass go into survival mode.       Big fish are hard to find when the lakes are real low.      

The old saying,    "The fishing is easier in skinny water is false statement in my book".

Matt