Kayak Trip Report, Swan Creek

[Ditch Basser]

I made another short trip to Swan Creek this morning. I fished 6:30AM till about 10:00AM. I found a few spider rigging. Best bait was the Hot Skirt jig in pink and pearl. I’m starting to like this little jig, stays true to color all day even in muddy water and survives gills and gar. After several trips with the same jigs tied on they still look new. Big catfish gave me problems all morning. I kept two, tossed back two and had three break off, all in the 10 pound range. Water was 86 degrees at daylight.

["D"]

Good report and pix.

[fishing man]

Way to get them. Was the water still low ? Would love to get into a few of the big cats. Any Bass on this trip ?

[Ditch Basser]

The deepest water I found, except at the pipe under the tracks was only about 24 to 30 inches. Once I found the fish, Crappie, cats and stripe were together in the same area. No bass, but I wasn't trying to catch any.

[fishing man]

Thanks Ditch. working on my rod holders now. Will try them out the next time I go. Bet those cats were a battle on the long rods with light line.

[wbeadlescomb]

Do the fish in there not die out during the summer?

[Slabprowler]

Can those fish make it to deeper water I have always heard that they all go deep in the summer but I have not been totally convinced that they do?

[alexava]

these fish are trapped in that reservoir. not a biologist but this extreme heat in that shallow of water seems like it would kill them if it was persistent enough with no rain. the first time i fished it was 2 years ago. i caught a few 15 inch crappie. they had been there for a while.

[Ditch Basser]

If it holds 24 inches of water year round then there's fish in it. The fish become stressed in these shallow systems because of high water temp and low oxygen. They'll survive fine if there's not to much vegetation. If they're covered up in vegetation every time you have a couple of cloudy days with no wind you'll have a big fish die off from lack of oxygen. The larger shallow areas have a huge surface area to pick up oxygen from wave action. I wouldn't expect any problem with fish surviving in Lilly Pond, Swan Creek or other similar areas. I consistently catch Crappie, gills, bass and catfish with water temps in the upper 90's from these areas.