Thread: Coralville/MacBride

Lebruce - Thanks for the welcome. I will check out the other website when I get a chance. In the past, I have done well in Honey Creek doing exactly what you mentioned on walleyes while throwing twisters in white and chartruese colors. I also found a touch of blue on the lure can make a difference on certain days, too. I really just lucked on to them while trying to find some active crappie years ago. The size gets better when I go out around Island View and South Fork though. Have you gotten any good ones in Honey Creek this year?

Slab Happy - Thanks for the info. Taking my wife and child down to Rathbun with me for the first time so not sure how much serious fishing I will be able to get done. I know what you mean about the parking lots being busy on tourny weekends. This was the first year I did not fish the Rathbun tourny since its started down there. Getting married and having a child has shifted my priorities a little bit. Also, a few negative experiences with other fisherman has turned me off to tournament fishing for awhile. It got a little too stressful for me but I love to compete so maybe a few years from now I will try to get back in them.

We are staying in Honey Creek at some new place called the Greygoose Inn. Have never stayed there before as I usually like to camp or just grab cheap motel in Centerville when I went down by myself. The wife would have none of that as camping means bugs, spiders, and other critters. Should be fun but the wallet is going to suffer a bit.

As for the fishing at Rathbun, I usually head for where the wind will let me fish without getting blown out of the boat. Either South Fork, Bridgeview, Honey Creek, or Buck Creek are some of the usual places which I can get out of the wind and catch a few. I love to fish the main lake brushpiles when the wind dies down, too. This time of the year, I usually do better just using the boat to get me from spot to spot. Then, jump out and fish from the bank seems to be more productive than from a boat. From what I have heard, the "good" crappie are just starting to hit the banks in certain spots but majority are still in a little deeper water.

MacBride has been hot and cold for me this year. Early on, when temps were in the low sixties I did real well over brushpiles in 16' to 24' of water. A week later, temps were back in the low fifties and had to go real small to even get a bite. Size was not great but good numbers which is pretty typical for MacBride. Last week, went out and fished from shore and just casted to brushpiles in shallow water. Caught about 30 crappie and 14 walleyes in a few hours from 6-8:30pm. Only seven of the crappie were over 10" and only two of the walleyes were over 13". It was still fun as I just love the jig bite. Since they put in the siltation damns on the north and south end, the water clarity has improved a lot in my opinion.

As for Coralville, I have not fished it all this year. Usually, I have been out there 10-15 times by now as I like to hit it before all the pleasure boaters get on the water. Some friends of mine tell me the bite is improving but have only gotten a few fish each time out so far.

BTW - the handle is just for a certain type of computer maker switched around and I added number to it.


Will let you know how I do at Rathbun next week and if I can get out to MacBride again before then, will post results.

Waygate10