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Me and a few of my buddies are heading down to Lake Millwood May 6-8 to crappie/bass fish. None of us have been on this lake before so we are in need of some serious help. I need to know a few different patterns to try will down there. We will be fishing mostly for crappie but may try and catch a few bass as well.
Wow, 75 people have viewed this thread and not one response, thanks for the help guys!
Well, that's not the way to get it! You know, there's been some weather issues since you posted! Never been on Millwood in my life, so I can't help you!
Wasnt asking for a fishing report ski trip, just asking for some general patterns and some lake info, thanks anyway!
Never fished that lake...sorry I couldn't help
Minnows for crappie and soft plastics for bass !
I usually make a trip toward the end of May. Me and my fishing partner have done very well during this time. If the lake is right, concentrate on green cypress in the main lake. If you can find green cypress in 4 1/2 to 6 ft of water, you will find fish. A depth finder is a must. If you have never been on this lake, be careful. As long as you are running in a straight line from buoy to buoy, you are fine. Get outside of this line and you better be idling or you will rip your motor right off ur boat. I am a jig fisherman, but this time of year, I will tip my jig with a minnow. The crappie will be about a foot off the bottom. When you feel that minnow making a run for his life, hang on, cause a big slab is about to bust it! For this lake, a dip net is a must. One more thing, take a camera because its not everday that you get to fish beside alligators.
One other method for that time of year is to go out on the open lake and drift fish. My Dad and I caught a lot of good Crappie like that years ago.
Slip float minnow rigs, have to experiment with the depth , just off the bottom is a good place to start. The sloughs and river channels zig zag all over between the Dam and the woodline. Have to be sensible about the wind. Be sure your poles are secure, we lost a few, when you hit a school they will all go down. I recall it being around May because we would go out of Beardsbluff at daylight and the Mayflies would cover me up.
I hope the lake is back to normal when you get here. With the storms and rain the lake leve is 261.52 normal pool is 259.20 . They are discharging 21,800 cfs 7 gates are open at 4 ft, and 6 gates at 5 ft. May be the lake close to normal by then.
ballgame, I would think the water would be still high and muddy when you get there, but fish the clearest water you can find. Target livin cypress trees in 6 to 9 fow with minners or jigs tipped with minners. Green carp fish the high water but pitch jigs and craws at them same cypress trees. Crankbait and soft plastic fish the mouth of the creeks where they come into Little River. Try crappie in the same creek mouths. If the pads is showin and really warms up throw a frog in there early and late. Good luck to ya, I will be there fishin so if ya see a blue Triton w/ Merc and AR Crappie .com sticker give me a hello.Quote:
Originally Posted by ballgamedrink
Drift fishin like fishbaskett said could be good too
biting below the dam on red and char ,black and char, and minnows ( ashdown side)
Thanks guys, doesnt look good with the high water but we are going to give it heck anyway. If the fish arent biting at least the beer will taste good.
the lake is really been high with all the storms, little river has been out of its banks flowing into the lake. I have not been fishing do to the high water. What the others have said is right on for fishing when water is right. I just not much help with the high water. The lakes feeding little river and saline are about 23 ft high so it be a bit before it gets to normal again.
They are having a bass tournament there this weekend.
BGD,
I fished in April out of Yarborough, and fishing was real tough. We were primarily bass fishing, and caught nothing but short fish. We did catch a few crappie and a few nice whites on spinnerbaits. The water at that time was at normal pool, and you had to go up the little river to get to some clearer water. Most advice we got was fish close to the channels, but we really didn't have a lot of good luck. I will also echo the need for a depth finder, especially if it is at normal pool. Very dangerous. We would go from 20ft to 3 ft w/ stumps getting out of the channel.
Also, FYI to anyone out there, I wasn't the only one catching short green carp. AGFC is considering lifting the 16" slot on the lake & doubling the creel. They've shocked the lake 2 yrs, and determined that only 11% of the bass are out of that 16" slot. As a bass fishing goes, this is not the place to go. Be real careful out there.