Week ending 5/7/08
The "real time" water level for Hoover
as of this date is – 0.66 feet from over flow.
High winds prevented many anglers this
past week from enjoying a "prime" fishing opportunity. Many species
of fish have returned to inhabit the brush after cold fronts passed
last week, though the far North end "may" be winding down.
CRAPPIE:
Doug Stewart, on Thursday evening, fished N-W section and caught 20
fish on the 3" Berkley Power Bait Minnow, in brush. Ted and Linda
Mosure and Leona Sweitzer fished the M-W section Sunday and caught 4
fish up to 11", on small Chartreuse Twister Tail Jigs with a
swimming retrieve, in 2-5’ depth. "Faster presentation seemed to
trigger more action." On Sunday Dan Jenkins and his fiancée, Brett
Offutt, fished the N-E section from 10a.m.-4p.m. using Minnows under
Bobbers in 1’ depth around, but not in brush. They C&R 35-40 fish,
including Brett’s FO (13.5"). Jeff Tennant fished N-W section Sunday
from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and caught about a dozen fish on Minnows under
Bobbers in less than 8’ depth. Also on Sunday Jim Silvania fished
the far North section, and found fish holding tight to the brush,
but on Tuesday, because of the wind was forced to fish the N-W side
and found the larger fish had moved from the brush into deeper water
(3-5’). They kept about a dozen fish of 10-11" both days. On Monday
Doug Stewart and Tod fished the N-W section after 4:30 p.m. and
caught 20 fish using the Berkley Power Bait Minnows. He tells us the
fish were close to shore. Tuesday, Casey Woods caught 6 fish up to
12" in M-E close to brush using Minnows. Reports and visual
sightings tell us that many anglers are catching fish on the "bird
walk" at Galena.
WHITE BASS:
Many anglers are confirming the "run" is happening at Galena, though
not many larger female fish have been reported. Old Dutchman reports
some fish, mostly males, are being caught off the C-L Bridge riprap.
SAUGEYE:
Using the Berkley Power Bait Minnow, Doug Stewart fished the brush
and caught a 2 fish up to16". Sunday Ted Mosure got his first fish
of the year on a Chartreuse Twister/Jig in M-W section, while
fishing for Crappie. Jim Silvania caught about a dozen small fish
(10-11") Tuesday while Crappie fishing in N-W section, using a White
1/16-oz. Jig. Old Dutchman reports that anglers are getting small
fish off riprap at C-L Bridge, using Little Devil Hair Jigs.
BLUE GILLS:
Ted and Linda Mosure and Leona Sweitzer fished Sunday in M-W
section, later in the afternoon and C&R 14 fish up to 7 1/2" on Wax
Worms under a Slip Bobber in 3-5' of water.
BASS:
On Thursday evening Doug Steward fish N-W section near brush and
caught 5 fish up to 14" using the Berkley Power Bait Minnow. While
fishing for Crappie Sunday in N-W section in less than 8’ depth,
Jeff Tennant used Minnow under a Bobber to catch a LM. Sunday
evening Doug Stewart’s fishing partner Tod caught a 16" SM in N-W
section, close to shore, on a Berkley Power Bait Minnow.
CHANNEL CATFISH:
We fished Sunday with Ron Ehmer in 6 locations in N-W section, close
to brush, in 2-3’ depth. Ron C&R the only fish of about 18" on
Shrimp under a Bobber. Tuesday afternoon we fished the same area and
C&R 8 fish, including a FO (26") using cut Shad under Bobber.
However, several of the fish were very small, and we noticed the
broad leaf ground cover has started to emerge, which might indicate
we are nearing the end of the bigger fish being in the brush. Casey
Woods, while fishing for Crappie with Minnows in brush in M-W
section Tuesday, C&R several medium sized fish.
Week ending
4/30/08
The "real time" water level for Hoover
as of this date is – 0.61 feet from over flow.
The past week produced 2 systems of
pre-front, where fishing was excellent and post-front, where fishing
was poor to OK. The current cold will likely move fish back out to
deeper water. Dan Armitage reports surface temperatures were 62
degrees last Sunday in M-E section. We are coming into a New Moon
phase.
CRAPPIE:
On Wednesday, Jim O’Connor caught 7 "keepers" at Galena using
1/32-oz. White Jig head and small Green skirt in about 4’ depth
while wading. Rick Seevers and Rob Nash fished far North end from
Thursday morning, in the shallow brush and standing trees in 2-6’
depth. They caught 30+ fish averaging around 10" using Chartreuse
Roadrunners with Blue/White and Chartreuse/Black Thunder Tails.
Jerry Fleet and Mike Boham fished N-E section Thursday and caught 50
fish using Minnows/Bobbers. They kept 19 between 10-12". Ashley
Dammeyer, while fishing N-E section with her Dad Matt, from a canoe,
caught her first 12" fish on a Minnow in the brush in 3’ depth.
Shaun Frame fished Thursday in "spawning areas in the extreme North
end from about 3 to 7:30 p.m." He caught 54 fish "flipping Tube Jigs
and Roadrunners to "lanes" between thick cover, and dropping Tube
Jigs vertically into the cover itself. The same baits suspended
under a float drew no strikes." He fished in depths ranged from
2.5-5.5’. "Most fish were 10-11", with approximately 15-20
11"-12-3/4"." Rich Waters fished M-W section Thursday and caught 12
fish up to 10.5" using Minnows under Bobber 6-8’ down in 13’ of
water. Dr. Larry Mixon fished the M-E and found fish suspending over
fallen trees in 10-24' of water. He caught 25 fish up to FO (13")
though he found, "Many fish were small, generally just under 9", and
very active. He was using "a 1/16th-oz., 1" Green Tube
fished about 10' deep on a slip Bobber in or over trees in the
water." On Sunday Rick Seevers fished from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and
caught 2 dozen fish in and around shoreline in 2’-8’ depth. He
"caught fish on Chartreuse/Black and Blue/White Roadrunners, with a
few on Jig/Minnow." Ted and Linda Mosure, along with Leona Sweitzer,
fishing Saturday and Sunday during mid-day in M-W section, C&R 13
fish up to 10". "They bit on small Jig Tubes close to the bottom in
5-7' of water near sunken tree branches." Dan Armitage caught 20
"nice size" fish using Minnows in M-E section in 3’ of water. John
Adair waded M-W section, using Minnows under Slip Bobber on Fri.,
Sun., and Mon. late afternoon, caught 30-35 fish a day in 5’ depth
near brush, over structures.
WHITE BASS:
Only an occasional fish being caught while Crappie fishing in deeper
water.
SAUGEYE:
Casey Woods used a Rooster Tail in shallow water in M-E section to
catch a 19" fish.
BLUE GILLS:
On Saturday and Sunday, Ted and Linda Mosure and her Mom Leona,
fished M-E section with Waxworms in 3-4’ of water, catching a total
of 10 fish up to 7".
BASS:
Ron Ehmer caught 2 fish up to 15", using a small Spinner and Jig in
North section Thursday afternoon. While fishing for Cats Thursday,
we C&R a 4 ½-5 lb. LM on cut Shad while drifting over a "bed" in N-W
section in 3’ depth. Also on Thursday, Mike Boham C&R a 18" SM using
a Minnow in N-E section in brush. Ted Mosure on Sunday C&R a SM
around 4:00 p.m. on "a 4" Pumpkinseed Power Worm fished on the
bottom in about 8' of water." Anthony Bonnell C&R an 18" LM on a
Minnow Sunday under a dock in M-E section.
CHANNEL CATFISH:
We fished North section Thursday and C&R 7 fish up to 24" using cut
Shad under Bobbers in 3’ depth. Sunday we returned to same area and
only caught 2 fish, but both were FO (27,28"), again using cut Shad
under Bobbers. Paul Halter on Sunday fished N-W section and C&R 2
fish including a FO (27"), using cut Shad under Bobbers.
Week ending 4/23/08
The "real time" water level for Hoover
as of this date is – 0.39 feet from over flow.
Gradual warming of the lake is occurring
and fish are beginning to make their way towards pre-spawn mode,
with some folks finding fish moving near brush in far north end.
Several reports indicated surface temperatures were in mid-50’s.
CRAPPIE:
Doug Stewart fished the N-E
section and reports, "3 of us caught more than 20 fish up to 10"
Thursday afternoon on jigging Rapala's and Vib-E's .The fish were 12
– 22’ deep near drop-off’s and points. It looked like the fish moved
back deeper as the water cleared a little more. The cold nights must
be slowing up the spawn also." Shaun Frame and Rick Seevers fished
Friday in M-E section from 10a.m. -7:30p.m. Shaun reports, "We kept
77 fish that averaged right at 10", with 16 fish at 11"+, and 4 were
12"+. The fish were suspended at about 18' in 22'-29' of water. Tube
Jigs fished vertically with Lime/Chartreuse, and Black/Chartreuse
working best." On Friday Jim O’Connor was wading in N-W section in
afternoon and caught "2 large slabs" on small White Jig with White
and Yellow Twister Tails in 2-4’ depth. Also on Friday, Drew Riley
took his new reel out for a test drive in N-W section. He caught "an
11" fish in about 4’ of water by some brush on a Cotton Cordell "Big
O". On Monday, Tim Myers fished N-E section near Galena and reports,
"Well the fish were hitting today. I caught 15 fish in 4- 8’ of
water. 1 Black Crappie was a FO (15") and was full of eggs. 1 fish
was a FO (13"). Both were caught on Chartreuse Green Jig. All fish
were 8" or bigger, with no little ones. Every fish was C&R." Some
anglers fishing around docks and coves in M-E section are beginning
to catch some fish up to 12" on Jigs and also on Minnows.
WHITE BASS:
Doug Stewart and friends caught fish up to 14" Thursday afternoon,
while fishing for Crappie, by jigging Rapala's and Vib-E’s in 12-22’
depth, near drop-off’s in N-E section. Shaun Frame and Rick Seevers
while fishing for Crappies in M-E section Thursday and caught 5 fish
on Tube Jigs in 22-29’ depth, with fish being suspended at 18’.
SAUGEYE:
No reports.
BLUE GILLS:
No reports.
BASS:
No reports.
CHANNEL CATFISH:
We fished NE and NW sections Tuesday with Gary Hannahs and found a
few fish in 3-6’ in front of brush. Fishing with cut Shad under
Bobbers, we C&R 3 fish up to 24", though bites were still tentative.
Tim Myers C&R 2 fish up to 3-lbs. while fishing the N-E side up by
Galena on Monday.
