Schooling fish in Jan.???

[Stan Wright]

We've had some pretty good fishing this week. I don't remember the last time I've seen schooling peacock bass in January, but it's going on now. Sometimes in the early morning and for sure each evening. Today it was raining and the fish were chasing shad from Cow Pt. to Kunia Pt. all day.

Mostly we had been catching in the afternoon around Morgans Pt. and Tuke Bay.
Chris fished till dark for the last 4 days and was catching fish in the 2 to 4 pounds range. Gold spoons, 2 and 3 inch white Senkos, Bass Assassin, and minnow type lures.

We also have been catching along the shore.... mostly 1 pounders, but the occasional 2 and 3 pound ones. Figure 20 to 30 fish a day. ( depends on your casting ability)

There were also times when I could see those 3 and 4 pound peacock bass just sitting there by a log. They even ignored live bait. Got to just keep moving till you find the hungry ones.

Water temperature is 69 to 71 degrees. Visibility was 5 or 6 feet, nice and clear.
Water level is at 75 feet. (that's 5 feet below going over the spillway.... the state is letting water out until the lake level is at the 71 foot level.)
Today the humidity was 110%....

Here are some pictures of Michelle & Mike from Tuesday. (dead battery today)

[Ca_Bass]

Last year the tucs schooled up until about March when they seem to have started spawning heavily, then they stopped.

[Stan Wright]

I just spoke to a guy who grew up on Lake Wilson and he said early spring should be really good fishing.... lots of schooling fish. Funny, I always thought summer and fall was when they did all their schooling and chasing shad????
But I'm not complaining.

[Ca_Bass]

If my memory is correct I think the schooling fish in the spring are bigger too. I think after all the spawning goes on the little tucs start schooling up. And they grow so dang fast that all the little ones from last fall should be nice and big. I do think there is a point in a tucs life when they stop schooling. It seems like the really big ones are loners up in the thick brush.

[OO7:BASSINASSASSIN]

I think Ca_bass might have a good point there. Stripers are schooling fish when they are small, but the trophy size fish are loners. I think the big ones will join up with the smaller ones though. My question is how come there aren't many large fish? Once they get into the 5 pound range they become scarce. I sure would like to have a chance at a double digit fish once in a while.

[Ca_Bass]

The biggest fish I've seen have been in the spawning months, I saw a few that looked to be 10lbs or more but I couldn't get em to bite. I did have a really big one swipe at my lure but it didn't eat it. If you cruise the shoreline you'll see some hawgs during the spawn. But they usually "spook" real quick it seems...guess they get that big for a reason.