We have had awesome weather and awesome fishing! Tons to cover in this week’s so report, so here we go!
Lake Francis Case
Fishing
Let’s start with the fun stuff. Fishing has been very good on Lake Francis Case. We boated probably 150 fish over the weekend. There were many short fish, but we were able to manage some nice ones for dinner as well!
The best bite occurred along the bluffs just upstream of Crow Creek. I worked over Kiowa Flats and the Crow Creek flat, but we certainly found the most fish along the bluffs. Depth ranges were not specific as we found fish anywhere from 18-27ft. The fish were stacked up and when you caught one fish you often caught many. We actually had 4 or 5 in the boat at one time on multiple occasions.
For presentation the top producing baits are minnows on plain chartreuse hooks and also chartreuse .8″ Smile Blades. Size 0 silver Colorado blades are also producing as are pink Smile Blades. Crawlers are starting to catch some fish, but I’ve found minnows are still the top producing baits as water temperatures are still hovering around the mid to upper 50s.
Water and Ramp Conditions
Time for no fun. Let’s talk water and ramp conditions. It’s not good. Upstream, the water itself is actually pretty clear. I did not venture downstream of town, nor do I want to as the White River has been flooding like mad, but upstream it’s pretty decent.
The biggest challenge is actually getting on the lake. Cedar Shore high water ramp is currently the only ramp available. The real ramp at Cedar Shore is actually a great place to shoot carp if that’s what you’re looking to do. There’s loads of them up there. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here’s 3000 words.
I’ll save words and say that the other ramps are even worse. American Creek is underwater and sandbagged around the Smokin Mule and Swenson’s. In the campground, the playground now features a water slide and I hear all the campsites are booked by fish.
I try to be humerus, but it’s not good. There’s no launches at the tailrace and currently the only spots I would recommend launching are Cedar Shore high water, Snake Creek high water, Prairie Dog Bay and South Shore. Those are what I’d recommend if you’re planning to fish Case. In fact, these are basically all that are left open.
Once you’re on the lake, it’s not exactly a walk in the park either. You need to look out for trees and stumps wherever you go! Debris is floating all over the water and some of the chunks are so large you would think they are other boats from a distance. Slow down and pay attention and also recruit the other anglers in your boat to help watch as well!
I also preach staying in the main channel. The water is high and many of the normal obstructions are safely below surface, but the obstructions that are often above are now in the danger zone. The causeway around Cedar Shore is no where to be found. Other trees that I often used as landmarks are now also waiting to claim a lower unit. Please slow down and stay safe!!
Lake Sharpe
The fishing is starting to fire on Sharpe! LaFramboise currently has a white bass bite that is off the charts. It’s also kicking out some bonus smallies as well. Pitching the shallows has been the best play. A little wind on the shoreline has also be huge in getting the bite to take off.
For baits #7 Shallow Shad Raps have been the top producers. I’ve done best with natural colors such as Walleye and Shad. When they’re attacking they are doing so aggressively, check it out!
The fish are very high quality as well. I’m talking a 15-16 inch average. You can easily boat 50-60 fish in a few hours when the bite is on and you found a large school. Just keep working the shoreline and pitching up in there tight until you contact fish. The rewards are worth it!
There’s other fish to catch as well. Trolling bottom bouncers with plain hooks and Smile Blades in 10-12ft has also been producing a few walleye. It’s also been producing a few northern as well! They were exciting surprises!
In the main lake, the bite is still tougher as the mud continues to persist. Water temperatures are slowly ramping up, but it’s still only in the mid 50s in LaFramboise and the main channel is of course colder.
The shore angling on Hipple Lake at Farm Island is also getting going. Crappie are starting to be found on the end’s of folks’ lines and the white bass are still firing as well. The water in there is starting to reach the 60s and it’s slowly cleaning itself up. Reports of walleye being caught are also coming in.
Eastern South Dakota
The fishing has been quite good on the eastern side of the state. The glacial lakes region has really been producing some good walleyes.
Casting the shoreline has been the best technique as the rising water has made the casting bite fantastic. Brush, 81 Ponds, Dry Lake #1 and #2 and Indian Springs have all been producing some great fishing as well as some very solid fish.
The fish are quite aggressive so you’re going to want aggressive presentations as well. Casting heavier jigs and large plastics has been popular, but jerkbaits and other shallow crankbaits have been producing nicely too!
Nebraska
Big Mac
McConaughy is starting to fire up again! Bob Propst Jr of Propst Professional Anglers has been finding some really nice fish. Fishing continues to improve and nice fish continue to be caught. If you’re looking to go catch some dandy fish check them out!
Iowa
Iowa Great Lakes
Chris Seylar has our IGL fishing report! The bluegill and crappie are going very good on East and West Okoboji. You’re wanting to think spawning habitats. When you find the fish, they’re often quite nice.
The walleye are going good on East, West and also Spirit. The bottom bouncer bite is getting better and better as more and more fish come on bottom bouncers. The bite along the shoreline at night continues to produce nice fish as well!
The yellow bass are also getting better on East Okoboji and Lost Island. They have also been producing some very quality fish as well!
The smallmouth and largemouth bite has also been good on all three lakes. The pike are also biting well on West Okoboji.
Other Information
The main takeaway of this report is the bottom bouncing bite is getting hot all across the Midwest. Whether you’re new to bottom bouncing or just looking for some pointers check out Bottom Bouncing Basics. Stay tuned for this week as the second installment in our series regarding bottom bouncing comes out!
Stay up to date with the latest flooding related closures as they happen on the South Dakota Game, Fish and Park’s flood closures page. I will also keep my Facebook page as updated as possible.
Are you looking to get some thoughts on those shallow shoreline bites? Check out some of my other articles as they relate to these exact types of fishing. If you’re looking for information about throwing jerkbaits or information about a jigging strategy check out either of those articles!
