Shell Creek Lake, 5/31/2013

[Allen Morgan]

I'm going to try and keep it short.

 

I planned on trolling a fire-tiger minnowbait as I headed up the creek, looking for a good spot to hang some stink bait under a float for catfish, which is what I did.  No bites while trolling.  I finally started using the stink bait about 3/4 mile into the creek.  Didn't catch anything. I started looking for a brook that was draining into the creek that dumped directly into deep water.  It's been my experience that fish usually congregate around a food source like that.  Found several spots, but none were deep enough.

 

Decided to see if I could make it to the Cave.  Never been there. 

 

Found it, and was going to fish *right there* when I noticed moving water, froth, and the sound of rushing water around the bend.  Paddled around that bend, then the next, and found a low-head dam! 

 

I couldn't actually get to the low-head dam (which is dangerous, anyway), due to low water level.  If the lake gets up to normal pool, kayakers should be able to get there.  Low-hanging tree alert if you attempt it.

 

I turned around, high-centered on a rock doing that, got off, and got pushed up to some weeds.  The weeds held me in place, so I decided to toss out my float rig and see if anything came this far upstream.  Within seconds, had a small Channel Cat. 

 

Couple minutes later, #2. 

 

About 20 minutes later, #3 in a different spot.

 

The recent storms has added A LOT of water to the lake.  While not up to normal pool, it is higher than I've ever seen it.  About 3' still left to go to reach the spillway.  Some of the grass and tree saplings that colonized the exposed lake bed are now flooded.  Heard a lot of splashing; assumed Carp, but realized it was most likely Gar after seeing several.

 

All the little dry washes / brooks / rivulets are flowing.  You can hear the water gurgling through the rocks.  This is also washing A LOT of debris into the lake.  I even saw a refrigerator that was floating around, and I think I saw a water heater as well.

 

Water is very murky, and cooler than I expected.  Temp in the main lake is 71, about half-way up the creek it's a steady 73.3, and up near the low-head dam it's 70.1.  I also saw some signs of flash-flooding up there.  Grass flattened and pushed downstream, leaves and sticks hung up in strainers, and this was 12" or so above the current water level. 

 

I think A LOT of water rushed down that creek into the lake.  I'm curious as to what the lake level was two days ago.

 

Whoops.  So much for being short.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Love it. Nice little escape by the sound of it.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

By the way, when you say, "stinkbait," just what are you using?

[Allen Morgan]

Right now, it's Danny King Bloodbait.  It was a little warm to be using that today.  It tends to melt.  I need to start bringing my little cooler and keep the stuff cold, should I use it.  If I would have had some nightcrawlers with me, I probably could have cleaned up!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Sure, I've heard of Danny Kings. I've got some Docs Catfish Getter, with blood. But I've yet to really give it a good test.

[Allen Morgan]

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe8IAV48JqQ&feature=youtu.be