Pickwick Fishing Report - 3/24/25

Cooper and Cole Walker

Bass Fishing - Well up came the water to 415, then right back down to 411. During the week with the current rolling last week, fish were shallow eating crankbaits and swimbaits and some big Spinnerbaits. The swimbait of the year so far is the Jenko Booty Shaker and is a must when fishing current. THe best spinner bait is a Billy Phillips 3/4 ounce double willow. With the lake level stopping and the current slowing, look for a good wave of fish to move shallow this week. Shakey Heads, Texas Rig, Small jigs will be catching the first good wave moving up with this warm weather. Also, there will still be fish staging where the Big spinnerbait or swimbait will be a big player especially around current or wind.

Cole Walker, Cooper Walker and Mike Park

Crappie Fishing - Starting to move shallower. Look for stumps and brush 8-15 foot. Start deeper early, but they will move up to gravel points and shallower areas especially later in day. Next month, as long as the weather stays stable and water level slowly rising to summer pool should be time to start casting jigs around gravel points in major creeks and finding fish. Those black male crappie normally move up first. As always, there will be some larger crappie on deeper tops close to those shallower water that are ideal for scoping. My favorite casting bait is the Jenko Tickle Fry. The little swim tail on the end with a 1/8 head is absolutely deadly when they move up.

Cat Fishing - As current slows, this slows. Still some great reports down on the river based on current levels. Watching water flow for big rains or higher water is a great time to load the freezer. The spawn happens for them normally in May and thats when a cork and red worm can be a blast on the main bluffs of the lake.

White Bass - Absolutely on fire! Good friend Jeff Gordon was on the river this past weekend and caught over 150 white bass. Small swimbaits and crankbaits in the mouth of cuts or anywhere the river eddies on sandbars could be loaded as they move up to spawn. This is a GREAT way to teach inexperienced or young anglers the fun of fishing, or just for us old heads to just go count pulls! Also, properly cleaned where you lift the knife and cut the red out, are great to eat, especially fresh.