High Water - HELP!

[bhfishman]

What would you do? I fished in a tournament last weekend on a lake that the water level had risen 19 to 20 feet from the previous Sunday. I had fished the same lake the weekend before with fairly normal water levels and had success. Last weekend, when the high water mark kept growing I couldn't buy a bite. I tried every piece of the water column and couldn't get a hit. I threw top water, crank baits (multiple depths), worm, carolina rig, trick stick and a brush bug on the bottom. Flipped every piece of structure that I came across too. NOTHING!
So if you guys have anything that you have done and might be able to shed some light on this situation, I would greatly appreciate any and all help. Just in case this comes up again next year.
Thanks,

[bamabassman]

my advice is to get as far in the back waters as possible buddy.

[Fishnngolfn]

How does a lake have water rise 20 feet in a week? Wow.

[carolina-rig-01]

high water is something that we have had to deal with a lot around here this past year. in my experience as the water level rises the fish tend to go shallow. when they start to draw the lakes down and the water level starts dropping it seems to pull the fish out a little deeper on (points are a good place to look). in some cases however, it seems like the fish may stay shallow as they are drawing the lake down but go deeper once they stop dropping the water level (may have something to do with current.....not sure). anyways i would start shallow, and keep in mind that for a while these fish may be a little freaked out over the sudden change in water level and they may not be all that active. if this is the case i would go with slower presentations......maybe a shakey head or jig (finesse jig if water clarity would allow, bulkier jig if the water muddies up on you). flipping and pitching to flooded brush should also produce as well but don't have the mindset that a bush is a bush is a bush. if you get a bite in a certain type of bush (bright green, or maybe it's starting to die or whatever) fish every bush you can find like this. earlier this year on table rock we were catching fish out of flooded bushes but the fish were only in the bright green ones and wanted nothing to do with ones that were starting to die, also the closer to a main lake point you were the bigger the fish seemed to be. i sure hope this helps and good luck.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Start casting & flipping to every exposed brush pile, Downed tree you find. As the water is high look for cover. The fish will hold tight on the cover. Try flipping a tube, T-rig worm & yes a jig. Be patient. My suggestion is take your time. When you flip the lure of of your choice. Hold it there dangle it in his face. The longer you tempt him he will strike. If it takes 2 to 3 mins per flip than do that. He will strike. Many time fish are deep in cover that you can't see. But by tantalizing the old girl she will investigate. Set the hook hard. The 1 bite myabe your only chance in that hole. I flip very bright colors in muddy water. Colors like orange, Pink, white & chartruse. In clear water i use purple,Blues shades of green & other natural colors. I fish the dirty Mo & have life time of Exp. on this type of water. If you need any further help just PM me. I will talk you thrugh more info.

[woody]

Good advice Moose, Patoka lake, southern Indiana, was under the same conditions this past spring, levels were up nearly 10feet. there was live cover everywhere, lots of hiding places, lots of bass.

woody

[Lilmoosecountry]

Originally Posted by woody

Good advice Moose, Patoka lake, southern Indiana, was under the same conditions this past spring, levels were up nearly 10feet. there was live cover everywhere, lots of hiding places, lots of bass.

woody

Yeah i can tolerate 10ft easily. Durring floods on the Mo most of the time i'm dealing with 30 to 40 ft. There is a park along the river love. I love it even better when it floods. I head straight to the picnic tables. Even flipping jigs under pinic shelters like i was running from dock to dock.

[Rodman_Rob]

cast and pitch towards the bank, especially if you see moving water. when water levels rise, the bass go to the new shore line looking for insects and food that was washed in from the rising water.

[bamabassman]

that is what i meant as getting as far back as you can get.

[bhfishman]

Guys, thanks for all the great advice. We have certainly had our fair share of high water this year and usually I can produce something, I guess it was just one of those days. I really appreciate the help.

bhfishman
________________
www.1stcastfishinglures.com

[Rodman_Rob]

Originally Posted by Fishnngolfn

How does a lake have water rise 20 feet in a week? Wow.

he might have meant the shoreline came up 20 feet. we recieved over 16" of rain from TS Fay over the course of a few days, the shoreline came up 20+ feet, although the water level only came up about 18 inches.

[zooker]

in high water i get skinny and stay skinny..

zooker

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by zooker

in high water i get skinny and stay skinny..

zooker

uuummmmm.........oh never mind i won't go there, but you did leave yourself open for a cheap shot. hahahaha

[Fishnngolfn]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

uuummmmm.........oh never mind i won't go there, but you did leave yourself open for a cheap shot. hahahaha

I wonder what happens to him in cold water.

[zooker]

shrinkage...


zooker

[twigass]

try beavers rigged on a lead head retrieved real slow that seemed to work on a river system here in mich

[3dkicker]

Fished a lake that was 11' over normal pool a couple years ago. Water had come up quickly too. We worked points that had shoreline that wasn't a couple hundred yards from normal pool. The closer the new shoreline was compared to the old normal line the better. Fish were tight to specific types of trees in 3-6'.

[bhfishman]

Thanks Smitty, considering this spring and late summer my guess is that I will be faced with this again. Probably not to the extreme that it was a couple of weeks ago (I hope). I will keep the advice in mind.
I really appreciate it.
_______________
Bob
www.1stcastfishinglures.com

[Cranebird]

Originally Posted by zooker

in high water i get skinny and stay skinny..

zooker

For once I agree with Zooker. Get skinny while the waters rising and I mean skinny.Bass will amaze you where they will be when the water is on the rise, but dang if I know where they go when the water starts dropping back down. Ivan

[zooker]

i give the above advise and agree with ivan skinny is a "normal" reaction... however high rock lake is a freak when the water level falls the bass go skinny when it rises they suspend off the first drop off..

zooker

[flfireman]

All has been covered well. What I look for and especially after Fay this year. I look for the drain runoff from the high water. If I know it's going to be spilling over from a canal back into the lake, that's running water. The fish are basically feeding on all the new stuff they find, running overflow is a steady stream of new food. Also when it drops, just try to reacclimate to the normal points,ledges, structure, etc. The change of dropping water will probably push them back to their normal hang outs. I also look for small ditches or small canals that are one way flows. We have a lot of these down here. No place for the water to go except towards the lake, again moving water. These sometimes will produce really well because of the tight concentration of flow coming out. Just my $.02.

[pbruessow@msn.com]

Ditto Flfireman,

In Florida when there's lot's of rain and flowing water, fish the flow! The fish tend to gang up at creek mouths, below locks in waterways, intersecting rivers, etc. Find flow and fish it with Carolina rigs if deep, crankbaits or if it's a shallow creek coming into the lake with a Texas worm. Baitfish, insects and all sorts of food comes washing down and collect at the outlet of these types of flow features.

Look for the Flow and you'll eliminate a lot of water!