If the weather cooperates as it has in years past, December will bring plenty of sunshine and warm afternoons. Striper and crappie fishing will peak in time for the holidays. Bass, perch and catfish will also be plentiful. While locations and techniques vary by species, each species can be caught regularly throughout the month.
For stripers, try live baiting with shad, herring or trout, in Hicks, Stumpy or Reed Creeks, where baitfish congregate and attract hungry schools this time of year. If the weather becomes unusually cold, fish in the hot water discharge canals. Live bait accounts for the majority of stripers caught in December, but artificial baits are quite effective when conditions warrant. Surface feeding schools can't resist a lure swimming across the top of the water. Artificial baits of choice include bucktails, spoons, vibrating baits and almost any other lure used to tempt largemouth bass.
Fishermen welcome the return of sea birds in December. Their diving antics foretell the presence of surface feeding stripers. Even resting birds can signal the general location of baitfish and striper schools. Like fishermen, birds will hang out in close proximity to where they expect bait and predator fish to resurface.
Crappie hit plain jigs or small jigs with colorful soft plastic tails. When fishing is slow, tip jigs with a live minnow and fish around brush piles and bridge pilings. Deep-water docks and floating boat-houses are also likely spots to tangle with these tasty pan fish. Be reminded that the creel limit for crappie is 20 per angler, per day. Each fish must be a minimum of eight inches in length.
For bass, action will be along the shoreline and in areas where rip-rap reaches the water. Use buzz baits early and bottom bumping jigs throughout the day. Large schools of small spotted bass usually bunch up offshore in water from 15-40 feet deep, particularly near submerged stumps and brush.
Reports of anglers catching and releasing multiple limits of spotted bass occur each December. "Drop shot rigs" and "shaky head jigs" work best when spots are holding deep.
Tips from Gus!
Night fishing for crappie is good-to-excellent around bridge pilings. Try it while there is little boat traffic to disturb the fishing in December.
Hot Spot of the week
The Hot Spot of the week is Mountain Creek where crappie, white perch, bass and stripers are biting. Other productive areas are the island waters at the entrance to Ramsey Creek and those just north of Hicks Creek. The lake level is about 2.7' below full pond.
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