Mark Twain

[wilbur]

You guys that fish Twain Is there a trolling bite (spider rigging) Or is it mainly jigging brush piles. Im talking in May. My buddy says its just a jigging lake but I think hes wrong. Thanks Wilbur

[Route U]

Wilbur,

In May, the options are endless.......... Twain fishes a lot like Truman to be honest if you have ever fished there.

At that time of the year, you'll find fish in the pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn stages with some already back out on the channels moving towards a summer pattern. Although I very rarely do anything other than jig, I can almost guarantee you that there are fish to be caught via spider rigging. A lot of tournaments are won with that method, although I don't see a lot of riggers outside of tournament time.

Personally, if fishing for the bigger fish at that time I will run up into the upper arms of the lake, find shallow fish, and then back off and tightline jig around the first break or ledge.

I'd side with your buddy and say Twain is more of a jigging lake, but it can all differ. Have heard of guys having good luck pulling cranks around that time also.......with a bonus fish here and there.

Probably didn't help ya much, but for what it's worth!

U

[Mark Twains Crappie Dan]

In 20 years fish'n Twain, I've seen 1 guy trolling crank's. Never seen anyone spider rig it.

[sparky197]

IT DEPENDS UPON THE WATER LEVEL ALSO WHETHER OR NOT SPIDER RIGGING WILL WORK ON TWAIN. LUKE AND I WERE THERE IN THE SPRING AND THE WATER WAS SO HIGH AND THE FISH WERE SO SCATTERED THAT WE HAD TO SPIDER RIG. WE CAUGHT FISH ON TOP OF THE FLOODED BUCK BRUSH IN 10FOW. YOU CAN ALSO GET UP IN THE RIVERS AND SPIDER RIG STUMPS ON FLATS. LUKE AND I ALSO RIGGED THIS FALL ON THE FLATS IN MIDDLEFORK. IT WAS TOUGH SPIDER RIGGING IN 2FOW BUT WE CAUGHT 11 AND 12 INCH FISH. SO YES YOU CAN RIG THIS LAKE BUT IT IS ALSO A VERY VERY GOOD SINGLE POLE LAKE. HERE IS A PIC OF THE PIG OF THE SPRING. AS YOU CAN SEE WE WERE RIGGING IN THE GRASS THE WATER WAS SO HIGH.

[lhumphre]

Damn I look skinny in that picture--what the heck happened...Here is how I caught the one pictured--"Damn it, hold on, I got another snag..Oh wait, no i dont" 13 1/2 incher...Wilbur you can spider rig this lake, but like Greg said, there is always a time and place..Unless you have a week to determine a secure pattern, riggin covers a lot of water quickly that will give you a sign to what the fish are doin...Sometimes it can be overwhelming to see hundreds of stickups and fish each one by one to figure out a pattern..To be honest, we have become more of flat/ledge/stumps on a flat/hidden brushpile fisherman...Although in the fall we did have to single pole stickups in less than 2 fow clear on the bottom for bigger fish..Water elvel is everything at this lake..

[Michael J]

Hey Wilbur, it’s been awhile since I’ve been on here, guess the weather and schedule have made me a putor fisherman this morning… lol… that time of year I have had excellent results spider rigging on Twain, but I only do it in the evening for certain conditions like wind blown points off of secondary coves. We all fish what we’re comfortable with and what has worked in the past. Last three years I’ve only fished Twain a few times each year due to work, prior to that many times each year since it opened in 85... Like mentioned earlier, all the different methods catches fish, we just usually stick to our own comfort zones.

[Route U]

Dippin wood on the main channel bluffs up in the North Fork. Had a heck of a stringer that day.......... 7 over 14".

[IMG][/IMG]

Legit 16" on the left, 15 1/4" on the right.....

[sparky197]

those are some PIGS!

[Joedog]

Wow! Nice!

[lhumphre]

Dippin wood on the main channel bluffs up in the North Fork. Had a heck of a stringer that day.......... 7 over 14".

[IMG][/IMG]

Legit 16" on the left, 15 1/4" on the right.....

Did you have a heck of a buzz that day also!