Nice fish! You have done about the same as me as far as catching them deep. I have yet to find them shallow but have limited out fishing deeper water just about everytime out.
Figured I'd wait until the tourney was over to post, as a buddy of mine was fishing it, and I filled him in on where/how I was catching them as they were going to hit that spot Saturday. He said all the bigger fish I was catching Friday were gone. Gone to my belly, I suppose. Caught several small males, kept a few of the larger ones- they were backed off into the hole I was fishing too. Smaller females had eggs that were ready, bigger females looked done, except for a few who were still waiting. My good net flew out of the boat, had a homemade net that played hell on getting hogs in on 16 ft. trolling rods. Lost several because of this.
Caught them on 4/13 and 4/15 in 13 to 16 FOW suspended 6-9 feet off the bottom at any depth mentioned. Dragging a bottom-bumping rig down a steep slope they'd hit it fast. Once I got out in 16 FOW they wanted it dead still, no bounce, no moving, Fred's rig shined. That's what worked for me. Caught 30 or so on the 13th and 30+ on the 15th. Kept 15 or so of the biggest on both days. Had a few dinks that were gill hooked and so they went in the box.
13th
15th
Snapped a pic of the 2 biggest I caught on the 13th while sitting on the scale because a buddy didn't believe me (he was fishing the grass and had 6 all day). My picture framing skills are not on the same level of my fishing skills (not saying much); because I snapped a quick picture and left the dadgum scale readout off in my haste. After cleaning the fish, I sent him pic and he reamed again for lying.
Both were 2.25'ish lbs. and had dropped eggs so I kept em. Oh well, they tasted good while I dragged em through the ketchup.
Nice fish! You have done about the same as me as far as catching them deep. I have yet to find them shallow but have limited out fishing deeper water just about everytime out.
I RARELY EVERY FISH FOR THEM SHALLOW ALWAYS FISH DEEP LEDGES . AND THEY LIKE IT FALLING OFF THE LEDGE ON THE BOTTOM . GOTTA LOVE IT
CATCH THEM ALL.
Friend on mine hit the causeway and the islands back in the coves in Pelahatchie bay. Took him all day long to pick up 17
proud member of "Team Cup"
Love the REZ, nice report.