Thread: Shell Creek and Shell Creek Lake 2017

2.5 lbs is about what we have been catching as are as largemouth here lately, between 2-4 lbs. Good job on the sand bass, we haven't been out lately but I have some in my freezer that need some friends to make an amount worth frying up. We have been seeing a ton of gar there and never can remember ever seeing them there before.

I'll take 2Lb fish any day... all mine have been dinks so far. I went out for a few hours before the storm saturday. I had hoped the front would stir them up, but I only managed to catch a couple blue gill and 3 small crappie off the building by the dam. The lightning was getting close and ran me off a little before dark. I considered going Sunday morning in case there had been enough rain to get water flowing over the spillway again, and maybe draw in the sand bass but didn't make it.

Hopefully I'll get my car sold soon, and have the money to get my Kaboat registered, or my 1 man pontoon reregistered (or both!)... and will finally get into some bigger fish out there. I think I'm gonna get one of those castable fish finders too, like the fishhunter 3d to help me find them.

I talked to Rusty Pope out there that evening and asked him if they'd stocked the lake with anything recently but all he mentioned was the saugeye several years ago. I was kinda suprised... With all the dink saugeye I've caught; I figured they had stocked recently. I've read they can spawn, but that it's a low percentage that typically do... So I'm not sure if I'm catching stunted fish or all the babies.

It would be nice if the hatcheries would grow up some big fish to stock in these lakes with stunted fish populations. Drop 500 10lb bass and saugeye in there every couple years

My guess is flooding has pushed some gar through the creeks into the lake in recent years. They've probably been working their way towards shell, stuck in some creek and now finally enough rain has come to push em into the lake? Or maybe they've been there but the population was low and they just weren't seen much till now. Twice I've seen smaller gar swarming around 1 larger one, and I assume that's spawning behavior. I've also seen 1 or 2 cruising the shallows alone, and something broke me off immediately after I set the hook and I think it was a fish, maybe a bad knot but maybe it had teeth... a gar or saugeye. If I had to guess I think I've made 8 trips to shell so far this year, and I've seen gar on 3-4 separate trips. Hell I wouldn't mind catching one... I don't think I ever have, and I like variety. Salmon and trout are about the only fish I like enough to bother taking home regularly, so I catch and release usually...

Those sand bass I caught are still in there for you or someone else to find and fry up!!!

Thanks for the sand bass. You might be onto something in regards to the gar. I forgot to mention that the rock bluffs the guy mentioned to you are an excellent spot to get black and white bass, channel cat, and panfish. I imagine crappie like to hide out by them as well but have honestly never tried there and yes you have to have a boat to get to them.

I'll definitely check those out. It was years ago when I was out there in my boat that one timeand the water was so low basically the whole arm of the lake to the right of the boat ramp was dry, but I'm guessing bluffs should be easy to find?

Yes, to the right of the ramp on the north side of the creek arm and I promise it's not dried up now.

Originally Posted by KMSJones

Yes, to the right of the ramp on the north side of the creek arm and I promise it's not dried up now.

Thanks! ...Ya I'm glad this lake is full now. That it was so low and seemed like it would be for a long time years ago when I was there is why I pretty much just forgot about it. Was it just this year that it filled back up? ...I think it was around 2013 when I was there.

Any more spots that aren't secret worth checking out? (Anyone willing to PM me with secret spots... FEEL FREE!)

It was dry earlier this year, we put the boat in back in March and had to drop the trailer tires off the edge of the ramp just to get in and out. All the shore line, rock cliffs, and coves found in the creek part to the right of the ramp all the way back is good. We never do much good in the main body of the lake.

Originally Posted by KMSJones

It was dry earlier this year, we put the boat in back in March and had to drop the trailer tires off the edge of the ramp just to get in and out. All the shore line, rock cliffs, and coves found in the creek part to the right of the ramp all the way back is good. We never do much good in the main body of the lake.

Cool,I'll definitely hit up that area first then.