Cooling water and a strong late-week front shift the shad bite

What anglers are reporting The last solid reports from late October had the water clear and sitting in the mid-60s, with the lake drawn down near winter pool at 354.7 feet. Anglers were finding a fair bite working topwater plugs and jerkbaits around shallow stickups, while lipless crankbaits and squarebills were picking up fish on gravel points, riprap, and main-lake sandbars where shad were schooling.

This week's outlook With recent overnight lows in the 30s and 40s, expect water temperatures to have slipped into the upper 50s to low 60s. The lake is at winter pool, meaning the flats are very shallow and channel markers are critical to avoid stumps. Bass are following the threadfin and gizzard shad. As the water cools, expect fish to start shifting from the very backs of the creeks out toward secondary points, channel swings, and deeper stake beds.

Where to start Focus on the remaining standing cover near creek channel drops and gravel points. Riprap banks and seawalls are reliable morning stops, especially if wind is pushing bait against the rocks. Use side-imaging to locate offshore sandbars and brush piles along the creek channels. If you find the shad, the bass will be close behind.

Bait box

• Suspending jerkbaits in shad patterns
• Lipless crankbaits in chrome or white
• Spinnerbaits with willow blades for windy points
• Squarebill crankbaits for riprap and shallow stumps
• Flipping jigs for deeper brush and stake beds

This weekend Plan for a major shift. A strong front arrives Thursday with rain and 18 mph northwest winds, dropping daytime highs into the upper 40s by Friday. Wednesday and Thursday morning should offer a solid pre-front feeding window for moving baits. By Saturday, expect classic post-front bluebird conditions. The bite will slow down and fish will hold tight to cover. Back off to deeper channel swings or bluff ends and fish a suspending jerkbait or a jig slowly.