Bullards Bar?

[Fishin Andy]

Hey guys, lookin for some general info. Planning a weekend trip up there last weekend of Sept. Any insight y’all can give me would be much appreciated. Not lookin for you to divulge top secret spots, but anything would be great. Seems like the whole lake is great spotted bass real estate. I’ve fished all the mother lode lakes for spots so I kinda have an idea. Reply or pm me if you don’t want it public.

[Gary Dobyns]

Great lake. It's not as easy as it used to be. The lake is small and it's taken a lot of pressure the last 4-5 years. It's still the best big Spot lake around. I don't have much time on Bullards in Sept-Oct but it can be great top water bite. Super Spook out of the points and steeper rock walls up the river arm for good quality fish. Many guys drop-shot and shaky head but you'll have to deal with a lot small fish. Good luck!!!

[Fishin Andy]

Right on, I appreciate the response. Kind of the way I was leaning.

[Fishfreq]

The key there Andy is to think like a spot that feeds on kokanee, there is no other bait species, that spends most of it's life at 60+ feet deep. That means, for a bass to grow giant, they don't waste energy feeding shallow. Ever.

Sure at some point they come up to spawn. They leave quickly thereafter. Some people say, "I caught a giant 6 lb spot there right on the bank!" Well, that's not a giant, for BB.

There are dink bass in the shallows, but especially now, target the big girls deep. They suspend offshore almost 100% of the time. That kinda throws all std techniques out the window. Get creative and I wish you luck. It's been a tough year for quality at the 'Bar.

[Fishin Andy]

Good info buddy I appreciate it.

[Larry Hemphill]

I have seen where both record spots were caught - Nick's 11 1/4 and my client, Clara Ricabal, with the 7-2 female record spot this spring. She caught hers with me in February, probably as shallow as the big ones get - about 15 feet deep, on a warm afternoon. She caught another at 4 + pounds and I caught a 5 lb 1 oz and lost the monster that broke me off. As soon as there are a few sunny days in the early spring, these big spots move up. It might be the brighter water that brings them up because the surface temp didn't change!

It was interesting to me that while we caught some small spots when we arrived about noon, after 2 pm, not a single bite from a small one. They disappeared! Only 4 afternnon bites - all big ones!!