[truckgrandpa]

The weather app on my phone shows high temp today around 71 degrees. It has been in the mid 50s to low 60s, so I thought maybe...

The only thing is, Lake Overholser seems to me to be pretty shallow as far out as I can cast. And the last time I went out, bluegills weren't biting at all.
I was there for about 7 hours and only caught 1 drum.

I had frozen shad, nightcrawlers and 5 different kinds of punch bait.
The drum bit on a crawler.

When I said it seems to be shallow, I meant like 2-3' from the bank to about 8' out, then less than 6' for the next 20 yards to 30 yards.

Using the baits I had, I was using 4/0 to 5/0 circle hooks and #4 to #8 J hooks. For the punch bait, I was using #3 and #4 treble hooks.

I had a pretty good variety of baits and hook sizes. Just didn't have anything out there that was interested.

 

[SteveMcK]

Can't catch em if you don't try. Think I'm going in a little bit. It's 37° right now but the sun is out. Should be nice later.

 

[truckgrandpa]

I know you're right about can't catch fish if I don't have a hook in the water.
Do you live in Northern or Southern Mississippi?

 

[SteveMcK]

Central/North Mississippi. About 2hrs south of Memphis. I fished two weeks ago and our water is cooling pretty fast. I had a pretty good day with 9 fish between 4 and 22lbs. The flats were still roaming but should be about to stack up. Water temp was 56°.

 

[twaskom]

You guys are making me jealous. We are starting the mornings with a little extra hard water around the edges of the pond. This also seem to be the windy season. Nothing like the weather being cold and windy to make a fishing day special.

🙁

 

[eastforker]

I've been catching them sunbathing in a foot of water during the day and inches of water at night.
Good Luck if you go!

 

[metalman]

TGP,
Whereabouts on the lake do you mostly fish?
The Navionics map suggests there is some deeper water but it's a big chuck; much bigger than the 30 yards you say is your casting maximum. I would be looking for spots where I could cast toward the deeper water (according to the map). Even if I couldn't reach the deepest parts, getting on the slopes that lead to them would be an advantage as slopes are structure in what looks to be a fairly featureless lake.
That said, shallow water warms faster on a sunny day so don't discount it.

If I was looking to catch channels there, I would be using my carp gear (small hooks and all) as it would allow an easy cast to at least 75 yards, a hundred with a bit more hustle.
Corn would be my initial bait choice with a PVA bag of corn and bread or a fishy paste hookbait with a ball of fishy pack bait.
Channels love corn! Depending on the place, I frequently catch just as many cats as carp when I'm after carp.

...W

 

[truckgrandpa]

On this screenshot, the red spot is where I did most of my fishing this year.
There's a concrete wall, top of it level with ground level. This are is great for bluegill up close to the wall, mostly in shady areas.
A bit farther out (maybe 20-30 yards) caught drums and a few white bass.
Then about twice as far out was where the larger of the cats I caught were hanging out. Caught some dinks around the same area as the drums.

The blue, South of the wall. Concrete riprap. Big chunks of concrete.
Last year, 2020, I did most of my night fishing here. This is where I caught my PB flathead on a goldfish. On or pretty near a mussel bed. Also caught a 5# striper on a nightcrawler this year. Didn't fish it much this year, got hooked on not having to re rig my line every cast up by the wall.

The red on the North side of the lake.
There's heavy reeds that I fished alongside a few times last year. Caught a few dinks there.

Then, if you can see it in the screenshot, there's a stretch of the North Canadian River that runs along that side of the lake.
I've fished a few spots along it, without much action.
Near the North end of the lake, on the river, is where Philip caught 32 bluegills in less than an hour.
All I've got hooks into on the river along there is a few carp.

This screenshot is satellite image of the map of the lake on iPhone. I have no idea why it shows the perfectly straight line separating the coloration of the lake.

 

[truckgrandpa]

As you can see in that screenshot, there are no creeks feeding into the "lake."
Basically, it's a 1500 acre pond.
I have seen anglers pull nice sized blue cats (25-30#) out of it, caught under balloons. And one flathead about 15-20# under a balloon.
As for myself, the biggest bluecat I have caught was the 22" one I caught this year.
The best thing about Lake Overholser, for me, is the convenience of its location. About 4 miles from where I live.

 

[truckgrandpa]

I found, online, topo maps of the two larger lakes here in OkC. Overholser and Hefner.
If the numbers showing on them are depths and IF they can be trusted, I think the North end of Hefner would make for better fishing.

 

[metalman]

TGP,
With your mention of rip-rap, chunk concrete, mussel beds and reeds, it would seem there are more features than the Navionics and Sat. images suggest. Reading your post with the Sat. image, I was thinking that a float fished live bait adjacent to any of those features would be a good strategy so guys catching under balloons makes total sense.
It can only be a matter of time until you cross paths with some of those bigger fish.

...W

 

[truckgrandpa]

I certainly hope so, Winston.
My thinking is, keep at it and odds are, eventually, a big one has GOT to take one of my hooks.

 

[Big Sam]

Balloon's are good for distance and so is a beach ball...back when i was totally a bank fisher in the winter we would go fish the wind... I personally used the Beach ball and a big tidewater reel that held a lot of line...back then we didnt have braid so we had to attach crappie floats every 30 ft to keep it from sinking..... i used a 2 hook rig with a 2 oz weight on bottom...we used to catch some dandies and it was fun.....a boat spoiled me for sure.....

 

[truckgrandpa]

I've tried using a balloon three or four times. Only caught a fish under one of them, if you can call it "catching".
The line was wrapped around the fish between the anal fin and tail fin. Hook nowhere near its mouth.
Twice, the balloon floated out where I wanted it and sat there awhile. Somehow, they got popped.
I was using "punch balloons." I thought they would be tougher that regular balloons.

 

[truckgrandpa]

My weather app on my phone says the high temperature for tomorrow and Friday are both forecast for 79 degrees.
I'm thinking I might try to teach some nightcrawlers how to swim !!!