May fishing report

OVERVIEW: Fishing will be good this month. After fish spawn they will gradually start to move into a more consistent feeding pattern. Water temperature will be 60s to lower 70s.

Largemouth bass: Fishing will be good. Best lures will be top-water lures, Carolina rigs, shaky heads, Texas rigged plastic worms and crank baits. Most largemouth bass will be caught in rocky areas, around stumps and shallow docks. Some will continue to spawn this month. Best depths will be from 2 to 10 feet. Night fishing will improve as the water temperature rises.

Smallmouth bass: Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be around stumps, rocks, humps and flats. Best lures will be tubes, top-water lures, hair jigs and shaky heads. Best areas will be in the mid- to lower sections of the lake. Most smallmouth bass will spawn this month. Cloudy days and at night are best times to try your luck.

Striped bass: Fishing will be good. Stripers will be caught mostly in the mid- to lower areas of the lake. Best lures will be top-water lures, swim baits, buck tails and Zoom flukes fished with 1/4- to 3/8-oz. lead heads. Live bait will also be productive. The best depths will be from 2 to 25 feet. Stripers will start to feed at night as the water temperature rises. Some stripers will surface. Try to find areas with the largest concentrations of baitfish.

Crappie: Fishing will be good. They will be found 2 to 10 feet deep this month. Best areas will be in the main creeks around deep docks, fallen trees, stumps and brush piles in the mid- to upper parts of the lake. Small live minnows and1 1/2- inch tubes fished on 1/16- to 1/8-oz. lead heads will work best. Crappie should continue to spawn this month.

TIP OF THE MONTH: Night fishing while using a black light to help see your line and the shoreline will be the best time to catch bass and stripers. The baitfish will be spawning at night for the next several weeks. Fish close to the shore with shallow diving lures. The best time is usually from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wear your life jacket and always keep your running lights on.

Capt. Dale Wilson: 297-5650, 874-4950, www.captaindalewilson.com