The Fishing Report

I follow fishing reports not just from local sources, but also around the country. When I travel, I am going to go fishing while I’m there. That is just understood. And there are many suppliers of current fishing information, from the outdoor section of local newspapers to the Take Me Fishing web site state reports resource.

States even may offer to send electronic weekly fishing reports. For example, I receive reports from Michigan and Oklahoma, among others. I can keep tabs on Oklahoma’s spring fishing opportunities of white bass running up creeks, crappie spawning in shallow brush, and even the unusual paddlefish snagging fishery.

As the water warms throughout the season, the fishing changes. Hot baits, lures, locations, and depths alter as many fish are transitioning to or from spawning activity. If you follow reports from South to North you can predict that what is happening now in Texas may be happening in Kansas in a couple of weeks. Or longer, for more northern states. The lakes in Pennsylvania are still trying to shed the 20 inches of ice.

Upon arrival in a state, you may find printed fishing reports for guests but don’t let this be your sole bit of fishing information. I recall reading one such visitor’s fishing report on the lakes in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota. One lake only mentioned that it had “a healthy population of bullheads.” That summer I discovered that the “bullhead lake” was one of the best pike lakes in the region. Either no one knew it, or no one wanted to share that info. As a wise man once said, “Trust but verify.”

Where do you get your fishing reports?

Andy Whitcomb

Andy is an outdoor writer (http://www.justkeepreeling.com/) and stressed-out Dad has contributed over 380 blogs to takemefishing.org since 2011. Born in Florida, but raised on banks of Oklahoma farm ponds, he now chases pike, smallmouth bass, and steelhead in Pennsylvania. After earning a B.S. in Zoology from OSU, he worked in fish hatcheries and as a fisheries research technician at OSU, Iowa State, and Michigan State.