So there's a lake out here in AZ named Horseshoe. It sits above Bartlett lake on the Verde river system. The Verde has smallmouth and largemouth in it.
Normally Horseshoe is bone dry as it's usually a watershed to control the flow of water from Bartlett lake. Well last year it was pretty full and from the stories I heard the lake was on fire all summer until they dumped it.
So it's back at 98% and I figured this is either going to be the best decision of the year and I'm gonna slay them or the worst decision and blank. Well I've never fished the lake but threw everything I had with me in the 5 hours I was there. Not a single bite. Not 1. The water looked like chocolate milk, I couldn't see my fins in the water below me, lots of wood, some carp slapping around, small baitfish school of some kind..and what look like fry up at the ramp when I took out. Shocked to see fry already but not sure if it was bass fry or some other species. These fish are used to being in the river so I'm not sure if they spawn earlier or not.
1 boat on the lake, 1 2-man canoe with motor and 8 kayaks or so. The road in is bumpy and dirt so it doesn't get a lot of pressure. Fun to try a new lake but didn't help me with the tourney.
Normally Horseshoe is bone dry as it's usually a watershed to control the flow of water from Bartlett lake. Well last year it was pretty full and from the stories I heard the lake was on fire all summer until they dumped it.
So it's back at 98% and I figured this is either going to be the best decision of the year and I'm gonna slay them or the worst decision and blank. Well I've never fished the lake but threw everything I had with me in the 5 hours I was there. Not a single bite. Not 1. The water looked like chocolate milk, I couldn't see my fins in the water below me, lots of wood, some carp slapping around, small baitfish school of some kind..and what look like fry up at the ramp when I took out. Shocked to see fry already but not sure if it was bass fry or some other species. These fish are used to being in the river so I'm not sure if they spawn earlier or not.
1 boat on the lake, 1 2-man canoe with motor and 8 kayaks or so. The road in is bumpy and dirt so it doesn't get a lot of pressure. Fun to try a new lake but didn't help me with the tourney.