Saddle Creek Park

Bank fishing opportunities here are excellent. Bluegill (bream) fishing is improving with the warmer water, and they can be caught with crickets and red wigglers. Catfish can be caught on chicken livers and commercial stink baits around deeper holes. Anglers recently reported big largemouth bass being caught, but patience will be the name of the game for the sweltering summer months. Use live wild shiners for the best action, and try plastic worms in Junebug, red shad, and Christmas colors fished slowly along the edges and near drop-offs. Large schools of shad are coming to the surface in the morning and just before sunset. Don’t be afraid to throw out your walking topwater baits, suspending jerkbaits and weightless shad colored flukes in and around the schools to catch bass chasing the shad. During recent electrofishing surveys, 12 largemouth bass larger than 8 pounds were tagged, with a few around 13 pounds. Tags are yellow and located on the back (dorsal) of the fish. If you catch a tagged fish, remember to remove the tag and call the number provided. You will need it to collect your $100 reward! Black crappie (specks) fishing is slow, but a few fish can still be caught. Live Missouri minnows and small jigs trolled or drifted are the best bets for specks. Tight lines!