Been awhile!

[kenner93]

Well it's been almost 20 years since I fished big lake and am finally thinking about going late October. I don't remember a whole bunch except turners. Just looking for some help on what to use and where might be a good place to stay. Thanks for any info.

[Ahab]

Turners should be covered in birds come october. Stick to ol faithful, chartreuse sparkle beetle on 1/4 oz leadhead

[kenner93]

I remember we only used live shrimp when we went. I was only 14 so just did what I was told. I keep reading about everyone using shad and pogie. Can anyone give me some ideas on getting bait and if it's best to just use shrimp.

[jchief]

Depends on fronts. If a good front has come through before you fish, then plastics are the ticket. They will eat live, but you don't really need it.

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[TroutSupport.com]

And if the fish are small, don't be scared to throw either a heavier bait and fish below them or even throw a big topwater. Many times, the larger fish are there as well, and sometimes even feed on the smaller ones. Have fun.

[kenner93]

Thanks guys. We will have fun even if we don't catch a fish. I do remember fishing a platform in the lake. Is it still there.

[ahlangle]

Last time I went was mid-august a few days after the huge rains, but baitfish were all over the place (and shrimp from what I saw).
Pogies easy to catch if you need some bait spots.
Had one 22" trout that had the head of a pogie in her stomach that must have been 6" long.

[MEM1971]

If u want to catch fish for sure buy some live shrimp or cast net for mullet or pogie. better to have and not need than not to have and watch the guy in other boat reel fish in one after another on live bait and not be able to catch on artificial. But... Its been almost 10 years for me since I fished the lake in the fall. I'm looking forward to it and hope its like years past where plastic is all that's needed.

[kenner93]

Thanks guys for all info. Plan of bringing plastics and live bait. I know there are some spots that will tear your boat up. Can someone tell me some spots to avoid.

[MEM1971]

big lake is cleaned up. I guess sometime after Hurricane Rita. Only place I have found to be bad is Black Lake. I fished it in April when water was high and went back a month later wondering how I didn't hit some of the pilings under water. Turners Bay has a really shallow reef on north point and a shell bank underwater that extends out from the island on north side. West Cove is shallow on the north entrance especially in winter on low tide. And of course the old jetties. I'm sure I'm missing something and I surely don't know all but this may help ya.

[kenner93]

That helps out a lot. I have navionics but sometimes it's not quite right. I just don't want to trash motor on a shallow reef.

[captfields_sc]

I run Navionics Platinum+ chip in my gps and it is a great peace of mind in an unfamiliar area. Don't for get to update your chart card as a TON of updates are put out everyday. I am constantly reporting and logging my sonar charts in hopes of not only helping me but improving my maps and helping others out through updates. Also, I just got a new card, the nav+ regions. It comes pre loaded with all the navigational charts and sonar charts (1ft contours fishing charts). No computer geek tech needed. Easy! I just thought I would throw that out there. Very affordable card as well, which is key when you are me and need to save as much $ as possible to make the wife happy.

[Ahab]

If you are running a big boat, stay out of the south end of the cove on a hard out going tide. Usually stays around 3-4 foot deep on average tides. Hard, outgoing tide you looking at 1 to 1.5 foot tops

[kenner93]

Got a 18' Kenner. But I will be carful and avoid that area

[Robert Haynes]

If you cut thru Texaco Cut to get to Turners, make sure to go a ways into lake before you cut North to Turners, cut north too early and gonna hit bottom. Learned that 2 years ago. Same thing going into a West Cove at North entrance, don't cut south too quick or will be shallow. Learned that the hard way 3 years ago. If I had been paying closer attention to charts, I could have avoided both incidents.