5/16 Not the Barrett I remember...

[boomstikit]

Let me start by saying I haven't fished Big B in a while. Like every other report has said, green algae and think weeds on everything in 15' or less. In some areas maybe even deeper. Started at Pig's and fished the cove just below (fished from a tube). 3-4 on a green pumpkin w/ black and purple flake Ika. Fish were sitting in the algae near shore. Went directly across lake and fished east shore, no stacked fish just here and there. My buddy was doing better on a white Keitech. Fished all the way to the beginning of Hauser. Went back across the lake and fished the west shore a little up Pine. Same as before, here and there. Did have one break me off, felt like a nice fish. Wind had picked up and my buddy got into them for a few minutes on a windblown point with a spinnerbait and a jerkbait. I picked up a few on a white spinnerbait fishing it through the stickups. Had one freight train my spinnerbait and broke the swivel so that bite was over for me. Ran into a couple of guys in tubes who said they were doing well on wacky rigged worms. So I put on a watermelon w/ black flake Flick Shake on a 1/16 oz VMC wacky jig head. Found fish in Becky's Cove near stickups and the boulders. Probably where I got most of my fish for the day. It was starting to get late, and really windy, so we made our way back across the lake and fished the west bank back to Pig's, Flick Shake for a few more. On the lake at 5:30ish. Off the lake at 5:00. Talked to a few people while we were leaving and they said either it was tough or they did about the same as us. Did get a fish that should have gone 4lbs plus but was super skinny and put up zero fight. Other fish had mouths filled with sores. While some put up a good fight for their size. Fish health seems kind of mixed bag. For me probably 20+. For my buddy (who is one the best fisherman I know) 30+. Not going to lie, for Big B it was a grind.

[Gotfish?]

Not sure what causes it, but Barrett is much greener (algae) than any of the other lakes as viewed in Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.6970672 ... FQAw%3D%3D .

There doesn't appear to be upstream farming, cows or lawns that would cause high nutrient run off.

Still not seeing much shad. Algae blooms can cause shad and other fish die off.

[JWall]

Let me start by saying I haven't fished Big B in a while. Like every other report has said, green algae and think weeds on everything in 15' or less. In some areas maybe even deeper. Started at Pig's and fished the cove just below (fished from a tube). 3-4 on a green pumpkin w/ black and purple flake Ika. Fish were sitting in the algae near shore. Went directly across lake and fished east shore, no stacked fish just here and there. My buddy was doing better on a white Keitech. Fished all the way to the beginning of Hauser. Went back across the lake and fished the west shore a little up Pine. Same as before, here and there. Did have one break me off, felt like a nice fish. Wind had picked up and my buddy got into them for a few minutes on a windblown point with a spinnerbait and a jerkbait. I picked a few on a white spinnerbait fishing it through the stickups. Had one freight train my spinnerbait and broke the swivel so that bite was over for me. Ran into a couple of guys in tubes who said they were doing well on wacky rigged worms. So I put on a watermelon w/ black flake Flick Shake on a 1/16 oz VMC wacky jig head. Found fish in Becky's Cove near stickups and the boulders. Probably where I got most of my fish for the day. It was starting to get late, and really windy, so we made our way back across the lake and fished the west bank back to Pig's, Flick Shake for a few more. On the lake at 5:30ish. Off the lake at 5:00. Talked to a few people while we were leaving and they said either it was tough or they did about the same as us. Did get a fish that should have gone 4lbs plus but was super skinny and put up zero fight. Other fish had mouths filled with sores. While some put up a good fight for their size. Fish health seems kind of mixed bag. For me probably 20+. For my buddy (who is one the best fisherman I know) 30+. Not going to lie, for Big B it was a grind.

You covered some ground in a tube! Like the variety of lures. It has been a grind of late, but more worried about the condition of the bass and possible causes than the lack of the usual Big B numbers. Still an amazing place tho.

[JWall]

Not sure what causes it, but Barrett is much greener (algae) than any of the other lakes as viewed in Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.6970672 ... FQAw%3D%3D .

There doesn't appear to be upstream farming, cows or lawns that would cause high nutrient run off.

Still not seeing much shad. Algae blooms can cause shad and other fish die off.

That google map is simply WOW!! And yikes!!

[_mike_k]

Cheers Mike! Thanks for posting that report. Glad we got to get out there and visit our old stomping grounds at Barrett. (I'm boomstikit's fishing buddy by the way)

Nice job out there on the Flick Shake!

All in all a great day of fishing.

It was surprising how slow it was on the dropshot, usually there's fish in the middle depths around 15-25 ft, but no bites for me there.

Spinnerbait and jerkbait definitely worked well in the right spots.

Still lots of hard-fighting Northern strain bass in Barrett, but also lots of 6" dinks also.