May 31

I guided on Red Willow Reservoir and the fishing was a little tougher today. The lake water level came up about 7.50 feet and the water clarity went from clear to muddy from all the heavy rain (up to 18 inches west of the lake) the last two days. My clients and I caught smaller wipers up to 18 inches, white bass up to 12 inches, and a 17-inch walleye around main lake points, and underwater humps in depths of 15 feet or less using a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, topwater plug, and a Carolina Rig using a shiner. The surface water temperature is in the upper 60s.

May 29

My chiropractor and I fished at Red Willow Reservoir. We caught good numbers of wipers between 12 and 20 inches, including a nice 29-inch Master Angler wiper that I caught. We also caught good numbers of white bass between 10 and 13 inches, and a few northern pike up to 28 inches. They were caught around main lake points, underwater humps, and along an underwater road bed in depths of 20 feet or less using a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, ReelBait Flasher Jig with a Berkley Powerbait or Gulp! minnow, and topwater plug. The surface water temperature is in the upper 60s.

May 28

I went fishing at a private sandpit in the afternoon for a few hours. I caught a Master Angler largemouth bass at 20.25 inches. I also caught four largemouth bass between 19 and 19.75 inches, plus good numbers of smaller bass between 10 and 18.75 inches, and a 24-inch walleye. I caught these fish on a ReelBait Flasher jig with a Berkley Powerbait or Gulp! minnow around the first drop off next to points and flats.

May 27

I guide on Red Willow Reservoir and my clients and I caught five nice Master Angler wipers (31.50", two at 30", 29.50" and 28.50") that weight between 10 and 15 pounds. We also caught good numbers of smaller wipers between 14 and 20 inches, white bass between 9 and 13 inches, walleyes up to 18 inches, and northern pike up to 28 inches. We caught these fish on a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, a Reelbait Flasher Jig with a Berkley Gulp! minnow or a shiner, and a topwater plug around underwater humps, main lake points, underwater road beds, and edges of creek channels in depths of 20 feet or less. The surface water temperature on the main lake is averaging in the upper 60s.

May 26

I guided on Red Willow Reservoir and my clients and I caught walleyes between 13 and 22 inches, wipers between 14 and 20 inches, white bass up to 12 inches, northern pike up to 28 inches, and a 12- inch crappie. We caught these fish using a ReelBait Flasher Jig with a Berkley Gulp! or Powerbait Minnow or a 4-inch swimbait, a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, and a medium diving crankbait around main lake points, flats, underwater humps, and edges of creek channels in depths of 20 feet or less. The surface water temperature is in the upper 60s.

May 25

I took my chiropractor fishing at Red Willow Reservoir in the afternoon. We caught walleye up to 21 inches, wipers up to 20 inches, white bass between 10 and 13 inches, and northern pike up to 28 inches. They were caught on a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, Reelbait Flasher Jig with Berkley Gulp! or a 4-inch swimbait, and a suspending jerkbait around points, flats , and underwater humps in depths of 25 feet or less.

May 24

My clients and I fished at Red Willow Reservoir. We are still catching walleyes, white bass, wipers, northern pike, and a few crappies and largemouth bass using a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, Reelbait Flasher Jig with Berkley Gulp!, a shiner and a 4-inch swimbait, and a Carolina Rig using a shiner. We are still catching these fish around main lake points, flats, underwater humps, edges of creek channels, back in a cove, and along the dam areas in depths of 20 feet or less.

May 21-23

I guided the same clients all three days at Red Willow Reservoir. My clients and I caught good numbers of walleyes between 14 and 22 inches, wipers between 15 and 22 inches, northern pike up to 30 inches, white bass between 10 and 13 inches, three crappies averaging around 12 inches, and a few largemouth bass up to 16 inches. We caught these fish using a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, ReelBait Flasher Jig with a shiner or 4-inch swim bait, and a Carolina Rig using a shiner. The fish were caught around main lake points, flats next to deep water, underwater humps, edges of creek channels that swing next to shore, and along the dam areas. The surface water temperature is in the upper 60s.

May 18, 20

I guided on Red Willow Reservoir and my clients and I are still catching walleyes up to 20 inches, smaller wipers up to 18 inches, white bass up to 12 inches and northern pike up to 30 inches. We caught these fish around underwater humps, main lake points, flats, edges of creek channels that swing next to the bank, and along the dam areas. The fish were caught on a Chug Bug topwater plug, a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinners, a Reelbait Flasher Jig with shiner or Berkley Gulp! worm or 4-inch swimbait in depths of 25 feet or less. The surface water temperature on the main lake is in the upper 60s.

May 17

I took Joe Duggan (Lincoln Journal Star outdoor writer), Al Patterson (President of ReelBait Tackle Company) and a 14-year-old boy (friend of Al Patterson) fishing at Red Willow Reservoir. We caught walleyes, white bass, wipers, and northern pikes using a 1/8-, 1/4-, 3/4-, and 1-ounce Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, and a ReelBait Flasher Jig with Berkley Gulp! nightcrawler, and a 4-inch swimbait. These fish were caught around main lake points, flats, and underwater humps in depths of 25 feet or less.

May 16

I guided on Red Willow Reservoir and we caught a nice fat Master Angler wiper at 28 inches, plus smaller wipers up to 20 inches. My clients and I also caught white bass up to 13 inches, northern pike up to 30 inches, walleyes between 14 and 18 inches, plus a few smallmouth bass and crappies. We caught these fish on a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, a Reelbait Flasher Jig with a 4-inch swimbait, and a topwater plug. The fish were caught around main lake points, flats, underwater humps, edges of creek channels, and along the dam areas in depths of 20 feet or less. The surface water temperature is in the mid 60s.

May 14-15

I went fishing at my chiropractor's private sand pit lake both days (my chiropractor fished with me on May 15) in the afternoon. We caught good numbers of largemouth bass between 10 and 19 inches, and a few crappies up to 13 inches around points, flats, weed beds along the drop off, and next to cattails, lay down trees and brush piles. We caught them on Reelbait Flasher jig with a 4-inch swimbait, a plastic worm, a jig and plastic craw combo, a chatterbait, and a drop shot rig using a small swimbait and plastic worm.

May 11-13

I guided on Red Willow Reservoir and we caught good numbers of walleyes between 14 and 24 inches including a Master Angler at 29.50 inches. We also caught good numbers of northern pike up to 32 inches, white bass up to 12 inches, wipers up to 20 inches, largemouth bass between 13 and 18 inches (including one over 20 inches that threw the hook), a few crappies up to 12 inches, a freshwater drum, and a small catfish. We caught these fish on a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, suspending jerkbait, a Reelbait Flasher Jig with a Berkley Gulp! Minnow Grub, and a 4-inch swimbait. These fish were caught around main lake points, flats, underwater humps, edges of creek channels that swing next to the bank, back in coves, and along the dam areas in depths of 20 feet or less. The surface water temperature is in the upper 60s.

May 9

I took a friend fishing at Red Willow Reservoir in the afternoon. We caught good numbers of walleyes between 14 and 24 inches, northern pike up to 30 inches, and largemouth bass between 15 and 18 inches. We caught these fish around main lake points, flats, edges of creek channels, and back in coves using a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, a Reelbait Flasher jig with a Berkley Gulp! 3-inch Minnow Grub, a suspending jerkbait, a chatterbait, and a plastic worm.

May 8

I guided on Swanson Reservoir in the morning and at Red Willow Reservoir in the afternoon. My clients and I caught good numbers of walleyes between 14 and 22 inches, wipers between 16 and 23.50 inches, and northern pike up to 30 inches. We caught these fish on a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, a Reelbait Flasher Jig with a Berkley Gulp! 3-inch minnow grub, and a suspending jerkbait around points, flats next to deep water, underwater humps, edges of creek channels, and back in coves in depths of 15 feet or less. The surface water temperature is in the 60s.

May 7

I fished at a private sand pit Lake in the afternoon for a few hours. I caught a Master Angler largemouth bass at 20 inches, plus good numbers of smaller largemouth bass between 10 and 19.50 inches. I caught these fish on a suspending jerkbait, a chatterbait, and jig and craw combo around points, flats, edges of weed beds along the first drop off, next to cattails, lay down trees, and brush piles.

May 6

My brother Tim and I went fishing at two different private sand pit lakes in the afternoon. We caught four Master Angler fish including a 28-inch wiper, 28.50-inch walleye, and two white bass at 19 and 18 inches. We also caught good numbers of largemouth bass between 10 and 19.75 inches (including four between 19.25 and 19.75 inches), a few crappies up to 13 inches, and a 24-inch walleye. We caught these fish using a suspending jerkbait, floating worm, a jig and plastic craw combo, a small jig head and plastic worm combo, and a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner around points, flats, weed beds along the first drop off, next to cattails, lay down trees, and underwater brush piles.

May 4-5

I guided on Red Willow Reservoir both days. My clients and I caught good numbers of northern pike up to 32 inches, a Master Angler wiper at 24 inches, plus smaller wipers, white bass up to 13 inches, walleyes between 14 and 18 inches, six largemouth bass between 14 and 18 inches, three smallmouth bass between 11 and 16 inches, two crappies around 12 inches, and a freshwater drum. We caught these fish around main lake points, flats next to deep water, underwater humps, edges of creek channels, back in coves, and along the dam areas in depths of 20 feet or less. These fish were caught on a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, a Reelbait Flasher Jig with a Berkley Gulp! minnow grub, a suspending jerkbait, a lipless crankbait, a spinnerbait, and a topwater plug. The surface water temperature is averaging around 60 degrees.

May 1

I went fishing with my chiropractor at his private sand pit lake in the afternoon. We caught good numbers of largemouth bass between 12 and 19.50 inches around points, flats, next to cattails, and brush piles. We caught them on Berkley Gulp! Floating Worm, Senko, and jig and plastic craw combo.

April 30/May 1

I guided the same clients both days at Red Willow Reservoir, along with their friends on May 1. We caught good numbers of walleyes up to 24 inches, wipers up to 20 inches (including over 10 pounds a client lost ), northern pike up to 32 inches, largemouth bass up to 19 inches (including a few over 20 inches that threw the hook), white bass up to 12 inches, a few smallmouth bass and crappies.

We caught these fish using a Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, a Reelbait Flasher Jig with a Berkley 3-inch Minnow grub, a suspending jerkbait, a lipless crankbait, a spinnerbait, a jig and plastic craw and a topwater plug. The fish were caught around main lake points, flats, underwater humps, along edges of creek channels, back in coves, and along the dam areas in depths of 15 feet or less. The surface water temperature is averaging around 60 degrees.

Top