This report is from 5/21/17 through 5/23/17 on Banks Lake in Grant County.

Arrived Sunday 5/21 at around 0830 and was launched out of the park at Banks Lake South by 0930. I motored out to a little island to get out of the wind and get things set up noting water temps in the mid to upper 50's. I had hopes of beating the spawn but those hopes were quickly dashed as I entered the shallower bays working my way north on the east side of the lake. Groups of smallies everywhere! Some definitely on beds and others in the process. This was worst case scenario as far as I was concerned but oh well I was committed until Wednesday. Within my first three casts I had a 2.5 on a jerkbait and then no bites for 30 minutes? Switched to a jig and had another within three casts and then nothing for 30 minutes. I was alternating between a T-rigged lizard and a crawfish colored crankbait as these were the only two baits that produced any sort of consistency. All small fish except for one that went over three pounds but was an obvious spawned out female. I fished this area until about 1300 and headed north to Steamboat to check in.

That evening I headed to the south end of the DPB to flip grass and reeds for largemouth. I cannot describe the chaos of carp I experienced here!! I hate these stupid overpopulated fish and they were thick enough to walk across and absolutely going crazy way back in the grass, back in stuff too thick to get too so I knew the water was very high. I managed my first largie here at 3.2lbs and spawned out. I flipped as far back as I could but no other bites, plenty of largies to look at but they were either bedded or would jet as soon as your bait hit the water. As the sun set on the first day I fired up and ran clear out of the PB and over to Barker Canyon and fished a little deeper water, this produced a flurry of smallmouth but nothing over 3lbs.

Monday I ran back south in the DPB to try topwater for largemouth to no avail. About 0900 I was north bound to the north end of the DPB. As soon as I arrived I was rewarded with a 2.5 smallie on a jerkbait and then another on a jig. Fish were spawning everywhere unfortunately, largemouth and smallmouth. I fished out off the flats and picked up sporadic fish on various offerings but nothing consistent. Water temps in the bowl were in the 60's to upper 60's.

Spent the day exploring and ended up by Osborn Bay but this area was very dirty and starting to algae bloom, it was also loaded with other boats as I imagine it's a very popular sight fishing area? I motored across the lake to the west side but it was worse.

Tuesday I only fished half the day and it was more of the same, dink smallies with an occasional largemouth, nothing consistent. I packed up, went for a drive up to Coulee City and just rested the rest of the night before heading to Potholes the next morning.

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