Reservation Number : 28358
Property Name : Moonshine Lake
Reservation Date : 05/13/2021 All Day -
Total Fish/Sizes : culled 6 and returned 14. 2 in mid 4's, several 3s
Lures Used : green/silver trick stick, broke back Rapala, jackhammer chatterbait

Arrived mid-morning to overcast skies and light breeze. The road in and turn-around at the launch area were great. Two large deer ran in front of our truck – beautiful! The lake looks amazing! Someone called it “bassy” – I’d call it fishy-looking. Full level due to recent rains, clear water, submerged moss everywhere. Lots of standing timber, fallen logs in the water, laydowns, reeds and various aquatic vegetation. Beautiful white heron, woodpeckers, and frogs of all kinds serenaded us all day. Striking array of vibrant wildflowers in many areas, some I’ve never seen before.

Fished down the bank to the left of the dock all the way back. First fish was 4.25 pounds at the edge of the standing timber! Great start. Got to the back end and caught 4-5 more – small to medium sized fish. Watch out for the tree with a big bee colony in it. Worked our way up the other bank and discovered a really neat looking shallow cove/creek. Only two feet deep but there are some nice bass in there. 

Moss limited our lure selection. Even my Baby 1 Minus (shallow 1’ crank bait) was picking up too much “grass.” Senkos, flukes and the like worked well. Caught one on a Jackhammer chatterbait. Started cranking fast as soon as it hit the water. “There’s bass in the grass” so don’t let the moss deter you.

Took a late lunch break then back out. Fished along the dam where someone said they caught a lot in the deeper water. We never found them. We did well with 6” TR Trick Sticks (like Senko) in a bright green/silver color. About half of our fish caught on that.

Decided to visit the shallow cove/creek before leaving. Glad we did. I experienced something I’ve never experienced before. I cast my Trick Stick up under a big willow overhanging the water and something resembling a submarine launched after my lure with a giant swirl. A second later we were hooked up, she raced toward the middle of the creek like a speedboat, then she was off! DANG! I decided to keep casting into that area. A few casts later and BAM, she hit my lure again. It was quite a fight in 2 feet of water! She wrapper the line around everything between her and the boat then went under the boat. I knew for sure she’d get off but she didn’t. Got her in, weighed and photographed her and slipped her back into the water. I have NEVER hooked the same fish twice with eh same lure within 2 minutes! Almost 5 pounds – and the blacked LMB I’ve ever seen. I guess she’s blending in with the shady shallow creek water.

The lake is well worth the drive. Whether you like topwater, flipping/jigging or soft baits, this lake has it all. I look forward to going there again!