I was out there today from 11-6 and like you, circumvented the storms outside of a little rain taking the boat out at Fate Sanders secondary ramp.
Report: Started out chucking buzzbait but only had a few half-ass offerings. Got bit a few times on a skinny dipper. About two hours in discovered it was gonna be a cranking day. But it wasn't your traditional pound the bank -- they seem to be a little deeper. I got bit a lot right by the boat. In fact over half of what ended up being around 20 bites were on the last third of the cast which almost never happens. A lot of fish barely hooked -- I admit, I don't have a specific cranking rod: 7-6 MH with 15 floro doesn't allow for much delay. Went back and forth with 1.5 and 2.5. Color and size didn't seem to matter. Highlight of the day was my first ever Priest drum which inhaled a 2.5 and provided me with 5 seconds of thinking I had the lake record LM.
In terms of spots -- I don't fish enough to really care about keeping secrets -- they were as followed:
1. Second island if you hang a left out of Lamar. Fish the side facing south/Jefferson. It's just an ideal spot -- close to deep water/channel, tons of rocks -- not too big, not too small. Cypress trees for cover when needed. My PB (6-4) came off the SE point a few years back prespawn. Got a squarebill caught on a log, snapped it free, and she hit.
2. From there, if you head toward Jeff Springs, the bay to left of the shallow cut through. I work the bay and then keep going east. You got the channel right there but a shelf leading up to shore. It's hard not to catch a fish or two over that 100-yard stretch.
3. The NE shore of Pooles Knob starting right after the shallow cut through and then to the kid's camp dock. Honestly, this is the most productive stretch of water on the lake for me. I see a lot of guys fishing that hump offshore but there is just too many positive features on that shoreline, even in the dead of summer. For one, the chunk rock is the right size. Second, the angle of the slop is ideal: sit in 10-12, cast to 5-6. And because of current, there is a ton of cover that holds there, most notably the log cabin worth of wood to the left of the dock.
4. South facing shoreline at Fate Sanders marina. There were no shore fishermen so was able to take my time. Everyone pounds that little bay but there are a few stumps to the left that almost always hold fish. Best two of the day, a 3 and 4, came from there.
Good luck.
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