4-14 good morning at Viking.

[Redog]

Nice morning! Felt good to feel warm on the boat for a change. Best bite was fishing the grass line with a jerkbait. Also got bite on a bladed jig and a ned rig. Wasn’t a long morning home at 12:15. Best 5 was only 12.23lb. Super fun to be out.

[Phoenix Jim]

How is the lake level there?

[Redog]

It’s a little low, but not bad.

[JACQUART21]

I ended up hitting Viking on Saturday. Pulled a few fish off some brush piles right away with a jig. Mostly dinks, but caught one over 4lbs. Hit a dead spell when i was exploring the northeast boat ramp and that creek channel that runs through there. Ended up really hammering em on some flatter depth transitions in the 7-10ft range around lunchtime. Most everything i caught on the on those flats were 3lb+ and mostly on ned rig and a jighead minnow. They really got active and could probably been caught numerous ways. Don't remember the exact weights but I'd put the best 5 around 17-18lbs. Looks like that lake has a pretty dense shad population. They were schooled up everywhere i fished early in the morning. The schools were tight and stationary, they looked like dense brush on mega live untill i spooked em with my lure. Really enjoyed fishing there, will definitely go again sometime. The drive sucks though!

[Redog]

Thanks for the report!! Sounds like you had a great day! I don’t think there is shad in the lake? Could have been schools of Pan fish?

I think now you should hit up prairie rose. :-).
Was it very busy on Saturday?

[Dirtyeggroll]

I ended up hitting Viking on Saturday. Pulled a few fish off some brush piles right away with a jig. Mostly dinks, but caught one over 4lbs. Hit a dead spell when i was exploring the northeast boat ramp and that creek channel that runs through there. Ended up really hammering em on some flatter depth transitions in the 7-10ft range around lunchtime. Most everything i caught on the on those flats were 3lb+ and mostly on ned rig and a jighead minnow. They really got active and could probably been caught numerous ways. Don't remember the exact weights but I'd put the best 5 around 17-18lbs. Looks like that lake has a pretty dense shad population. They were schooled up everywhere i fished early in the morning. The schools were tight and stationary, they looked like dense brush on mega live untill i spooked em with my lure. Really enjoyed fishing there, will definitely go again sometime. The drive sucks though!

Kinda cool to read about you having a good trip after asking for advice about new water.

[JACQUART21]

Thanks for the report!! Sounds like you had a great day! I don’t think there is shad in the lake? Could have been schools of Pan fish?

I think now you should hit up prairie rose. :-).
Was it very busy on Saturday?

It started to get busy around lunchtime, but the morning was very quiet. I was the first truck in the parking lot at the NW ramp @ 6:30am. The schools I was seeing were very tightly bunched up and moved as a unit. I didn't see anything that resembled a bigger fish on the edges of the school, so I don't think it would be panfish or crappie. Pretty much acted like traditional shad schools in colder water.

[Redog]

Interesting? Man you got to the lake at a good time (6:30) you must have left Nebraska early!! Anytime the drive for me is over a hour it makes the day feel long….. to and from Lol.

[Phoenix Jim]

Nice report. Viking is a good lake but are you sure those were not bluegill and or crappie? I didn’t think viking had shad but it does have a ton of bluegill. It is a good lake.

[JACQUART21]

Yessir, i wanted to be there at a reasonable time before it got busy. I can't say for sure what i was seeing. Mostly just a big blob that would slowly move in unison. Can't say I've seen bluegill or crappie school in that manner but who knows.