8.85 LB GIANT! Canyon Lake Fishing Report | What’s Working Right Now

Canyon Lake is fishing a little strange right now — but there are some BIG bass being caught!

In this Canyon Lake fishing report, I break down what we learned during the latest Midweek Bass Anglers of Arizona tournament, including an incredible **8.85-pound largemouth** caught by my tournament partner, Mark Royal.

Mark caught the big fish working a **Lucky Craft LV Max 500** along the walls, where shad and other baitfish were feeding around the bluff vegetation. It was an awesome catch and the **big bass of the tournament**.

The interesting thing about Canyon right now is the size range. You can get into areas loaded with small bass, while another angler may connect with a 7-, 8-, or even 9-pound fish. The key seems to be finding concentrations of fish. If you’re not getting bit, don’t spend all day grinding the same bank — move until you find them.

I cover three techniques that stood out:

**Crankbaits** – Not necessarily producing a lot of bites, but they are producing some BIG bites. Fish over 7, 8 and even 9 pounds have been caught recently on reaction baits.

**Drop Shot** – Probably the best technique for consistently getting bites. A small, finesse-style worm worked on slack line was much more productive than larger presentations.

**Free Rig** – This technique continues to produce and actually helped win the tournament. The free rig is especially effective around Canyon Lake’s steep walls and bluffs because the bait can fall naturally down the face of the structure and through the ledges.

I also show how I fish both the drop shot and free rig with **medium-light, extra-fast rods**, slack line and high-speed spinning reels to detect bites and quickly catch up with fish that swim toward deep water.

If you’re heading to Canyon Lake, hopefully this report helps you put a few more bass in the boat — and maybe you’ll run into one of those Canyon Lake giants!

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I use Phat Pak finesse worms and the Beasty Bug Jr. for many of these techniques.

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Thanks for watching **Fish Point with Joe Michels**, and I’ll see you on the water!

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