Still Winter

Last week’s warm weather turned up fishing hopes more than it did the fish’s activity level. I wanted to believe that the warm air temps and filtered, partly sunny skies would wake the fish up, but my heart kept saying “Four days of direct sunshine.” Got to go out for 1 1/2 days of fishing this past weekend. Temps in the 70’s, but tell that to the fish. I fished for about 6 hrs with a couple of first time AP guests on Friday. I managed to stratch out 3 bass on 12 bites. I did lose a couple of keeper size fish. I was not very pleased with the bite and even less pleased by my fishing prowess. The guests caught 8 nice crappie in about 30 minutes on jigs about 15′ deep. On Saturday I knew what the game plan was. Leave the spring gear in the house and plan on fishing grubs, jigs, and suspending Rougues. The outcome was much better, but the fish were still not as aggressive as they were 3 weeks ago. I caught 10 bass bass in seven hours of fishing, mostly on a 3″ smoke grub.

It seems that the warm weather has pulled some fish up shallow, however they are not feeding intensively. The bass left in the winter havens appear to be somewhat more aggessive, but are 10 feet deep and suspended.

On Saturday I went down to the Toledo Bend area of our lake. It is the largest piece of shallow water on the lake and receives direct sunshine most of the day. I found more active fish there than in the other, more easily accessed spring haunts. Tomorrow’s plan – start at Toledo Bend! Don Kentner