This spot was caught at Bartletts Ferry
Although there was a strong current coming down the Chattahoochee River and I figured muddy water was on the way, the river was still only lightly stained and the bigger creeks were clear. So clear I could see the bottom about four feet down and I looked for bass on the bed. It is late for bass to be bedding but the cool weather this year had delayed the spawn on many lakes.
Not Bartlett’s Ferry, it seems. The water temperature was about 79 degrees and I didn’t see any bass beds, but I did see a lot of bream beds with fish on them. And I saw a lot of balls of bass fry with adult bass guarding them. Those fry looked to be a couple of weeks old so I guess a lot of bass went on the bed there on the last full moon.
When the water temperature and length of daylight is right, usually on the full moon in April around here, male bass find a shallow hard bottom and fan out a bed. The beds look like saucers on the bottom, since they are usually lighter than the surrounding area. The females will come in, find a bed or several beds to their liking, and lay eggs in them. Then they leave, not sticking around to help raise the babies.
The male will fertilize the eggs and stay with the nest, guarding it against bluegill and other water critters that want an easy egg meal. And he has a lot to guard. A female will lay 2000 – 7000 eggs per pound of her body weight! He won’t eat while guarding the nest but will chase off bream and other predators by biting at them. That often makes him easy to catch.
After the eggs hatch in two to five days the male will continue to guard them for a week or two, not eating the whole time. He is usually easy to catch during this time, too, since he is so aggressive. Then, after a couple of weeks, he gets hungry and will eat his own offspring!
I was surprised I could not get the males guarding fry to hit any of my baits. They would run at it but not take it.
I did catch a good many smaller bass, from 10 to 14 inches long, on baits fished around docks. Several times I would be reeling in a jig and pig or worm after fishing a dock and see the bass run out and grab it. That was exciting in the clear water.
When I got ready to head home and got back to the cove with the ramp in it I noticed a good current coming across it. That point is a big “community hole,” a place everybody knows holds bass and a lot of people fish there. With current running across it, bringing schools of shad down the river, I figured bass would be waiting to feed on them, and they were.
I quickly caught three on my new Pflueger Purist rod and reel, giving it a good test. I had spooled the reel with 12 pound Trilene Green line and was casting a #8 Shadrap. The outfit handled the 13 and 14 inch spots easily but I am a little worried the medium action rod is too light for big bass. But it casts well and is comfortable to fish with.
I also caught a few bass on a Carolina rigged lizard and a jig and pig. But I got a bit upset at what happened while fishing there. I had noticed two skidoos being launched at the ramp. Two teen-age girls got on one and their parents got on another. The girls came out first and went at a fast idle speed between me and the bank.
I was fishing about 50 feet from the bank. So the girls broke state law, did something very inconsiderate and were stupid. I let them know what I thought as they passed within 30 feet of my boat. The parents came by a few minutes later and seemed oblivious to what the kids did, but at least they didn’t come too close to my boat.
Stupid actions like that are why kids get hurt on skidoos. They come way too close to the bank, boat docks and boats running on plane and get hit or hit something. If you have kids, teach them the laws, safety rules and some common courtesy.
I expect a lot more such stupid stuff this weekend since it is Memorial Day weekend and there will be a lot of people on the lake that should not be there.