Category Archives: Bass Fishing

Bass Fishing Information

What Is A Jig and Pig for Bass Fishing and Why Should I Use One?

If you read or hear much about bass fishing, you will hear people say they use a jig and pig. But what is a jig and pig and why should you use one to fish for bass?

Lead head jig with rubber skirt and fiber weed guard

The jig part is a lead head jig with rubber legs or skirt. It may or may not have a weed guard on the hook.

The pig can be several things. The first ones were Uncle Josh Pork Rind Frogs – hence the name “pig.” Now most fishermen use a plastic pig and they can be many shapes and sizes. Some popular ones are chunks – a round body with two legs like the Zoom Chunk. I like a twin curly tail trailer like the Zoom Creepy Crawler or Fat Albert. Others look like crawfish, like the Net Bait Paca Craw. They come in a wide variety of colors.

The pig is attached to the hook of the jig so the body is mostly covered by the skirt and the legs or tails stick out behind the bait.

Bitsy Bug Jig and Creepy Crawler Trailer

It is important to put the pig or trailer on so it is straight and the legs at a flat plane with the head, perpendicular to the hook. If it is bent the bait may spin and twist your line. If it is at an angle it does not look natural.

The picture above is of my favorite jig and pig – a Strike King Bitsy Bug with a Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer. This one is in browns for clear water. I use a black and blue jig and blue trailer in stained to muddy water. I use a 3/16ths to 1/4 ounce Bitsy Bug and always dip the tips ot the trailer, no matter what color it is, in chartreuse JJs Magic.

For deeper fishing or when the wind is blowing too much for the light jig, I go with the same colors in a 3/8ths to 1/2 ounce Rattleback Jig with the bigger Zoom twin tail Fat Albert trailer. And if I am trying for bigger fish I use the bigger bait. A big bass will hit the smaller bait but I do think bigger fish like bigger baits.

The Bitsy Bug and Creepy Crawler is a great bait for spotted bass but largemouth love it, too. I have done well many tournaments on a variety of lakes on these baits.

A jig and pig can be fished in all kinds of structure and cover. And they can be fished in a wide variety of ways.

How Should I Net A Bass?

Net Results – How To Net A Bass and Other Fish

By Mike Gnatkowski
gnatoutdoors.com

The two most critical and exciting junctures when fishing are at the strike and when the fish comes to net. If the fish strikes aggressively and the hooks are sharp, the fish gets hooked solidly and battling the fish is largely a matter of rod pressure and patience. The most tenuous moment is when the fish nears the boat. With less line out, there is less stretch. Mistakes are magnified. Too much pressure can pull hooks out; not enough and the fish can shake free.

Play and net the bass right

Photo by the Author

Assuming neither happens, netting must be a coordinated effort between the angler and the person wielding the net. Done correctly, the fish is in the net and in the boat before he knows what happened. Approach the netting process in an unsynchronized and haphazard manner and you’ll be lamenting the big one that got away. If you’re just fun fishing, it will be the source of a story that will be retold many times. If it’s during a tournament or on a guide trip, it can have more drastic consequences.

Part of the equation for successfully netting fish is to have the right tool for the job. Anglers should consider the type and size of the fish they expect to encounter to pick the proper net. Elements to consider are hoop diameter and size; handle length and composition and net bag depth, color and composition. A net that’s perfect for one type of fish may be totally inadequate for another.

Bass anglers should consider Frabill’s new line of Conservation Series nets. Conservation Series nets are designed with safe catch and release in mind. All nets feature 100% knotless mesh netting, eliminating injuries commonly caused by sharp knots. Knots also tend to scrape away the slime layer on fish, which can leave them vulnerable to infection. Flat, linear bottoms reduce fish rolling and support the weight of the entire fish. Tangle-free coating prevents hooks from entangling in the net and facilitates quick release. Mesh guard hoops resist wear and greatly extend the life of the net. The 20” x 23” and 23” x 26 Conservation Series nets should meet the needs of most bass fanatics.

The right net protects the fish

Photo coutesy of Frabill

While the Conservation Series nets are meant to treat fish with a gentle touch, they are anything but wimpy. The first impression you get when picking one up is of its strength. The heavy-duty aluminum handle is strong enough to be used as a push pole. Been there; done that. I’ve seen lighter yokes on an oxen. The net yoke is made of hard, thick, nearly indestructible material that will endure a lifetime of use and features Frabill’s exclusive patented Pow’R Lok automatic yoke system. The Mesh Guard Hoop means the bag loops are recessed into the hoop instead of looped around it, which leaves one less thing to snag on when getting ready to net a fish. The solid black hoop and sure-grip handle are a nice finishing touch.

Another option for bass anglers is Frabill’s Crankbait Net. It took two years of development, but Frabill finally came up with a net specifically designed to keep crankbaits, stickbaits and other multi-hook lures from becoming entangled in the netting. We’ve all been there. Net a fish hooked on a crankbait and he starts flopping, creating a nightmare snarl. Not anymore. With the Crankbait Net your net-tangling frustrations are over. The Crankbait Net is available in 20” x 23” to 23” x 26” models with various handle lengths.

Frabill offers a couple of options when it comes scaling back the overall size of the net for storage and transport – key premise when it comes to fitting in a well, even overly geared-up bass boat. Frabill’s Folding Net comes in 18” x 16” and 22’ x 20’ sizes that take up little space when collapsed, but are readily available when it comes time to scoop a 10-pound toad. The Power Stow Net comes in 20” x 24” and 14” x 18” models. The hoop in the Power Stow folds in half and the handle retracts for easy storage,

Use a net big enough for what you hope to catch

Photo courtesy of Frabill

Handle length is largely a matter of personal preference, but is also dictated by the height of your transom and the amount of room you have for storage. Handles can stretch from 2 to 8 feet or more. It’s always better to have a net handle that’s too long than one that’s too short.

Bag and hoop color are considerations, too. Most anglers prefer net bags made from a dark material to prevent spooking fish prior to netting. Wave a flashing net over a fish near the surface and he’s likely to panic. Dark, anodized hoops and handles and dark bags help keep things calm at the moment of truth.

Netting fish is an art form. When done properly, the process is a coordinated effort using a quick, fluid motion that results in a fish flopping on the floor or in the live well. The angler needs to stay at the back or side of the boat to keep track of the fish and the fight until the fish is ready to be netted. Only then should the person with the net step in front of the angler. The angler should be lifting and bringing the fish closer as the netter brings the net up under the fish. The angler needs to be prepared in case the fish makes a sudden run or burst. Done properly, the netter should only have to lift the net as the angler leads the fish over the hoop.

One important point is knowing when a fish is ready to be netted. The fish should be within easy netting distance and show signs of tiring. Usually, the fish will be lying on its side. The idea is to slip the net under the fish headfirst without touching the fish until it is centered in the net. You can then put the net handle straight up in the air, effectively closing the net bag or swing the hoop into the boat. Be careful of nets with long handles. Wielding a long net handle around while paying attention to the fish and not to others in the boat can result in a knock on the noggin or worse.

Most fish are lost at the boat because of indecision or by being too anxious. Have a positive attitude that you can easily scoop the fish. Wait until the fish is well within range and shows signs of tiring. Don’t reach. More fish are lost at this critical juncture because the netter reaches for the fish at the same time the angler gives the fish slack. If you reach too far, the net will flow out in front of the hoop and the fish is likely to get caught in the netting before he’s safely in the net. The hooks get caught in the net and the fish shakes free. To prevent this, don’t reach and hold the bag against the handle until the fish is over the net. Then open your hand to release the bag. Once the fish is in the boat the angler needs to release the tension on the line or give some slack to prevent the hook from flying out and causing injury.

Netting must be a coordinated effort. Done right, it means sweet success and high-fives all around.

Is your net big enough?

Photo by Bill Lindner

How Did the Bass Pros Do On Lake Guntersville?

Legendary Bass Pros in North Alabama on Lake Guntersville

By Frank Sargeant
from The Fishing Wire

The pros get ready

Most of the best-known names in professional bass fishing probed the favorite local spots at Lake Guntersville, in the northeast corner of Alabama, as the Diet Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite tour got underway on Thursday, April 9, and continued through Sunday, April 12. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins were at Guntersville City Harbor, adjacent the 431 bridge on the north edge of town.

With water temperatures still in the low 60s, the lake’s giant female bass haven’t completed their spring spawning, and this should mean fishing fans will see some gigantic fish brought to the scales during the four-day event.

“There was a 12-7 caught in a tournament here just recently,” says Elite Pro Chris Lane. “I would be surprised if there aren’t several fish over 10 pounds caught next week. It’s going to be that kind of tournament.”

Lane might well be one of the anglers finishing near the top–he has lived on Guntersville for the past several years, thrives on shallow water fishing due to his Florida roots, and just won an Elite Tour event at the Sabine River.

Guntersville’s vast beds of milfoil, hydrilla and coontail grass will likely play a role as the Elite pros try to figure out what the successful pattern to win here will be. Lily pads, primrose and other shoreline cover, as well as docks, also attract spawning fish here.

Lane agrees with the popular assessment that it could take a four-day weight of more than 100 pounds to win. So does Casey Ashley, winner of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic held on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell in February.

Like all B.A.S.S. events held in Alabama, the field will include a host of in-state anglers with extensive knowledge of the venue.

Lane, who lives close enough to the lake that he can have his boat in the water in just minutes, finished 36th in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and 40th in the 2010 Elite Series event on Guntersville – his two most recent events on the fishery.

Justin Lucas, who relocated to Guntersville from his native northern California, will be fishing a professional event for the first time on his new home lake. He’s a top-rated young angler who can never be counted out. Ditto for Kevin Hawk, who now guides on the lake.

Aaron Martens, another California native who now makes his home in Leeds, Ala., has a rich history on Lake Guntersville that includes a win in the 2009 Elite Series event on the lake. He also finished 13th in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, 17th in a 2006 Elite Series event and 14th in Bassmaster Tour events in 2004 and 2005 here.

Flamboyant pro Gerald Swindle of Warrior will be in the mix, and has proven himself a consistent producer when bed fishing, and Randy Howell of Springville won the 2014 Classic on this lake, though that was a late winter event where crankbaits were king. Randall Tharp, an Alabama native now living in Florida, can’t be counted out here either–Guntersville is practically his home lake.

Launches are scheduled for 6:15 a.m. CT each day from Guntersville City Harbor with weigh-ins also set for the ramp at 3:15 p.m. daily. Launches and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. The B.A.S.S. Outdoor Expo gets underway at noon Saturday and Sunday, and free demo rides from Mercury, Yamaha, Nitro, Skeeter and, Triton will be available.

Skeet Reese won after Mike Iaconelli led for three days. Iaconelli caught only one bass the final day and dropped to 12th place.

For details and results, visit www.bassmaster.com.

What Is An Overlooked Crankbait for Cold Water Bass?

An Over-Looked Crank For Cold-Weather Bass

By Steve Pennaz
from The Fishing Wire

Bass on a Flicker Shad

When you fish against a guy like Tony Owens, biologist with the Texas Freshwater Fishery Center in Athens, Texas, you pay attention to the little things or you get left in the dust.

Tony not only lives bass every day at his job, he regularly fishes tournaments in East Texas and knows how to catch fish.

But on this trip, he was struggling almost as badly as me. His spinnerbait pattern produced a couple good fish, as did mine (flippin’ PowerBait Jigger Craws), but the cold front that blew through the day before had shut the fish down. Texas’ world-class bass fisheries were built by stocking Florida-strain largemouths, a fish that doesn’t like it much when water temps plummet quickly. (http://www.berkley-fishing.com/PowerBait-Chigger-Craw/Berkley-ae-powerBait-chigger-craw,default,pg.html)

When I tape an episode of “Lake Commandos” television show, I compete with my guest to see who can catch the most fish. While it’s always my goal to catch the most fish, really what I like about the show’s format is seeing how my guests react to not only what the fish are doing, but to what I am doing. And today, Tony reacted to the slow bite by fishing faster. Traditional wisdom calls for slowing down when dealing with cold-front fish, but I have found that it’s often better to actually speed up to see if I can trigger reaction strikes. http://www.lakecommandos.com/

And one of the best baits for doing that is a crankbait.

The lake we were fishing was loaded with shad, which serve as the primary forage for the bass and other gamefish. So I switched over to a Berkley Flicker Shad, casting it on a medium heavy spinning rod loaded with 10-pound NanoFil to make it easy to cast long distances. http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Berkley%C2%AE-Flicker-Shad%C2%AE/1285348,default,pd.html

Most bass anglers seem to overlook cranks with subtle side-to-side rolls like the Flicker Shad, opting more often for baits that have a more aggressive action. But the shad imitators can be dynamite under certain conditions and I like to toss them after a cold front.

The fact is, I should have started the day with the Flicker Shad as the day before I had been targeting crappies on another east Texas lake, casting small #4 and #5 Flicker Shads, and while we caught a ton of slabs (one pushing 3 pounds!), we also caught a lot of big bass. In fact, we caught so many bass they interfered with our planned fish fry for that evening!

I was guilty of fishing inside the box of what’s comfortable. Like a lot of anglers, I had forgotten just how effective small, tight-wobbling crankbaits can be for early-season or cold-water bass.

Fact is, small, tight-wobbling cranks like the Berkley Flicker Shad can trigger bites when nothing else does.

A thin bait by design, the Flicker Shad has a tight wobble – actually, more of a roll – than a square bill. As such, it sends out an entirely different underwater sound, which is picked up bass both in the auditory sense and via the fish’s lateral line. Could be that thin, narrow baits with roll produce an acoustical signature more akin to the sounds and vibrations that shad emit as they travel through the water.

Another thing that’s great about the Flicker Shad is it’s a great casting bait, which means you can cover great distances without spooking fish in clear or pressured waters. It also makes it a great option when you visually locate schooling bass busting bait on the surface.

When I locate schooling bass in open water I like to cast past the school, working the bait quickly to get to the larger fish in the school, which are typically deeper than the smaller bucks. These larger fish have learned that the lunch falls right on their plate as smaller fish shred and slash shad high in the water column.

On rivers and reservoirs, I’ve found casting Flicker Shads along rip rap or timber and brush a great way to locate active fish. On natural lakes, I’ve gotten past my fear of fishing crankbaits around emergent weeds using smaller, shallower-running baits for ripping bait through small gaps or lanes in the weeds.

I typically choose Flicker Shads according to the depth I’m fishing – a #4, #5, or #6 for waters up to 7 feet — and a #7 or #9 for depths over 8 feet. Consult the following dive curves to pick the best sizes for where you fish.

Four Go-To Colors

The Flicker Shad

For cold, clear early-season waters, I rely on four color patterns that allow me flexibility on different waters. The first is Natural Shad, the match-the-hatch choice for lakes, rivers and reservoirs with threadfin and gizzard shad. Second is Red Tiger, which mimics both crawfish and bluegills – definitely a solid early-season pick. Third, I like Racy Shad, which has hues of green and orange in it, as well as a chartreuse lateral line for dirtier, stained waters. And lastly, sometimes plain Pearl White can be a great performer, which mimics young white bass or shad that have been regurgitated by other fish – the same reason plain white Flukes are so effective.

How to Work ‘Em

I rarely fish Flicker Shads on a steady retrieve for bass. Instead, I use a fast twitch-twitch, twitch-twitch, which mimics shad movement. And the key to this retrieve is using spinning gear.

For me, I prefer a 7′ Abu Garcia Veritas with a little softer tip, like a medium power, fast action model. I like Abu Garcia Revo Sx20 or Sx30 spinning reels for their smooth gearing, powerful drag and how easily line falls off the spool for long, accurate casts. http://www.abugarcia.com/Rods/AbuGarcia-Rods,default,sc.html?prefn1=ZZSUBSER&prefv1=Abu%20Garcia%20Veritas & http://www.abugarcia.com/Abu-Garcia%C2%AE-Revo%C2%AE-SX-Spinning/1290278,default,pd.html

In terms of line choice, NanoFil Dyneema-based superline casts farther than anything on the market. Ten-pound Nano has the diameter of 2- to 4-pound mono and gives me the sensitivity I need ensure the bait is working as it should. It’s amazingly telegraphic. I can tell if one treble has a piece of leaf on it, even with 16 inches of 8- or 10-pound Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader. Speaking to the leader, I like it for making bait changes easier and it virtually eliminates the tendency of the line tangling in the trebles during the cast. http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Berkley%C2%AE-NanoFil%C2%AE/1285551,default,pd.html

Consider adding an additional spinning stick and a subtle action crank like the Flicker Shad to your boat deck this season. Not only is this system effective for early-season and open-water bass – especially on shad-filled waters – it’s a solid MVP for anything that swims.

And if you ask me, that’s pretty cool. In my world more bites equals more fun!

Lake Lanier Fishing Did Not Live Up To Hopes, At Least for My Club

Last Sunday 21 members and guests of the Flint River Bass Club fished our April tournament at Lanier. We were all excited – fishing reports said they were biting good and everything seemed right. And when Chuck Croft told us at the meeting Tuesday night he and his partner won a tournament there the weekend before with 22 pounds, we just knew we would catch fish.

Nope. In nine hours of casting, we landed 41 bass weighing about 79 pounds. There were only four five-bass limits and six members didn’t land a keeper. As expected though, there were only eight largemouth landed. The rest were spotted bass. There is a 14 inch length limit on all bass at Lanier, though. Many of us caught a lot of 13 inch bass that would be keepers on most lakes.

We are going to have to stop allowing guests to fish this tournament. Last year William Scott fished as a guest and won the tournament and had a six pounder, the biggest bass caught in any of our tournaments. This year Sam Smith fished as Niles Murray’s guest and won it with five weighing 10.79 pounds. And he had a 3.12 pound spot for big fish.

Brandon Stooksbury should have won but he came in 7 minutes late after being told the wrong weigh-in time on the phone after arriving late for blast off. He did place second with five weighing 8.86 after a 21 percent penalty. And he had a 3.39 pound spot that would have been big fish without the penalty.

William Scott came back as a guest and came in third with five at 8.40 pounds and my five weighing 7.60 was good for fourth place. Jordan McDonald fished with me and had three weighing 5.61 pounds so we had a decent day, but not nearly as good as expected.

I couldn’t wait to get to my first place at the 6:30 blast off. A few years ago I did an article on Lanier in early April with Laura Gober and she took me to a place at daylight where we caught several three pound plus spots on jerkbaits, and she said that was not unusual. Jordan and I hit it and fished it for an hour, and caught several short fish. I did hook a 2.5 pound plus spot we could see down about six feet under the boat in the clear water, but it pulled off the jerkbait.

By 10:00 we were frustrated. Although we had caught several small bass we didn’t have a keeper in the live wells. So we took off up the Chestatee River, headed to the back end of it where the lake looks more like what I am used to fishing. Jordan had taken me up there last March in a Flint River tournament and I came in second in it.

On the way we stopped on a hump and Jordan caught a keeper at about 10:30 so our attitude improved. And soon after getting to the very back end of the river, 22 miles from the blast off ramp, I landed a keeper largemouth on a jig and pig from about two feet of water.

We fished shallow bushes, grass and rocks the rest of the day and I landed four more keepers and Jordan got two more. I had only three with about an hour left to fish when I hooked a three pound plus largemouth on a worm in two feet of water and told Jordan to get the net just as it jumped and threw the hook.

With less than 30 minutes to fish we went to a small island and I caught a keeper largemouth and a keeper spot to fill my limit almost on back to back casts. It took us 22 minutes at 60 miles per hour to get back to the ramp, but it was worth the ride!

Georgia Bass Chapter Federation Top Six at West Point Lake

Caught in Top Six at West Point

They say if you don’t like the weather in Georgia, wait a few hours and it will be different. That was certainly true at West Point last week. In the five days I was there for the Top Six we had everything from hail to warm sun shine, pouring rain to clear skies and cold, strong winds.

I went over to Whitetail Campground on Thursday afternoon, put the boat in the water and set up my van camper. The campground is straight across the lake from Pyne Park, the tournament launch site and it is very convenient to leave the boat in the water and go over each morning to the blast off, avoiding the confusion and mess of 100 boats trying to launch.

Friday morning I got up and started trying to figure out where the bass were and what they would hit. When I saw the water temperature was 61 degrees I tried a topwater plug and caught a keeper spotted bass so I fished it for an hour without another bite. After switching to a jig and a Carolina rigged lizard I started catching keeper spots on every gravel point I fished, but I knew they would not win the tournament.

I did catch a three pound largemouth on Saturday morning out of some brush on a point, the size fish that would make a difference in the tournament. But after trying that kind of cover for the rest of the day all I caught were more small spots, although I was throwing big jig and pig.

Sunday morning Jordan McDonald and Jennifer Spell went out with me to practice. Although they were both fishing with the Flint River team and I was on the Sportsman Club team we were working together. The first place I stopped, another rocky point with some brush, I hooked and landed a six pound largemouth and got real excited! Maybe that pattern would work.

About noon we went into a small creek up the river. Jordan had talked to a friend and was told running a square bill crankbait by wood cover worked, and the first stick he tried he landed a 3.5 pound largemouth. The next stick I landed a 2.5 pound largemouth so we were excited.

As luck would have it that afternoon at the drawing, Jordan and I were paired for Monday. The computer won’t pair two fishermen from the same club, but since we were on different clubs we got to fish together. We had a plan!

Monday morning we took off to the point where I had caught the three pounder since it was close. Although there were no largemouth there, spots were feeding and we stayed for almost two hours until we both had four keepers. The rain made us stay longer than planned on those small fish but we didn’t want to run in the pouring rain.

On the point where I had caught the six pounder we caught several spots, but no largemouth. So we headed to the creek up the river, hoping to cull all those little spots. But again nothing but small spots hit there. A little after noon we started fishing pockets in Yellowjacket Creek, the pattern Jordan’s friend told him about, and Jordan landed a 4.5 pounder, but I caught nothing but small fish.

At weigh-in Jordan had a little over 10 pounds and my five weighed an even seven pounds. Jordan was in a good position but I knew I was in trouble. The fisherman weighing in behind me had five weighing 22 pounds! And some others had 14 to 16 pounds.

The second day even the spots quit hitting on the first two places my partner from Savannah and I fished so we went to the creek up the river. We started catching some decent largemouth as well as spots there and I even landed a 5.65 pound largemouth on a Carolina rig. We stayed there until we had to go in.

I had five at just over 10 pounds and my partner had just under 10 pounds to go with the 10 pounds he had caught the day before. My big fish ended up being the seventh biggest in the tournament.

Jordan finished in 16th place out of almost 200 fishermen and I came in 32nd. Mickey McHenry on the Flint River team placed 15th. The Sportsman Club team was 15th out of 33 teams and the Flint River Team was 16th.

Although I was dead tired after all that fishing I am already looking forward to the other Federation Top Six at Hartwell in October and this Federation tournament at Eufaula next April!

Fishing Is Good At Lake Oconee In March

At Oconee on Sunday 15 members and guests of the Spalding County Sportsman Club fished our March tournament. After casting in the rain for eight hours we brought 65 bass over the 14 inch minimum for keepers and they weighed about 140 pounds. Fishing was good, with 8 five fish limits weighed in. Only one person didn’t have a keeper.

Kwong Yu showed up for his first tournament with the club this year and won it all with five weighing 14.38 pounds and big fish of 6.15 pounds. Craig Zoellner, also fishing his first tournament this year with the club, was second with five at 12.12 pounds. Raymond English placed third with five at 12.06 and fourth was Zane Fleck with five weighing 11.61 pounds.

I thought I had a pretty good catch until everybody started weighing in the big stringers. Niles Murray had five at 10.53 pounds to come in fifth and my five at 9.96 pounds was sixth. My partner Jordan McDonald had four weighing 9.84 for a close seventh. We had a lot of fish weighing two pounds or more so the bigger fish bit pretty good.

I caught six keepers during the day, all on a Texas rigged Baby Brush Hog. Jordan caught his on a variety of baits. The fish were on secondary points and banks back in coves and in three to five feet of water. Niles said he and Raymond caught their fish in similar places but all on Carolina rigs.

Today is the last day of practice at West Point for the state Top Six. The tournament is Monday and Tuesday. I am hoping the fishing will be good but the cold nights this weekend have me worried. Bass moving toward the shallow bedding areas and fairly easy to catch often back off and feed less if the water temperature drops.

Youth Tournament On Jackson and Spotted Bass

At Jackson Sunday we had five youth fishing the youth tournament and four teams of youth and adults in the buddy part of the tournament. After six hours of casting on a beautiful day we brought in 20 keepers weighing about 26 pounds. Almost all were spots but they bit pretty good.

In the Youth tournament Dawson McMonigle won, Tyler Gruber was second and had big fish and Hunter Jenkins placed third. Treston Cheeves and Kemson Cheeves also fished but did not place in the top three.

In the Buddy tournament Sam Smith and Dawson had five weighing 7.14 to win, Hunter and I had five weighing 6.76 for second, third was Raymond English fishing with his two grandsons Treston and Kemson with two bass at 3.88 and big fish weighing 3.09 pounds and fourth was Larry Cook and Tyler with one at 1.35 pounds.

Hunter and I caught more than a dozen keeper spots and some smaller fish, mostly on jig head worms. The fish we caught were all on rocks, something spots love, and most were right off the main lake in five or six feet of water. Many of them picked up the bait and started swimming with it without me feeling the hit.

I think everyone had a good time!

I kept some of the spots and fried filets on Monday night. They were delicious. Jackson is overrun with spots under 14 inches long, there is no size limit on them since they are invasive and hurt a lake when they get in it, and taste good. Right now is a good time for a trip to Jackson to catch some to fry.

March Madness and Fishing

March Madness is here, but that means something totally different for fishermen. To us it means crappie are in the shallows spawning, bass are moving shallow and are much more active and being on the water can be downright comfortable after the miserable cold winter. And catching will be good for at least the next two months.

You can fill your limit of 30 crappie quickly most days by dabbling a minnow or jig around shoreline bushes or other wood cover. They can also be caught by trolling shallow stump flats and drop-offs. This is a great time to fill your freezer with these good tasting fish.

Bass are about as easy to catch as they get. You can catch them on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, worms and jigs. Go about half way back in a cove or small creek and start casting to any wood or rock cover in fairly shallow water and you will catch fish.

Stripers and hybrids are feeding better, too. They start running up rivers in area lakes and also congregate near the dam. They can be caught by trolling or jigging spoons or jigs over deep water, and you can often find gulls diving on fish feeding on or near the surface.

The fishing reports from Georgia lakes I post on my site each week reflect this good fishing. All say fishing is good right now, and they offer a variety of tips on what to fish on that specific lake, where to fish and what to expect. They will say the fishing is good until at least early June.

And my favorite way to fish is about to get right. I love to cast a topwater plug, and as soon as the water temperature hits 55 degrees I will start using a popper or buzzbait. It will be even better when the temperature goes above 60 degrees, but you may be surprised at the strikes you can get when it is still a little colder.

Yesterday the Flint River and Spalding County clubs had our youth/buddy tournament at Jackson and today the Sportsman Club is fishing our March tournament at Oconee. Then on Thursday I go to West Point for three days of practice and the FLW Top Six on the following Monday and Tuesday. I will miss fishing only three days out of 11 so I will get in almost enough time on the water.

Both the Flint River Bass Club and the Spalding County Sportsman Club are sending six man teams to the tournament so 12 of us will be there competing for individual and team prizes. I really enjoy fishing the Top Six each year and hope this is a good one.

Second Place At West Point Lake On A Rapala DT 6 Crankbait

Two tournaments at West Point in the last month showed fishing can be good but the water is still a little cold for it to be great for everybody. The Potato Creek Bassmasters had a tournament there on February 14 and the Flint River Bass Club fished our tournament on March 8 and both had some members with decent catches but others struggling to even catch a keeper.

In the Potato Creek tournament, 16 members fished for eight hours to land 15 keepers weighing about 36 pounds. There was one five-fish limit and nine fishermen didn’t catch a keeper. At West Point largemouth have to be 14 inches long to keep but spots an be 12 inches long.

Lee Hancock had the limit weighing 14.33 pounds and won, and his 3.99 pounder was big fish. That is an excellent catch any time of year. Bobby Ferris had four at 9.83 pounds for second, third was Eric Blessitt with two at 4.96 pounds and Ryan Edge placed fourth with one at 1.83 pounds.

In the Flint River Tournament 19 members fished eight hours to land 24 keepers weighing about 49 pounds. There were two five-fish limits and eight members didn’t have as keeper. The water had warmed some and the weather was much nicer the day we fished, making it a little better.

Niles Murray won with five weighing 9.31 pounds, my five at 9.08 pounds was second, third was Chuck Croft with three at 6.11 pounds and Jack Ridgeway had two at 5.80 pounds for fourth. Gary Hattaway had a 5.30 pound largemouth for big fish. There were only four largemouth weighed in, all the rest were spotted bass.

I have a love/hate relationship with Rapala DT 6 crankbaits. Last Saturday when checking and getting my tackle ready for the tournament I looked at the bill of the one I had caught four of my five keepers on at Sinclair. It was cracked so I tied a new one on. Sunday morning we started at 8:00 and by 10:00 I had caught four keepers on it.

A little after catching my fourth fish I was reeling it along, bumping the bottom, when the line went slack. I thought a bass had hit it and ran toward me so I started reeling fast, and reeled in the bill of the new plug. It had broken just behind the line tie.

So far this year I have broken the bill on five of these $8 crankbaits. The first two I thought were my fault since I slapped them on the water to get leaves off them and they broke. But the third one broke at Bartletts Ferry soon after I landed my only keeper that day, and the one I caught fish on at Sinclair was not useable since it was cracked.

I wish I was not catching almost all my keepers on this bait so I could quit using it. I am scared I am going to hook a big bass on one and lose the fish when the bill breaks. That is when I will throw all of them away. But right now I would rather catch fish and take a chance on breaking the bill than not catch fish at all.

I have three of the baits on my table to send to Rapala. It will be interesting to see how they respond. I have always liked Rapala baits. One of my favorites growing up fishing ponds was the 11S floating Rapala and then I started catching a lot of fish in bigger lakes on the Countdown model. And since they came out Shadraps have caught many bass for me.

I landed my fifth keeper on a jig head worm after losing one on it in the tournament. I got seven bites all day and landed five of them so I was happy with second place.

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