Category Archives: How To Fish

Where and How To Catch March Bass at Lake Tuscaloosa, with GPS Coordinates

March Bass at Tuscaloosa with Brandon Ligon

March is a magical month when the world seems to be waking up after a long winter nap. Signs of spring are slowly emerging as the days get longer and warmer. And best of all, bass are becoming more and more active and getting easier to catch. Lake Tuscaloosa, a nice surprise in a small package, is a great place to take advantage of those active bass right now.

Lake Tuscaloosa is five miles north of the cities of Northport and Tuscaloosa and covers 5885 acres with 177 miles of shoreline. It was created at a water supply reservoir for Tuscaloosa and Northport by damming the North River in 1971.

The lower lake has steep rocky shorelines and the water is usually extremely clear. All the rain this year has put a little stain in it, making it a little easier to catch the spots that predominate in that area.

The upper lake is more river-like and the water is usually a little stained and more fertile than the lower lake. You can catch more largemouth the further up the river you go, and you will find more shallow water cover to fish.

Although there were only five tournaments sent in from there, the Bass Angler Information Team survey shows Tuscaloosa as the second highest lake in the state as far as angler percent success, so you can catch a lot of bass there. In tournaments it ranks first in bass per angler day of all Alabama lakes in the survey, so catching large numbers of bass is not a problem on the lake.

But the bass tend to be small, with an average bass caught in a tournament weighing only 1.47 pounds, 16^th of the 20 lakes in the survey. Just over half the bass weighed in are largemouth but that is skewed by the fact tournament fishermen target the heavier largemouth and cull spots with largemouth.

It may surprise many anglers that it takes less time to catch a bass weighing over five pounds in a tournament on Tuscaloosa than many other more well known lakes. Tuscaloosa ranks above Lay Lake, Weiss, Logan Martin, Jordan and several other lakes in the amount of hours an angler has to fish to catch a five pound plus bass.

If you go to Tuscaloosa expect to catch a lot of small spots and largemouth, but if you target bigger largemouth you can catch a five pound plus bass. For those reasons Tuscaloosa ranks fifth in the state in the overall value ranking on the BAIT survey.

Brandon Ligon grew up just five minutes from Lake Tuscaloosa and still lives there. He considers Tuscaloosa his home lake and has fished it all his life, making many trips there when very young with his father. He has become an accomplished tournament fisherman and does well in pot and charity tournaments on the lake.

For years Brandon would fish Tuscaloosa several times each week, hitting it after school and at night, and fishing all the local tournaments on it. He keeps up with the bass there and knows where to find them.

After fishing a few tournaments with the West Alabama Bass Club Brandon started concentrating on pot tournaments on other lakes, too. He became a member of the Grammer Marine Fishing Team and fishes many local tournaments and trails. Last year he slowed down some while he built a house, but the year before he won the Woods and Waters Solo Trail point standings and has done well in many other tournaments on Tuscaloosa.

A five fish limit over 16 pounds is Brandon’s best weigh-in at Tuscaloosa and he has landed a five pound plus spot and a couple of seven pound largemouth from the lake. He says a 15 pound five-fish limit is a good catch here and most limits will weigh less than ten pounds since most will be small spots.

“In late February the bass here start the transition from deep water toward the spawning areas,” Brandon said. The bass move up shallower on points and into the first parts of the creeks. Warm days make them move up more but a cold spell can move them back, so they tend to hold near deep water.

As the days get warmer into March this movement becomes more pronounced and greater numbers of bass can be found shallow. By the end of the month you will catch more bass but they will still be in the same areas, feeding and getting ready for the spawn.

There are grass beds all over the lake and they are a prime feeding area for bass, even before its starts greening up and growing. Baitfish are attracted to the old brown grass to feed and bass follow. As the grass puts out new growth it just gets better.

Rocks are common and rocky points and bluff banks hold bass year round. They move up toward the points at the ends of bluff banks and then up onto the shallow areas of the points as they make their seasonal migration. And wood cover like blowdowns, stumps and logs hold them on those points and other shallow areas.

A variety of baits will catch bass right now and Brandon will have several rigged and ready. A crankbait like a Bandit 200 or 300 series works well on the points, especially early in the morning. In the clear lower lake Brandon will throw a natural color but switches to chartreuse in the stained water.

In late February and early March a jerk bait will often pay off in the clear water, too. Brandon likes a Rogue but says your favorite jerk bait will catch fish, so use the one you have the most confidence in. Rattlebaits like a half-ounce Rat-L-Trap or an XR 50 also catch a lot of fish this time of year.

For slower fishing Brandon says a Carolina rig is hard to beat and will catch a lot of spots on the lake. He likes a Zoom Finesse worm or small lizard in watermelon, green pumpkin or pumpkin in the clear water or something with chartreuse in it if the water is stained. He also throws a small worm on a shaky head a lot on the lower lake and says spots love it.

For a kicker fish up the lake, Brandon will use a jig and pig and flip or pitch it around heavy cover for largemouth. Since the water is usually stained a black and blue combination of jig and trailer usually works well.

Brandon showed me around Lake Tuscaloosa a couple of weeks ago on a cold, sunny day. We hit the following ten spots and fish were on several of them and more will move onto them now.

1. N 33 17.493 – W 87 30.671 – If you put in at the dam run up to the first bend to your left and you will see the North River Yacht Club back in a cove on your right. The up stream point of this cove runs way out and is very shallow on top, only five feet deep 50 yards off the bank. It is a perfect place for bass to move up to feed this time of year since it runs out to very deep water, is shallow on top and leads into a good spawning cove.

You will see some picnic tables on the bank on the point and there is a dock on the upstream side of it where it transitions into a bluff bank. The dock had a rusty tin roof on it. The water near the bank in shallow but it drops off very deep on both sides out on the point.

Brandon says you can catch a thousand small spots here on any day but he got a nice two pound plus spot here the day we fished. It hit his Bandit crankbait and Brandon said he would love to have a limit of them in the tournament he was fishing the next weekend.

Start well off the point and work all the way around it, casting a crankbait over the shallow water and covering it at all angles. Then go back over it with a jig head or Carolina rigged worm. Work from shallow to deep then try deep to shallow.

Before you leave fish up the bluff bank, casting a jerk bait near the rock wall and working it back to the boat. Bass will often hold along this bluff bank and this pattern will often catch fish on all the bluff banks on the lake, but the ones that end in a shallow point near a spawning cove are better this time of year.

2. N 33 18.696 – W 87 31.787 – Running up the river it makes a big sharp bend back to your left. If you go straight ahead and a little to your left you will see a green boathouse with two white doors on the water and a green house on the bank ahead of you. Just upstream is a nice brick house on the bank. Start fishing at the green dock and fish toward the point to your left.

The bottom here is clay and sand but there are good grass beds in the shallows that attract baitfish and bass. Brandon says spots will pull up to the edge of the grass to feed and largemouth will get back in the grass and feed, especially on a warm sunny day. The sun hits this bank all day long, warming the water.

Fish a crankbait or rattlebait along the edges of the grass then work a worm or jig through the grass, hitting holes and pocket in it. Fish all the way out to the point and a little ways around it, as long as there is grass to fish.

3. N 33 20.051 – W 87 32.490 – Run upstream past the two creeks that enter the lake, one on each side, and slow down just before the river makes a hard left turn. Downstream of the point on your left you will see a cove with a no wake buoy in it and a dock with a big “Private No Trespassing” sign on it. There is a gazebo on the flat area of the point and a boat ramp on the bank, too.

Start fishing upstream of this cove, near the point. There is a lot of grass here to fish and you will see a metal post in the water near the point. Fish the shallow grass to the point then work out from the bank, following the point. It drops off fast on the upstream side so cover the drop, then work back to the bank and hit the grass there, too. It does not run too far up that bank and it turns into a bluff bank rock wall.

This point is a good example of the type place Brandon likes to fish from both directions. He says sometimes Tuscaloosa bass will orient one way or the other and want a bait coming shallow to deep or deep to shallow. It is not because of current since there is seldom a current here. But you need to try all directions and let the bass let you know what they want that day.

4. N 33 21.318 – W 87 33.024 – Run up the river to the Highway 69 Bridge and go to the small creek just downstream of it on your right. There is a bluff bank on the last point on the upstream side of the creek and a roadbed comes out off a bank across a small cove from the bluff bank. The roadbed has a danger buoy on it and there is a dock on the bluff bank side.

The road bed runs out shallow from the bank where a barricade has been put up and there is a stop sign there. After the road crosses the cove it runs along the bluff bank, making a shelf off it. The roadbed holds bass from the bluff bank all the way to where it comes out of the water.

Fish from the end of the bluff bank across the cove and out on the shallow area around the danger marker with a jig head worm of small jig and pig like a Bitsy Bug rigged with a small chunk. Green pumpkin and brown colors are best. Work your bait along the bottom of the whole area. Brandon says a these baits are the most effective way to fish this spot.

5. N 33 21.326 – W 37 36.184 – Further up the river the Tierce Patton Road bridge has a long causeway on the right side going upstream. Brandon says if he had to catch a bass on the lake this would be where he would go. Riprap on bridges is almost perfect cover and structure and bass hold and feed on it. There is deep water off the rocks on both sides and the sun warms the rocks, attracting baitfish and bass this time of year.

Keep your boat out from the rocks and cast to them. Brandon says he has tried paralleling the rocks, but there is a good bit of wood cover out from them so it is best to make cast that cover the water from the rocks out to the boat well off them. There is also grass along parts of the rocks to fish. Fish both sides of the riprap like this.

Brandon will start with a crankbait and fish it on both sides of the bridge then work the area with a jig head worm or small jig and pig for less active bass. Some tournament fishermen work this riprap all day, knowing the bass will bite at some time.

6. N 33 21.469 – W 87 36.286 – Just upstream of the bridge is a creek on your left. The upstream point of this creek has an A-Frame house with a red metal roof on it and there is a cut rock seawall running around the point. There is a little pocket just upstream of this seawall where is ends and a dock is in the pocket. The upstream point of the pocket is a block seawall and is rocky.

Brandon will start in front of the A-Frame house and fish a jerk bait up to the next point, casting it right to the seawall and working it back. He will also cover the area with a crankbait and jig head worm. We caught one keeper spot here when we fished and missed a couple of hits so they are already holding on this point. Brandon will hit it quick to see if they are feeding then move on.

7. N 33 22.069 – W 87 35.313 – A little further up the river opens up and makes a bend to your left. There is a big flat point on your left at the bend and it has four danger markers on it. The point runs way out, forming an underwater island, and has some big stumps on it that hold bass. We got one keeper here when we fished and missed several bites.

Back well off the danger markers and make long casts up onto the top of the point and island. Fish the edges of it all the way around the area, probing for the stumps. When you hit one make repeated casts to it. Use all your baits. Brandon says crankbaits, Carolina rigs, and shaky heads all catch fish here. The bass hold here year-round and move up into the shallows in the early spring.

8. N 33 22.821 – W 87 35.323 – Across the open water to the right you will see two big islands. The river channel swings around them to the right on the upstream side of them. There is a channel between them but Brandon says it is full of stumps so don’t try to run it. You can go between the bank and the island closest to it, but you want to fish that island, and you need to fish all around it.

The upstream side of the second island going up is sometimes is a little better and that is where we took the GPS reading, but Brandon will fish all the way around this island, working his jig and crankbait on all the little points and pockets, and fishing the grassbeds and wood cover hard.

This is a big area and you can stay on it all day, going round and round and catching bass. Fish will move into the cover and start feeding all day long so you can keep working it and keep catching fish in the spring.

9. N 33 23.264 – W 87 34.682 – Go up across the big open water toward where the river comes in and you will see a sail boat club back on your left in a cove right where the lake narrows down. From that cove upstream there is a flat bank on your left to the next small pocket. There is a lot of wood and grass to fish along this bank.

Start on either end and fish the whole bank. Wind may make it easier to fish it going one way or the other, and wind sometimes helps when it blows on grassbeds like you will find here. Fish the whole bank with a crankbait and a jig and pig. This is a good area to catch largemouth.

10. N 33 24.088 – W 87 34.826 – Run up above the Highway 69 Bridge and the river will stay to your left. To your right is a creek coming in and you want to go into the mouth of it. A point on ahead of you where two arms split has a “Swimming Water Quality” sign on it that was green the day we were there, but the color can change.

Start near the sign and work all around the island it is on. There are lots of logs and blowdowns to fish here and this is the kind of area Brandon would look for a kicker fish. Flip or pitch your jig and pig to each piece of cover and work it hard. Also fish the grass beds, working points and dips in them, as well as fishing back in them.

These places will show you the kind of spots Brandon catches late February and March bass on Tuscaloosa, and the way he fishes them. There are many other good spots on the lake you can find if you check these out and then look for similar places. You will catch a lot of bass, and there could well be a five pounder in the mix.

Mustad Hooks Offers Tips On WHY YOU NEED MULTIPLE PITCHING RIGS

WHY YOU NEED MULTIPLE PITCHING RIGS

from The Fishing Wire

It’s one of bass fishing’s most broadly used techniques and for good reason. Pitching baits offers a highly efficient way to cover a shoreline with quick, accurate presentations, allowing you to slow down and pick apart promising cover.

Targets will vary, so keep a selection of rigs handy.

Light Cover: Sparse hydrilla and milfoil, patchy lily pads, or thin eel grass; bass may relate to this thin cover during early mornings or during their spawn. Here, you don’t need much weight — just enough to allow for accurate casts and the ability to navigate through the cover.

A classic Texas rig with a 3/16- to 1/4-ounce Mustad Tungsten TitanX Worm Weight and a craw or creature bait on a 3/0-4/0 Mustad KVD Grip-Pin Soft Plastics Hook fits this role. Other options: A 4- to 6-inch lizard or a soft stick worm on a 3/0 or 4/0 Mustad Offset Shank Worm Hook. Pitch your bait into gaps and breaks in the cover and stay alert for distinct holes amid grass beds, where hard sand or shell bottom offers ideal holding spots.

Heavy Vegetation: When matted grass or thick rafts of floating vegetation (hyacinth, pennywort, etc.) blanket the surface, the shadowy caverns below offer prime bass habitat, particularly during the heat of summer. Standard pitching rigs often hang on the dense cover, so you’ll want to switch to the “punching” technique, which uses heavier terminal tackle to drive a bait through the cover.

You can use similar baits used when flipping light cover, but you’ll want to beef up the hook to a Mustad Grip-Pin Max Punching Hook and add a 1- to 2-ounce Mustad Tungsten TitanX Weight secured with a Mustad Weight Stop.

Nothing complicated here; you’re simply forcing a bait through the cover for what typically turns out to be a reaction bite. Even when fish are not in an active feeding mode, the sudden appearance of a forage profile usually triggers a reaction bite.

Multi-Purpose: Boaters have the advantage of carrying an arsenal of rods, each rigged for specific tasks; even modern-day fishing kayakers can transport a good selection. For the bank fisherman or the casual kayak angler, a minimalist approach necessitates making the most of two or three rods.

In such scenarios, the ability to immediately switch from pitching to a swimming or twitching presentation broadens your versatility. One of the best options for this is a 5-inch soft plastic stick worm rigged on a 3/0 or 4/0 Mustad Offset Shank Worm Hook .

With a tapered tail, the stick worm easily slips into sparse grass, holes in lily pad fields, and gaps in cattails or reeds. Pitch the bait into a promising area, give it a couple of twitches, then repeat. Optionally, add a nail weight to the tail for better control and a unique presentation. When the worm hits the water, that weight pulls it down and away for a darting look.

For thorough coverage, shifting to a cast-and-retrieve pattern allows you to work the vegetation’s perimeter edges or target fish that you see chasing baitfish. Add a screw-in spinner blade to the stick worm’s tail end for extra appeal during the swimming presentations.

About Mustad

Mustad has led the global hook market since 1877. Mustad’s mission is to create a comprehensive multi-brand company that leads the fishing tackle industry, while focusing on innovation, employee and customer satisfaction, and sustainability. With the addition of TUF-LINE and LIVETARGET, Mustad continues to solidify its position as a complete sports fishing brand family.

Where and How To Catch February Bass at Coffeeville Lake with GPS Coordinates

February Bass at Coffeeville

with Tom Abate

With the severe cold weather we have been having this winter it is hard to think about bass fishing. But there are some things you can do to improve your odds and be a little more comfortable, too. You can go south, and you can fish a lake with extensive shallow backwaters that warm from the sun. Coffeeville on the Tombigbee River offers both.

Coffeeville was created by a lock and dam on the Tombigbee River and contains 8500 acres of water stretching over 97 miles upstream to the Demopolis Dam. It is mostly river channel with a few big creeks and many small sloughs and creeks off the river. These creeks and sloughs are full of cover ranging from docks to cypress trees.

Tom Abate is the police chief of Gilbertown and lives just a few miles from the lake. Although he has lived in the area for many years, he did not get into bass tournament fishing until three years ago. Charles Owen, one of his council members, invited Tom to fish a tournament and he was hooked.

Saying he is the biggest fish Charles ever hooked, Tom told me how he went into bass fishing in a big way, selling his hunting guns and buying a bass boat. He joined the Gilbertown Bass Club with Charles and fishes as many tournaments on area lakes as he can. Charles and Jerry Roberts both taught Tom a lot about bass fishing and he has been very successful.

Tom is now the president of the Gilbertown Bass Club and they put on a series of charity tournaments as well as fishing club tournaments each year. They are the closest club to Coffeeville Lake and fish it a lot.

One day a week Tom works at A & D Sports in Gilbertown, selling fishing supplies. He gets to talk to a lot of area fishermen at the store and keeps up with what the bass are doing through work as well as through his bass club.

Tom says the pattern for bass in February is very simple on Coffeeville. If the water is colder than 52 degrees the bass will hold at the mouth of creeks and sloughs in deep water. They will be on cover from eight to 20 feet deep. If it warms a little they will move into the sloughs and creeks to feed around cover, but they usually won’t stay long until later in the year.

You don’t need a lot of rods and reels on your deck right now on Coffeeville. Tom will have a deep running crankbait for fishing the deep creek mouths and a shallow running crankbait for fishing around the cover back in the sloughs. A Bandit in different sizes works well for both, and he likes the baby bass colors in clearer water and a brighter bait if the water is stained.

A Carolina rigged creature bait or a jig and pig with a Paca Craw trailer both work well when fished on the shelves and drops at the mouths of creeks. Both can be worked slowly through cover where the bass hold in cold water. Back in the shallow water Tom likes a big lizard Texas rigged to work around the cover.

Tom and I fished on a miserably cold day in early January to look at the holes and find out what the bass were doing. The water was unusually cold, showing 47 on the river and only 44 back in the sloughs, but Tom still managed to catch a couple of keeper bass. Fishing should be much better now if we have a few warm, sunny days.

Check out the following ten spots. They will get better and better as the month progresses and the water warms. And you can find many more similar places, especially up the river, but these are all fairly close together so you won’t have to make long runs.

1. N 31 51.675 – W 88 09.737 – If you put in at Lenoir Landing you will be right in the middle of the places to check, and the first one you can idle to. Go into Tallawampa Creek to where it opens up into a big lake area. Locals call this 30-Acre Lake and there are some grass covered islands to your right, between the creek channel and the river channel.

Work the outside edges of the islands with a shallow running crankbait and a Texas rigged lizard. Concentrate on areas where the creek channel swings in closes to the bank and work the little cuts, dips and points in the grass. You should be fishing areas where there is five feet of water just off the bank.

Also fish the creek channel from the lake area down to the ramp. There are some good blowdowns and stumps in the area to work with a lizard or crankbait. Fish will hold in them as they move up and down the creek with the warming water.

2. N 31 51.502 – W 88 29.155 – Go out to the river and head upstream. Watch for old dock pilings on the river and iron frames back off the bank a little ways. This was an old oil dock and the small opening upstream of it goes back into a big three finger lake area called Oil Dock Slough.

Stop out at the mouth of the slough and fish your crankbait around the cover here. The floods this past year moved a lot of the wood cover away but some has washed back in and bass will hold on it. Fish any trees coming off the bank but also work any brush or logs out in the river down to about 20 feet.

Make long casts with your crankbait to get it down as deep as possible. Try to bump the cover with your crankbait. Then drag your Carolina rigged creature bait across the same cover, pausing it when your lead hits the wood.

If it has been sunny for several days it is worth your effort to get back into the slough and fish the shallow cover there. This time of year the bass are more likely to be near the mouth of the slough where they can run back to deeper water quickly.

3. N 31 52.009 – W 88 08.418 – Headed upstream, watch for a house on the right on the river then houses back in a slough off the river. You can see a good many of them from the river itself. They are in Little Grove Hill Slough, a big lake off the river.

Stop at the entrance to the slough and fish around it with your crankbait and creature bait. Go into the slough and fish the docks and shallow water cover it the water is warming. The water back in here is very shallow so it warms fast, but bass will not usually move long distances in very shallow water this early, so the best areas to fish are closer to the river.

4. N 31 53.071 – W 88 08.111 – Running upstream you will see a dock and house on your left at the mouth of Suck Branch. There is riprap and rock around the mouth of this creek to fish with your crankbait and wood cover out off the bank to fish with both the crankbait and creature bait.

Current can make a big difference when fishing these creek and slough mouths. There will usually be some current moving but the bass will often turn on when the lock downstream operates. Since there is no schedule for this, be ready to take advantage when it does turn on.

Keep your boat downstream and cast up the current, working your bait back with the current. Concentrate on areas where an eddy forms and brings baitfish to the bass. Fish fast when the current is fast since the bass will be more active. A crankbait is usually the best bet when current is flowing.

In slack current, slowly work your plastic bait through the cover in deeper water. The bass will move back deep when the current slacks off and are less active to you have to slow down to get them to hit.

5. N 31 54.394 – W 88 07.688 – Run upstream and watch for green channel marker 130.2 on a tree. Just downstream of this marker is the entrance to Coppersaw Slough. The mouth of it has good wood cover and a drop to fish.

Watch your depthfinder to locate fish and cover. The current will move wood in and out of the area and reposition it, so you need to keep up with it. You will see a lot of fish near the bottom but they may be anything, from catfish to drum, so key on baitfish with fish under them to improve the chances they are bass.

Before you leave go back into the slough and fish the grass and wood cover in it, too. There is a house back in it sitting on a high hill and the water had good depth going back to it. Work all around the slough with your shallow baits.

6. N 31 50.622 – W 88 09.625 – Head downstream from Lenoir Landing and you will see a pipeline crossing with warning signs on both sides of the river. Just downstream of it on the right is a gas terminal for barges. The opening to the Blue Hole is on your left going downstream, across from it.

This opening is hard to spot going downstream since it angles off upstream and is not big. And you can’t see much of it back off the river channel. It does open up back in the woods. There is a while pole in the water just downstream of the mouth if it that will help you find it.

Work around the mouth of this slough like the others. Try fishing both directions. Start with your boat in deeper water and fish from shallow to deep, then move in closer to the bank and cast out, working your baits from deep to shallow. Try both directions here and on other spots to see what the bass want.

7. N 31 50.174 – W 88 10.002 – Further downstream on your right going downstream is Alligator Slough and Duck Pond Landing. As you go into this creek there is a boat landing on your left. It then opens up into a big lake area full of cypress trees.

One of the key things Tom looks for this time of year is clear water. If the river is muddy you can sometimes find clearer water back in the sloughs, and bass will often hold near the transition between clear and muddy. This slough is almost always has clear water back in it and is a good one to fish when the river is muddy.

Work all the cypress trees going back into the slough. Keep your boat in the deeper water and fish the trees near it first. Keep going back as long as you are getting bites, and try more shallow water when you find a school of bass. When you catch one you are likely to catch more. The day we fished Tom caught two bass here almost back to back.

8. N 31 49.390 – W 88 10.856 – Downstream on your right is the mouth of Okatutta Creek. This is one of the bigger creek area on the lake and it runs way back off the river. But before going into the creek idle around at the mouth of it. There is shelf well off the bank that comes up from 40 feet in the river channel to 12 feet on top, then drops back off at you go to the mouth of the creek. It will come right back up to four to five feet deep right at the mouth of the creek.

Fish this shelf with your crankbait and Carolina rig. Work it from different angles and probe for cove on it. Tom said the biggest bass he has seen in a tournament on Coffeeville, one over eight pounds, was caught here on a crankbait.

9. N 31 49.691 – W 88 10.860 – Go back into the creek and watch for a riprap point on your right at the mouth of Judy’s Slough. This big creek has many smaller creeks entering it and you should fish them just like the creek mouths on the river itself. Judy’s Slough is one of the biggest and there is a deep hole at the mouth of it. It is on the outside bend of the creek, too, making it even better.

Work all around the mouth of the slough, fishing both sides at different angles with crankbait and Carolina rig. Work into the slough, covering any trees lying in the water. Tom says this creek is a good place to catch spotted bass.

There are several more similar sloughs on up the creek and you can work them all. If you catch fish in a certain way on one, fish the others in the same way. Bass will often be on a similar pattern on several of the sloughs. You can fish always up to the Barrytown Road Bridge.

10. N 31 47.371 – W 88 10.020 – Turkey Creek is downstream on your right and is a big creek with lots of arms to fish on it. It was the most popular place to fish for bass for a long time. Big grass mats offered bass a good hiding and feeding places but there is not as much grass now.

Fish back in the arms of the creek, working any cover you find. If you find some grass mats work them carefully. Tom will switch to braid line around the grass but uses Trilene 100 Percent Fluorocarbon line the rest of the time. Try a white jig with a white Paca Craw trailer round any grass you fish.

Check out these spots and look for others. Bass fishing in February can be tough anywhere you fish but Coffeeville offers several options to make your fishing better.

Nicole Jacobs offers BAIT SELECTION TIPS FOR CATCHING PANFISH

BAIT SELECTION FOR PANFISH

from The Fishing Wire

The panfish family includes several of freshwater’s most popular and best-tasting fish. They are a favorite quarry from youngsters to experienced anglers looking for a fun fishing outing or to stock their freezer with tasty filets.

Their wide range makes them accessible to most anglers and they’re generally eager to bite when you locate them. One of the greatest things about fishing for them is that it can be as straightforward or as complicated as you want to make it, but catching more and bigger panfish takes the right live bait or lure for the situation.

Minnesota-based fishing personality Nicole Jacobs and Wisconsin guide Vince Moldenhauer share their insights on bait selection for three popular panfish species.

Crappies

A prized target everywhere, the crappie are aggressive fish that are fun to catch and make for excellent table fare. Catching them is possible with a wide range of baits, depending on the season.

When the ice has just recently thawed early in the year, Nicole Jacobs keeps the ice fishing mindset with small ice fishing jigs when fishing for fun or guiding clients on Twin Cities Metro area lakes.

“Here in the North, we start the year fishing vertically in deeper water and continue to move shallower as it gets warmer,” she says. “We start the year with small 2 and 3-mm Acme Pro-Grade Tungsten Jig ice jigs. Gold, silver, and chartreuse do the best for us. I tip them with a one-inch Berkley Gulp Minnow to add some scent. As it gets warmer and the fish become more active, we switch to 1/16 and 1/32-ounce jigheads with crappie tubes or grubs.”

For both lure types, Jacobs says it’s hard to beat a bobber for crappie that are notorious for suspending in the water column. Any bobber will do, but she’s partial to the Rocket Bobbers made by Tackle 2000. They are designed for better casting distance, which is paramount with lightweight lures.

“They cast great and there’s just something about the action they give your bait when you pop the rod,” she shared. “Most fish will hit the jig right when you pop it and the bait is swinging back under the bobber.”

Fishing for crappie can be done with a standard spin cast or spinning setup, but Jacobs likes to go ultralight for a little more fun.

“An 8-foot ultralight St. Croix rod with a 1000-sized reel is a lot of fun to fight crappie,” she said. “I spool the reel with 10 lb Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green, which helps to detect light bites because the line is so bright. I’ll use an 8-foot leader of 4 lb Seaguar Gold Label fluorocarbon. It’s a very thin line and more like using a 2 lb test, so your lure will have even more action under the bobber.”

La Crosse, Wisconsin guide Vince Moldenhauer targets panfish, including crappies, year-round, primarily on the Upper Mississippi River. For crappie, he’s generally fishing with live minnows, crappie jigs, and more aggressive lures like a Rapala Rippin’ Rap lipless crankbait.

“Live minnows are one of the quickest ways to locate crappies,” he says. “I’ll generally start with that and then mix in Kalin’s Crappie Scrubs in either the white with green tails or purple with a chartreuse tail on a small jig head under a Rocket Bobber. The Rippin’ Rap in the #3 size is also a fun way to catch them and they like the shiny chrome colors.”

Moldenhauer has developed a simple approach for gear that allows him to jump from species to species quickly. He likes a Fox River medium light spinning rod, either a 6-foot, 6-inch, or 7-foot, 3-inch model for all of his panfish species and he’ll keep the same setup when he goes after walleye. He pairs them all with a 2000 or 2500-size Daiwa spinning reel and 10-pound Seaguar Smackdown in the Flash Green color.

“I love how thin the Smackdown braid is,” he said. “That helps me and my clients detect more bites, even in the current, because you have a better feel of what your bait is doing.”

He’s a proponent of having consistency with his gear to stay better connected to his lure. The only thing he will alter is his fluorocarbon leader size.

“I like to use the same setup for everything just to have the same feel,” he said. “I’ll use the longer rod when fishing a bobber and the shorter rod when casting and working a lure. All I have to do is adjust my Gold Label fluorocarbon leader size. It’s 4 lb for crappies and gills and 6 or 8 lb for perch and walleye.”

Bluegills and sunfish

Fishing for bluegill on a river system requires a slightly different approach to locating them in the current, but Moldenhauer’s plan will work anywhere.

“I like to use redworms or nightcrawlers for bluegill and perch,” he said. “It’s a great way to locate fish and see where they are. Then, I like to switch to soft plastic baits because there’s less mess and you don’t have to keep adding bait to your hook when you get into a bunch of them.”

His worm setup is simple, a #6 or #8 Aberdeen hook or a 1/32-ounce jighead. When fishing Aberdeen hook, he employs a drop-shot rig to keep the bait on the bottom and the hook approximately a foot above the weight.

Moldenhauer looks for rocks, weeds, and break lines and prefers the drop-shot rig over a bobber setup because it keeps the bait in the strike zone longer and right on the bottom.

Jacobs also chases bluegill and sunfish and says it’s hard to beat wax worms or spikes fished on a simple hook with a split shot sinker attached.

“I also use the same ice fishing jigs that I use for crappie for the bluegill,” she said. “They will work great year round and it’s hard to beat the gold color jigs.”

Perch

There are standard-sized perch and then the jumbos that Moldenhauer and his clients catch on the Upper Mississippi. As a result of their bigger size and ability to fight hard in the current, much of his tackle resembles what anglers use for bass fishing.

He uses the same approach with perch, which starts with worms, primarily targeting weed lines with a slight current. These two ingredients, moving water and vegetation, are keys to finding perch all year long for Moldenhauer. After he locates a group of fish, he’ll switch to soft plastic lures.

“Everyone says to go small, but perch are aggressive fish and some of the best baits are two and three-inch Keitech swimbaits,” he said. “I also use the same things I use for crappies, the Kalin’s Crappie Scrub on a 1/16 or 1/32-ounce jighead. For perch, whatever soft plastic you use, it must have some orange in it. They love that color.”

He uses the same general setup as he does for the other panfish but bumps his leader size to 6 or 8 lb Gold Label. “They are hard-fighting fish and can get big, so I like to use a little heavier line,” he adds.

Fishing for panfish is a time-honored tradition of many anglers and one of the best ways to get new anglers into fishing. They are an exciting group of fish to target because the action can be nonstop fun when you get into them. Picking the right baits for panfish is relatively straightforward and a mix of live bait and soft plastic lures will cover your bases, no matter where you live.

Seaguar Smackdown braid is available in high visibility Flash Green and low visibility Stealth Gray. It is available in 150- and 300-yard spools ranging from 10 to 65 lb test sizes.

Seaguar Gold Label fluorocarbon leader is available in 25- and 50-yard spools in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80 lb test leader material.

About

At Seaguar, we believe in delivering premium performance at every step of an angler’s journey. Whether it is performance fishing lines for elite pros, or for sophisticated anglers who are seeking the absolute highest quality — or for those who are brand new to angling — we make it easy to fish the very best. Our dedication to excellence is also reflected in our commitment to both conservation and social responsibility. Healthy lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and oceans are essential to the sport we love — and to the angling community we serve every single day.

Where and How To Catch January Bass at Jordan Lake, with GPS Coordinates

January Bass at Jordan

with Greg Vinson

January weather often drives bass fishermen indoors since watching others catch fish on TV is much warmer than fighting the cold in a bass boat. But wise bass fishermen are out on Jordan Lake fighting big spots this month. Jordan is an excellent place to catch some quality fish right now.

Jordan is a 6800 acre Alabama Power lake on the Coosa River 25 miles north of Montgomery. It backs up to the Mitchell Lake dam and connects to Lake Bouldin with a short canal. Jordan was built in 1928 and Bouldin added in 1967. Bouldin is a better largemouth lake but the big spots live in both and are the target of most bass fishermen this time of year.

Coosa River lakes are known for big spotted bass and Jordan is one of the best for them. Its has many steep rocky banks and points that are favorite structure for spots this time of year and the current that usually moves through the lake make them feed more, even in the colder water.

Greg Vinson grew up in the area and has been bass fishing all his life. He fished many tournaments with his father and joined the Kowaliga Bassmasters bass club in Tallassee as soon as he was old enough to be a member. His first full year in the club he won the point standings.

For several years Greg fished local tournaments and did well. In 2004 he made the state team and qualified for the Southern Regional Bassmasters Tournament. There he was the top fisherman on the Alabama team and made the national championship. That really fired him up to fish bigger tournaments.

In his first BFL tournament ever, he won on Lake Martin in 2005. That year he finished 4^th overall in the points standings and qualified for the Stren series, where he was the top rookie. He made the top ten in that series the next two years and that was his introduction to professional bass fishing.

Although he had a good job he decided to go for it and fish professionally in 2006. In 2008 he qualified for the Bassmasters Elite Series through the Southern Opens and was the fourth place rookie on that top trail last year. He will be fishing the Elite series again this year.

Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Motors are two of Greg’s major sponsors on the Elite trail and he is also sponsored by Davis Baits jigs and spinnerbaits and NetBait plastics.

Greg writes a fishing column for Lake Martin Magazine and co-hosts the Sportz Blitz TV show with Brent Pritchard on Charter Network Channel 80. You can see that show on Sundays from four to five PM and on Saturdays from eight to nine AM. Although he grew up on Lake Martin and still fishes it, he considers Jordan his home lake and spends a lot of time on it.

Greg says spots are easy to pattern on Jordan in January. They are holding on main lake and major creek points and banks with easy access to deep water. Although they have not started to move to a pre spawn pattern, they are feeding heavily on baitfish getting and can be caught on a variety of lures.

A variety of baits will catch those spots and Greg relies on a Davis jig, X Wire spinnerbait and Shakey Head jig head. He rigs a NetBait T-Mac or finesse worm on the Shakey Head and puts a three inch NetBait twintail trailer on his jig. He says the twin tails give a little more action and resemble swimming shad, and he often dyes the tips of the tails chartreuse, a color Greg says drives spots crazy.

A Bandit 300, Bomber Fat Free Shad or Norman Deep Little N are his choices in crankbaits and Greg starts off with a shad color but also goes to a chartreuse bait, especially if the water is stained. Each of those crankbaits have a little different action and Greg tries to offer each to the bass until he finds what is working best that day.

A jerk bait will sometimes pay off in the cold waters but it has to be worked slowly. Greg says he will let his Pointer 78 sit still for up to ten seconds between jerks, giving the sluggish bass time to hit it.

On some spots a Davis X Wire spinner bait with one willow leaf and one Colorado blade imitate the shad and slow rolling one right on the bottom can be the best tactic to use.

A Carolina rig will catch bass on Jordan, too, and Greg sometimes uses a finesse worm on one but he keys on bigger rocks this time of year. A Carolina rig is harder to work through the chunk to boulder size rocks he fishes but if the wind is strong it may be needed to keep your bait on the bottom.

Try all these baits on the following ten spots Greg showed me in early December. They will hold bass now and the bass will feed on them some time during the day.

1. N 32 35.670 – W 86 17.253 – If you go into Lake Bolton and head toward the dam you will see a point on either side with big signs on them. This is an old dam built so they could work on the main dam and when it was taken out a lot of rubble was left on the bottom. It narrows the lake down above the dam so there is a strong current here is there is any power generation.

Greg says he catches fish anywhere on this rubble field that stretches across the lake between the danger signs, but he likes to start on the left side facing the dam and works across it. He positions his boat so he can throw up the current and work his baits back with the flow of water in a natural action.

On this spot Greg starts with his jig and pig and tries to find “seams” in the current. What he is looking for is a break in the current caused by a big rock under the water. He throws his jig upstream and lets the current wash it down into the eddies at the seams. That is where the bass hold, waiting on food.

This is also one of Greg’s favorite places to throw a Davis X Wire spinnerbait. He ties on a bait with a silver willowleaf and gold Colorado blade and a glimmer blue skirt and cast it upstream. After letting it fall to the bottom he fishes it very slowly, almost like a jig, pumping it up and letting it fall back.

Keep your spinnerbait in contact with the rocks. Greg says spots will hit this bait hard and you will feel a definite thump when they take it. Use a heavy enough bait to keep it on the bottom, depending on how strong the current is running.

2. N 32 37.344 – W 86 16.340 – Go back through the canal and stop on the right side point when you get to where it opens up. There is a long ledge of rock running out off this point and you will see some kind of cement structure on it with a pole holding swift houses. This point causes a current break and the water moves into the canal when power is being generated.

Hold on the down current side and throw a jig up toward the lake and work it back over the point. You will feel the rocks as your jig washes along with the current. You can usually see the seam or current break here and you want to get your jig on the bottom where it breaks.

Also throw a jerk bait across the point and work it slowly in the cold water. Reel it down then jerk it and let it sit and move with the current. Greg says bass really don’t want to chase a bait in the cold water so offer them an easy meal. The jerk bait should look like a dying shad, fluttering then suspending before fluttering again.

3. N 32 37.475 – W 86 15.607 – Run across the lake just above the dam and you will see a clay point on the left side going toward the dam. It has a big danger sign on it. Go upstream past the pocket to the rocky point upstream of it. There is no house on the point but there is a ladder coming out of the water and a rope swing hanging from a tree. A platform to stand on and swing out over the water is on the point.

This is one of the first spots on Jordan Greg learned to fish and it consistently holds bass. It is ideal, with as steep drop into deep water and it has big rocks, not gravel, on it. That is a key in the winter.

Start on the downstream side of this point and work up the bank, casting your jig and pig or jig head worm at an angle so you can work it slowly down the drop but moving it with the current. You can also get in close and cast your jerk bait upstream and work it back parallel to the rocks out a few feet off the bank.

There is almost always a good flow of water here and the black rocks seem to warm from the sun and attract the bass. This is also and example of the points that stick out a little further than the ones around them, making them even better.

4. N 32 27.869 – W 86 15.895 – Go into the mouth of Sofkahatchee Creek past the boat ramp to the second point past it. This point starts a series of rocky points on the right side going into the creek that Greg says are real consistent areas for January spots.

Start fishing the second point with your boat out in 25 to 30 feet of water and work in, casting your jig and pig right on the bank and working it down the drop. The channel of the creek swings in here and the bottom drops fast. Current flows out of the creek across these points, encouraging feeding here.

Both a jig and pig or a jig head worm work well, and a jerk bait will catch fish here, too. Get your boat in a little closer with the jerk bait and work it more parallel to the bank, fishing it slowly for suspended fish.

5. N 32 38.225 – W 86 15.919 – Go into the creek past all the danger markers and straight ahead a big cove opens up. The creek channel goes off to your right. The point between the creek and the cove is a steep rocky hill and there is a steel bulkhead seawall around it. There is no house on the point but there is a dock on the cove side.

The point runs way out under water and there is a good drop to 50 or more feet of water on it on the creek side. Greg likes to sit inside the point on the cove side and cast his jig and pig and jighead worm across it, working up the creek side over the top of the point. He will also run a crankbait across it.

Start out in 25 feet of water and cast up to eight feet or so on top of the point toward the bank. Work the whole point with all three baits, running the crankbait over the point and bumping the bottom with the jigs. Greg says many tournaments are won by fishermen getting on this point, staying all day and weighing in 16 to 18 pounds of spots. They will feed here some time during the day.

6. N 32 39.451 – W 86 18.148 – Back out on the lake run up to the upstream point on the mouth of Weoka Creek. The main point has some camping trailers on it and a small cabin, with a post and wood seawall. Just upstream of the main point is a pier on a flat point with some grass on it and that point runs out and doglegs down toward the dam. There is a danger buoy on the point and it drops off on both sides, with over 20 feet of water between it and the main point.

Greg says this is a good place to throw a Carolina rigged finesse worm since the rocks are smaller here, but a jig and a jig head worm both work well, too. And don’t leave before running a crankbait across the point.

Sit on the creek side of the point where it drops off and fish the end, out in 20 or more feet of water, then work up the point, casting across it and fishing the top of the point. Work all the way in until you cover the eight foot depths on the point.

7. N 32 39.327 – W 86 16.674 – Run across the lake and watch for a point with a cabin with blue siding up on the hill. The point has riprap around it and there is a flag pole on the point and a duck crossing sign on the upstream side of it.

This is a good example of a main lake channel point where the water drops off fast and there is good current running past it. When the current hits the point it turns out and makes a seam and an eddy to fish on the downstream side of it. Bass hold here in the eddy and feed on the seam in the current and on the upstream side of the point, too.

Watch your depthfinder for schools of shad. If they are present the fishing will be better. The day Greg and I fished we stopped here first and he got a nice 3 pound spot. We came back to it just before dark and I got a big striper on a Sebile Magic Swimmer swim bait, so all kinds of fish feed here.

Stay out from the point and cast your jig and pig close to the bank. Let the current move it naturally and wash along like an injured baitfish. Also run a crankbait with the current, trying different speeds but letting the current do most of the moving so it looks more natural.

Greg says he likes to hit a spot like this for ten to fifteen minutes then run to the next one. He says fish will move on these places so he may hit them several times during the day, but does not stay on them a long time each visit.

8. N 32 39.279 – W 86 19.640 – Run into the creek upstream of this point, known locally as Blackwell Slough, to the bridge in it. Greg fishes the riprap points on both sides of the bridge. There is a big bay above the bride where spots live and he says they move to the bridge to feed.

Stay on the downstream side and cast up the current. Work your jig and pig or jig head worm back down the rocks, hopping them along until you get out to about 20 feet deep. Also fish the base of the outer two pilings with both baits. There are rocks piled at the base of them and bass often hold on them.

On each end of the bridge watch for eddies or seams in the current where it breaks as it comes under the bridge. Big spots often hold just inside the calmer water and watch for bait being washed along the current break so make your jig move along the break where they are used to finding food.

9. N 32 41.013 – W 86 20.061 – Run up to where the lake bottlenecks down into the river channel. There is a power line crossing here and you want to stop just downstream of it on the right side going upstream, at the last small pocket on the right before the powerlines. The upstream point of this pocket is the start of a bluff wall that runs upstream.

There is a dock with for sale sign on it – it was upside down the day we fished. Current breaks off the wall there and bass sit in any eddy they can find and watch for bait. Big rocks cause the current breaks and sometimes you can find them by the way the current moves.

Throw your jig and pig or jig head worm upstream at an angle and work it back with the current. Greg says he works his bait at about a 40 degree angle to the bank. He will fish up the bank for about 200 yards, fishing at that angle as he goes upstream.

There are dozens of places like this that hold bass on up the river all the way to the Mitchell Dam. You may have to fish for 200 yards along a bluff but when you catch a fish you should catch several in a 50 yard stretch where the school if feeding. Greg says this is a very consistent pattern all winter long since there is nowhere else for the bass to go in the river and they don’t leave.

10. n 32 48.356 – w 86 26.666 – For a change of pace, run to the Mitchell Dam and fish the dam buttresses on it. These concrete wings stick out from the dam and bass live around them all the time. There is about 20 feet of water at the base of some of them and Greg will cast his jig and pig or jig head worm up to the dam and work them in short hops along side them.

Current here may make the bass hit better but these walls are often in eddies, and Greg says bass will feed on them all the time. This is a good pattern when fishing is tough. Greg will use a one – eighth ounce jig when he can since if falls slower but will go to a heavier jig when current or wind call for it.

Give these spots a try and you will catch fish. Then use what you learn from them and find others on the lake. There are many similar places to catch some big spotted bass on Jordan right now.

Greg is guiding some for stripers and will guide for bass on Jordan and Lake Martin when his tournament schedule allows. You can call him at 334-546-1151 or contact him through his web site – gregvinson.com

How and Where To Catch August Weiss Lake Bass with GPS Coordinates

August 2019 Weiss Lake Bass

with Hadyen Marbut

Rocks, docks, grass and bass. Lake Weiss is full of all four. Fish the first three in August for a good catch of spots and largemouth.

Weiss is a 30,200-acre Alabama Power Lake on the Coosa River. A small part of the upper Coosa is in Georgia, but an Alabama fishing license is required on most of it. The small mountains surround it will fool you as you drive to it the first time. The lake is flat and shallow, with huge stump filled flats except for the area near the dam.

The 447 miles of shoreline has rocky banks with seawalls and docks in some areas and flat banks with shallow grassbeds and docks in others. The lake has long been known at the Crappie Capitol of the World, but the same conditions that produce quality crappie fishing also produces good populations of Coosa spots and big largemouth.

Hayden Marbut is a rising junior at Xavier High School in Birmingham and has been on the fishing team the past two years. He is considering transferring to Briarwood Academy this year where Curtis Gossett is the fishing team coach. Weiss is his favorite lake.

Hayden’s father, Brian, grew up 15 minutes from Weiss in Hokes Bluff and has been fishing Weiss all his life. He had taught Hayden how to catch bass there under all conditions. Hot summer fishing can be tough on any lake, but Weiss produces good bass all summer.

This year, Hayden and his partner won the High School King of the Coosa tournament on Weiss and they came in third at the ASABSA tournament at Pickwick with 17.38 pounds, so his skills on Weiss transfer to other lakes.

“Weiss has a lot of big spots you can catch early around seawalls and rocks,” Hayden said. Grassbeds produce good largemouth early, too. After the sun gets on the water the most consistent way to catch largemouth and some spots is to fish docks.

Fishing deep ledges and points is also good in August, especially if water is moving. But the most consistent fishing is getting your bait in the shade under docks, and there are plenty of them to fish on Weiss.

For August, Hayden will have a Spook and a buzzbait tied on for early fishing around rocks. A frog works best in the many water willow grass beds for largemouth. For dock fishing, a jig and pig, Texas rig or shaky head is his choice. He also has a Carolina rig and drop shot ready for trying for deeper fish.

We fished the following places in late June and the fishing was slow. It was hot and no moving water or breeze helped us out. But Hayden landed seven or eight keepers, including a 5.92 pound largemouth and a three-pound spot. His best five weighed 13 to 14 pounds, a good catch under tough conditions.

1. N 34 11.348 – W 85 42.368 – Going upstream from Bay Spring, the upstream point of the second cove is a good rocky one that drops into deeper water. It is a round point with a cement seawall and there are natural rock under the water. It is a good place to start first thing in the morning.

Fish around the point, then jump across to the next one upstream. It and the next one above it are all good and they get morning shade, keeping bass up shallow later in the day.

Hayden get in fairly close to the point and cast right to the seawall ahead of the boat, working his bait back at an angle to keep it in close. His first choice is a big bone Spook, spots seem to hate it. He twitches it back with a walk-the-dog zigzag action until it is near the boat.

A buzzbait is another good choice for fishing places like this. Cast it against the seawall, try to actually hit it, and buzz it back at an angle to the boat. Casts close to the bank are important since big spots will often seem to keep their nose against it and grab it as soon as it hits the water.

2. N 34 14.231 – W 85 39.757 – Go into Little River behind Hog Island. If you are careful, you can go through the “Cut Through” on the downstream side of it but the channel goes in upstream of it and is safer. Where the river narrows there are three islands on the left. A green channel marker without a number is on a post off them, marking where the old river channel swings to that side.

The lip of this channel for 200 yards on either side of the marker is a good summer ledge. It drops from six to 25 feet deep and there are stumps and rocks on it. Hayden will keep the boat in 22 feet of water and cast up on the top of the ledge and work it. If you have time it is worth fishing the whole section or you can ride it with good electronics to look for fish.

Cast a Carolina rigged Old Monster or big lizard in black or plum tied about 30 inches behind a three-quarter ounce sinker and drag it until it falls off the ledge. Do the same with drop shot or jig and pig. Current really helps here as does some wind moving water across it.

3. N 34 14.217 – W 85 38.689 – Go to the double cove at Little River Marina (the old JR Marina) and fish the docks in both pockets. Tournaments held here constantly “restock” the area, making the coves a high concentration place for bass.

Hayden especially likes old docks, those falling down into water seem to be bass magnets. Docks on small points are also high value targets as are those with lights and pole holders, indicting possible brush piles. Pitch a jig and pig, shaky head worm or Texas rigged creature bait to each dock.

Watch for angles and shade lines. Work each pole on each dock. Pay attention to where you get bit, bass in an area will often set up on the same places on other docks. Hayden likes a black and blue Dirty Jigs Finesse Jig with a matching Rage Craw on it.

4. N 34 13.806 – W 85 38.821 – Going out past the marina, on your left on the downstream point of the cove, an old roadbed runs off the bank and old bridge rubble is on it. The roadbed runs out from a clay point with a pine tree on the end of it.

Keep your boat in 25 feet of water and cast up on top of the road about five feet deep. Probe for the rubble and rough stuff on it, it is a fairly small area. Work your Carolina rig, drop shot and jig and pig through the cover. Hayden fishes an Aaron’s Magic Robo worm about a foot above a three eights ounce sinker on his drop shot.

5. N 34 12.965 – W 85 36.477 – Run up under the causeway to the ramp at Weiss Mart on the left just upstream of the main bridge. This is a similar place to hole three, with a marina that has tournament released fish around it. Fish from the boat ramp all the way around the cove, working every dock. Also hit the ramp, Hayden says he never passes up a boat ramp.

Hayden caught several bass in this cove, including a 5.92 pound largemouth and a three-pound spot. He works each dock carefully and will come back to prime docks since they often reload quickly. The big largemouth hit the second time we fished that dock.

Wind blowing into docks makes them better but harder to fish. If the wind is blowing, fish into it for better boat control. Like the coves at Little River Marina, this cove has a channel in it. Coves with ditches or channels giving bass a “highway” are much better than flat coves.

6. N 34 11.190 – W 85 37.148 – Go across to the right side of the lake above the causeway. The old river channel runs along this bank so it drops off fast. The docks from the causeway upstream are all good.

Current moving under the docks makes them much better, as does some wind. Work against both if you can for better boat control, giving you more time to pick them apart.

Pitch a jig and pig, Texas rig or shaky head to them. Hayden rigs a natural blue or green pumpkin finesse worm on a one quarter ounce head and tries to hit ever post until he finds a pattern. Outside post are often better and it is easier to land fish that hit on them but cast into the deepest shade you can hit with your baits, too.

7. N 24 11.521 – W 85 37.685 – Go back to the causeway and fish the small bridge and riprap closest to the left bank going downstream. If there is any current the bridge concentrates it and turns on the fish.

Hayden will fish all the rocks as well as the pilings under the bridge and shade lines from it. Both spots and largemouth set up facing up current here so position your boat so you cast up the current and your bait moves back naturally with it. A drop shot and shaky head work well for this but a small crankbait, worked slowly with the current, will catch fish, too. Make multiple casts to any spot you catch a bass; others are likely to set up there.

8. N 34 11.433 – W 85 39.504 – Going down the left side of the lake, two small islands sit off the bank just upstream of Little Hog Nose Creek. They are surrounded by water willow grass beds where bass feed. Early and late in the day are the best time to fish them, but bass will feed in them all during the day.

Start on the upstream point of the upstream island and cast your Spook, buzzbait and a frog through the grass. A bluegill color Spro Popping Frog will allow you to fish the thickest grass. Work the buzzbait and Spook along the edge and in cuts in the grass. A silver blade Big Bite Baits Buzz with a Suicide Shad on it is his choice for buzzbaits. Points on the grass are especially good.

9. N 34 11.859 – W 85 40.101 – Out in the middle of the lake, straight between Little Nose Creek and Hog Island, green channel marker 20 sits on a good channel ledge. You can not safely run from hole 8 to it, you should go upstream and follow the channel around to it.

The top of the ledge is ten to 12 feet deep and drops into 25 feet of water. There are stumps and rocks on it that hold bass, and the area right at the marker is very rough.

Keep your boat in 25 feet of water and cast jig nd pig, shaky head and drop shot up on the ledge, dragging all three back and letting them fall. Keep an eye on your electronics and fish your drop shot worm vertically when you see fish directly under your boat.

As in other places, current really turns on the fish here, making them feed, and wind blowing across it helps, too. Cast your baits up current for a natural action since current moves baitfish across the drop and bass expect food to be coming in that direction.

10. N 34 11.932 – W 85 41.534 – The lake narrows down where Yellow Creek enters on the right going downstream. Red channel marker 14 sits off the left point of the main river going downstream and there is a small island downstream of the point. Docks along this bank are good.

Start at the first green roof dock and fish all the way down to the yellow boat house at the end of the line of docks. There is 18 feet of water not far off the docks and bass move from deep water to feed shallow around them. The pilings, shade and some brush piles all attract bass.

Current helps here and if it is moving, or if the wind is blowing, start at the end of the line of docks that gives you the best boat control. Cast jig and pig, shaky head and Texas rig to them. Hayden lets his bait fall straight down. When it hits bottom, he shakes it a little then reels in for another cast.

These places were holding bass in late June, with some quality fish on them, and will be better now. Give them a try to see the kind of places you can catch summer spots and largemouth on Lake Weiss

Do you find these Map of the Month articles helpful? If so visit http://fishing-about.com/keys-to-catching-georgia-bass-ebook-series/ – you can get an eBook or CD with an article for each month of the year on Clarks Hill and Lanier.

BROSDAHL ON SPRINGTIME PANFISH – Catch More Good Eating Panfish In the Springtime

BROSDAHL ON SPRINGTIME PANFISH

Brian “Bro” Brosdahl shares strategies for hunting early-season open-water bluegills, crappies, and perch

from St Croix Rods

Like big, saucer-shaped panfish? If so, you’re kith and kin to Max, Minnesota’s most-famous resident, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl. The prolific fishing guide with a penchant for all things panfish has been on the leading edge of bluegill, crappie, and perch-fishing techniques and innovations for well over two decades now.

While Bro pursues panfish year-‘round, he gets particularly giddy come ice out. “Wintertime sticks around for a long time in Northern Minnesota,” the St. Croix pro says. “While you’ve always got something going on beneath the ice, most northern anglers I know are eager to make the switch to open-water fishing as soon as the ice goes out.” And for good reason. Bro says the months of April, May, and June bring some of the best panfishing conditions and opportunities of the entire year.

“Of course you’ve got the unique aspects of the spawn – perch and crappies first and then the ‘gills – but those details aside, the common denominator for springtime panfishing is shallow water,” Bro advises. “It’s the first water to warm, so it’s where the weeds get growing and where concentrations of bait begin to get active. As a result, it’s where the panfish want to be, too.”

Bro says he spends ample time covering warming, shallow-water flats by casting micro jigs early in the season. “I’m looking for any weed growth,” he says. “The fish I’m hunting are often scattered in less than six feet of water. I’m usually searching with a Northland Thumper Jig or a Fire-Fly Jig tipped with a wax worm or a small crappie minnow.” Bro says he rigs with eight-pound Sunline green braid with a four-pound fluoro leader. His rod of choice is a 7’ light power, extra-fast action St. Croix spinning rod.

“Anglers familiar with St. Croix’s Panfish Series and Legend Elite Panfish Series rods know how good the 70LXF models are at bombing light jigs on light line, but they may not yet be familiar with the 70LXF model in the new Avid Series Panfish lineup (ASPS70LXF),” Bro posits. “This take on the most-versatile length, power, and action panfish rod ever made features a lighter and stronger new SCIII+ carbon blank, plus an all-new Seaguide Delta TYG guide train… they’re slightly triangular in shape, which seems stranger than the Thursday-night karaoke crowd at the bar down the street from my house… until you cast them. I’m casting the light jigs I use 20% to 25% farther on these new TYG-equipped Avid Panfish rods, which is a huge benefit when you’re searching spooky fish in shallow, clear water that’s largely devoid of weeds.”

Bro says fish pushing shallow into warmer water are generally just following bottom contours wherever the conditions suit them. That’s why he uses the sonar tools at his disposal to find them. “You can pull up on a springtime panfish flat and easily spook fish if you don’t know where they’re at,” he says. I’ll use my Talon shallow-water anchor instead of my trolling motor to minimize the disruption.”

To expedite the search, Bro employs a one-two punch of Humminbird 360 and Mega Live sonar. “I’ll scan with the 360 to locate the communities, then investigate each school more closely with Mega Live see if the fish have any size,” he says. “The Mega Live is attached to Ultrex trolling motor, so it’s a drop-it-and-go deal. It helps me to home in on the bigger individuals avoid the small ones.” Bro says 360 also greatly helps in understanding the shape of the weedlines, plus any cribs or brush piles he encounters. “I keep the grid visible on my screen so I know how far to cast, which is very important with any kind of forward viewing,” he says. “It’s fun to watch the fish react to the bait when the water warms. They get very aggressive and competitive which is great news for the angler. I’ve noticed the fish following the lure usually misses out and isn’t the one that ends up hitting the jig. It’s also a great tool for keeping your jig or hooked panfish away from pike.”

Once Bro finds the size and concentrations of fish he’s after, he’ll go to a shorter 6’4” Avid Panfish rod (ASPS64LF) with a tiny jig presented beneath a slip bobber. “I’ll use six-pound mono with a four-pound fluoro leader and a Northland Lite Bite slip bobber,” Bro reports. “If you get hung up, you want your leader to break instead of your main line so you can get back in the game that much faster. I like the Lite Bite bobbers because they are slightly weighted with a brass grommet so you don’t need any other weight on your leader. That really reduces tangles and other frustrations when casting this rig,“ he says.

Before there’s any significant weed growth in the shallows, Bro often follows beaver activity to panfish nirvana. “I often do better on beaver chew – the loose branches floating around – than on the dams themselves,” he says. “I’m looking hard at anything significant enough to provide some cover. Of course, the deeper runways leading to the dams hold fish and the dams do, too. They’re just a bit trickier to fish because the fish are often tucked up all the way into the dam.”

Once green weeds start to sprout on the shallow flats, Bro says the crappies, bluegills and perch spread out a bit and become a bit less spooky, especially when there’s some wave action. “ Once the water warms up a bit the fish move closer to the surface,” Bro says. “Lakes with patches of rushes or cane in three-to-six feet of water become hot. That’s when I become a crane operator,” says Bro, referring to the use of the 9’ model in St. Croix’s Avid Panfish, Panfish, and Legend Elite Panfish series. “I can pitch and even drop vertically into the openings in the rushes,” he says. “Even though they may still be rotten from the winter, they’re still strong enough to break your line. A long rod allows me to drop into the voids and pluck and pull ‘gills, crappies, and perch straight up so I can fight them on the surface to avoid tangles and break-offs.” Bro says Fire-Fly feather jigs in pink/white, greens, black/yellow bring him consistent results when “craning”, adding that small plastics work great, too, as do ice fishing lures like a Bro Mudbug tipped with waxies.

Bro says once the weeds really start growing, they represent the best options for finding mature, springtime panfish. “Invasive milfoil grows really quickly in the springtime, and once it’s up the fish never really leave it,” he says. “It can be difficult to fish, but it’s easiest when it’s only up about three to four feet off the bottom. I like a shorter rod like the 5’6” Legend Elite Panfish of the 6’ Avid Panfish when jigging in the weeds. I’m often fishing vertically right in the sonar cone so I can watch what’s happening. The fish aren’t scared down there in that thick stuff, but subtle presentations still rule. I’m just moving my rod tip with micro-movements.”

Wherever you’re located, the coming weeks and months represent prime panfishing. Follow Bro’s advice, try some of his favored panfish techniques, and make sure you’re geared up with rods that give you the upper hand on the water. All-new Avid Series Panfish rods consist of nine technique-minded spinning models in angler-preferred lengths, powers and actions to support today’s evolving panfish presentations that demand fast, accurate, sensitive, and forgiving tips, as well as a firm backbone. Pitch and swim, dipping, jigging and swimming microplastics, under spins, bobber rigging, micro-crankbaits, dock shooting and more; all are supported by Avid Series Panfish via advanced St. Croix design, vertical manufacturing, and precise and prideful handcraftsmanship on US soil. Models range from 6’ to 9’ in length with ultralight to medium-light powers and fast to extra-fast actions. Prices start at $200 with a 15-year warranty.

Blueback Herring Have Changed Spring Fishing At Clark Hill

And on other herring lakes like Lake Hartwell

Bass were feeding on herring or gizzard shad spawning on a rocky point last April when I won a club tournament. I caught every fish I weighed in except one by 8:30 each morning. Several hit a spinnerbait, the others hit an underspin lure.

For years at Clarks Hill after the spawn bass hung around back in coves and pockets feeding where they had bedded. I remember daddy and two other men going around the back of a creek with Hula Popper and hooking big bass one morning.

They would not let us kids back there with them, we were too noisy! Four of us were in a bigger ski boat that we had pulled their jon boat to the creek from the boat ramp. We were near the mouth of the cove, trying to paddle it and fish.

I tried to make a long cast to a button bush in the water with my Devil’s Horse topwater plug but it went way off target. As I reeled it in as fast as I could turn the handle on my Mitchell 300 Spinning reel, a huge bass attacked the plug.

Somehow we managed to land that seven pound largemouth. It was by far the biggest bass I had ever caught when I was 15 years old. For days we talked about that bass being crazy chasing down that lure skipping across the top of the water. Everybody knew you fished slowly for bass!

Now we know you can not reel a lure faster than a bass can chase it down, and often very fast moving lures will attract bites when nothing else will. Buzzbaits were invented for that kind of fishing. I just wish I had been smart enough to figure that out back then and invent them!

I caught many bass at Clarks Hill in the 1970s and early 1980s fishing back in coves and creeks in April. Then the blueback herring population exploded in the lake and changed everything.

Bass love the herring. They are big with an average size of about seven inches so they are a big meal to fill a bass fast. And they are very rich in oils and protein, perfect for bass recovering from the spawn.

Herring are an open water fish, living on the main lake where it is deep. When the herring spawn they go to shallow gravel and rock areas on the main lake and are easy for bass to catch and eat.

It seems all the bass have learned that and almost[RG1] all of them will head to open water as soon as they spawn in April to eat herring. It has changed the way I fish on herring lakes like Clarks Hill.

[RG1]

How and Where To Catch December Bass at Upper Bear Creek with GPS Coordinates

December Bass at Upper Bear Creek

with Gary Don Fleming

December and big spotted bass go together almost as good as December and Christmas. It may be the best month to catch a grown spot. Upper Beaver Creek is a sleeper lake in North West Alabama that often gets overlooked but is full of big spots feeding this month.

Formed in 1978 by a dam where Bear and Little Bear Creeks come together south of Russellville, this 1850 acre lake has a good big bass to little bass ratio. Based on the 1995 to 2005 Alabama Bass Anglers Information Trail reports on all Alabama lakes, upper Bear has ranked first five times and second three times for the fewest number of hours it takes to catch a bass weighing over five pounds.

The two arms of the lake are locally called Phil Campbell and Quarter Creek arms, with the Phil Campbell arm running mostly north and south and the Quarter Creek arm running more east and west. Both arms have bends and turns with smaller creeks and coves off them. The shape of the lake means it is a good place for a trip when the wind is strong since you can find protected waters to fish.

Gary Don Fleming grew up near Russellville and hunted the fields and woods that are now under water at Upper Bear Creek so he has a good knowledge of the terrain of the lake. He fishes many tournaments in the area, qualifying for the BFL Regional on the Bama Division this year, and also fishes many local tournaments on Upper Bear Creek

He guides on the Bear Creek chain and Tennessee River lakes in northwest Alabama and also guides hunting trips. His time on the lake and the knowledge he has of it can help you catch fish at Upper Bear Creek this month.

“I was told Upper Bear Creek has the highest number of quality bass in the area second only to Guntersville,” Gary Don told me. That confirms his experiences on the lake, where winter tournaments often take 30 pounds to win. The highest weight he has seen weighed in there is 36 pounds. There are a lot of five and six pound spots and largemouth in the lake, and he knows of a 15.2 pound largemouth weighed in during a tournament there a couple of years ago.

“In December the bass are holding on main lake structure and moving in to feed,” Gary Don told me. They feed heavily as the water gets cooler and you can catch them on a lot of different baits. A key is the presences of baitfish. If shad are in the area bass are likely to be nearby.

Gary Don will have several rods rigged with a variety of baits for December fishing at Upper Bear Creek. A buzzbait might surprise you this time of year, but he says he catches a lot of good fish on it on top, especially early in the morning.

A red Rat-L-Trap is a good fast moving bait that works well here as is a small Bandit crankbait. Both will take active fish chasing shad and allow you to fish fast and cover water. A suspending jerk bait is a third plug he will have tied on and it will take slightly less active fish.

When he wants to slow down Gary Don keeps a jig and pig rigged up as well as a jig head worm and a Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog. Those baits can be fished slowly and kept in contact with the bottom, even when it drops fast. If the bass don’t seem to want to chase a bait it is a good idea to slow down and offer them something right in their face.

We fished Upper Bear Lake in early November and the water was much higher than normal for this time of year. It was a tough day, with bluebird skies after several rainy days. And there was a full moon. The lake should be back to normal by now and fishing will be good.

The following ten spots will all hold good bass this month and you can catch them using Gary Don’s methods.

1. n 34 16.416 – w 87 41.235 – The big island between the two arms of the lake right where they join just above the dam has a long shallow point with a roadbed on it crossing the mouth of the Quarter Creek arm. There are pole danger markers running from the island across to the far bank and you should not try to run through here, especially if the water is down any.

Bass hold from the point on the island all along the roadbed and drops on the downstream side of it and feed on top. Gary Don will fish from the end of the island across the roadbed, keeping his boat on the dam side and casting across the shallow water.

He often starts with a topwater bait like a buzzbait here, especially early in the morning. The day we fished he got a keeper largemouth on a topwater plug but says he has more confidence in the buzzbait in December. Work it all the way across to the other bank and down that bank to the first point. There are a lot of stumps on this bank.

Also work the top of the point and roadbed with a Rat-L-Trap and a jig and pig. Cast across the shallow top and work both baits back to the boat in deeper water. When you get to the far bank probe for the stumps with your jig and pig. Big fish often hold and feed around them.

2. N 34 16.412 – W 87 41.61 – Run to the dam and stay to the left, toward the water intake tower. Start at it and fish the riprap out to the point above the spillway. Be careful, this is an overflow spillway and there is nothing to stop you from going over the dam, and the current can be strong here.

Gary Don says you could fish this area all day and catch fish. If there is any current on the lake at all it will be on the point here. Work your jerk bait and crankbait, casting to the rocks and fishing them out. When you get out to the point go across toward the far bank. There is a shallow ledge running across the mouth of the spillway going to the dam and big rocks on it hold bass, too.

Go back over the same area with a jig and pig or jig head worm. Use a fairly light bait to get hung less often in the rocks. Cast up shallow and work the bait back. Between the point and the intake tower you will be in deep water but it is shallow out near the point.

3. N 34 16.177 – W 87 40.577 – Run up past the long point with the campground on it, keeping to the right and go up the Quarter Creek arm. The first creek on your right, across from the campground, is not real long but the left side of it going in holds good fish in December.

Start at the two big pines standing with one old dead pine leaning at a sharp angle on the bank. There are stumps and rocks all along this bank so fish it with your buzzbait and then cover it with a jig and pig. Gary Don likes a football head jig with a Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer on it and works it on the bottom here.

Fish back until you stop feeling rocks and stumps. The back of this creek is silted in and bass usually do not hold far back in it in December.

4. N 34 16.806 – W 87 40.275 – Run up the creek above the power lines that cross and to the sharp horseshoe bend back to your right. As you go into the bend ahead of you on the left bank going upstream are two small coves. Start on the upstream point of the second one and work up the creek. This bottom here drops fast to very deep water and is rocky. You will be sitting in 25 feet of water a very short cast off the bank.

This is a good area to slow down and bump a jig and pig or a jig head worm down the rocks. You have to fish slowly since it drops so fast. Gary Don likes a green pumpkin finesse worm on his jig head and a one-eight ounce head will get hung less than a heavier one.

Fish up the bank until you quit feeling rocks, about 75 yards. The bottom will change to sand and Gary Don will sometimes run this bank with a crankbait. Fish it fast to see if the bass are holding on the sand rather than the rocks.

5. N 34 17.808 – W 87 39.533 – Head on up the creek and you will pass several houses and docks on your the left bank. Across from this area is a rock cliff that area with danger markers around it. It is an old coal mine. Further upstream you will see a point on your left and the tin roof of a house up on it in the trees. Stop on the downstream point of the cove downstream of the point with that house.

Fish a Carolina rig and a Trap across this point at all angles. Fan cast and cover it from downstream then work around it casting toward the bank, continuing until you are casting across it from the upstream side. Since there is little current here the bass may position anywhere on the point.

There are several points in the area similar to this one and all will hold bass. As you leave the point you will see exposed rock on your left and there was a waterfall coming off it when we were there. A brick house is on the next point. The water in this area was very stained from the rains when we were there but should clear up quickly.

6. N 34 17.180 – W 87 41.078 – Going up the Phil Campbell arm of the lake, go under the bridge near the dam and the main lake will swing around a point and go off to your right. A small creek enters on the left and runs up parallel to the main lake.

Start out on the point between the creek and main run of the lake and work into the creek. Stay way off the bank and make long casts with a Carolina rigged finesse worm or jig and pig. Gary Don says this is a good place to get a limit of fish or to fill out a limit since it is very consistent.

There are brush piles along this bank that hold bass so slow down and work it when you hit one. Gary Don likes a football head jig with the Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer on it and will crawl it along the bottom probing for cover, fishing it much like a Carolina rig.

You can continue fishing on into this creek, working the bank and small points along it. Don’t leave as long as you are catching fish.

7. N 34 8.164 – W 87 40.632 – Running up this arm of the lake you will go by a broomstraw field on your right. When you get where you can see houses way ahead of you, with yards down to the water you will also see a rock ledge running into a cove on your right. Across and just downstream of this ledge you will see a double point on your left.

Gary Don says this point comes out pretty good and drops off fast. There are stumps on it and you will see an old logging road enter on the downstream side of the downstream point. Fan cast both points with your jig and also try a jig head worm here. Cover all of both points.

8. N 34 18.470 – W 37 40.504 – Run on up to the point just downstream of the big brick house on with a nice yard running to the water. There will be a big shallow cove between the point you want to start on and the point the house is on. Both are on the left going upstream.

Work all around this point, sitting out in deep water and casting across it at all angles. There is a big brush pile on the downstream side of the point and more brush scattered around on it. There are also rocks here.

Fish a jig and pig or jig head worm on the point, probing for the brush and rocks. Work slowly around the point. It drops off fast and if you fish too fast you will miss the brush. Also watch your depthfinder for brush way out off the point and fish it, too.

Gary Don say this they call this the Five Points area and there are five points here you can fish. All of them are good at times and they have hard rock bottoms. He says this is the best area on the lake. Try them all.

9. N 34 19.210 – W 87 40.154 – Head on upstream and you will see a high rock bluff on your left. Stop on the upstream point of it and fish that point into the cove to the dock. Fish all around the dock, too. A jig or a Carolina rig is good on these points and there are stumps and rocks on it to hold bass.

10. N 34 39.944 – W 87 39.217 – Just downstream of the next bridge and boat ramp is a creek on the left side called Gas Branch. A small island sits off the bank on the upstream side of it. Fish all around the island then work up the bank all the way to the boat ramp on the next point. Gary Don says many tournaments are won in this area.

Fish all your baits. Try crankbaits and jerk baits then work the area with a jig and pig, Carolina rig worm and jig head worm. Fish the swimming area as you go by. If you catch fish continue to work the area, switching baits and giving them a choice.

These ten spots all hold good bass this month and there are many others like them all over the lake. Check out these and learn how Gary Don fishes them, then try to find similar spots to fish where you can work the pattern.

You can contact Gary Don for a guide trip at 256-627-2903 or email him at [email protected]

What Is FISHING THE LATE ICE and Why Should I Know About It

FISHING THE LATE ICE

from The Fishing Wire

The days are getting longer and warmer. Longer days and warmer temps at this time of year mean that some really good ice fishing is not far away. Here are some ideas for finishing the ice fishing season successfully.

Even through the ice and snow, fish seem to be able to sense a change in the seasons. Mother Nature tells the fish that it’s time to start thinking about spawning, so, under the cover of ice, they start to head in the direction of where they will spawn. They don’t just take off and go there, they take their time and leisurely head for their spawning areas. As they travel, they eat a little more than they have been. Walleyes, northern pike, perch, crappies, bluegills, pretty much all fish that live in the Midwest will be getting hungrier and easier to catch right now. You don’t want to completely abandon the offshore structures and deep weedlines that you’ve been fishing the past few weeks, but you need to remember that the fish will soon start to leave those spots. When the action starts to slow on those locations, you need to start moving to keep up with the fish. Pay attention to your sonar. If you’re seeing fewer fish marks than you have on recent trips, it’s time to think about heading to the areas that the fish are headed to.

There will still be an early-in-the-day and a late-in-the-day bite, but on a lot of bodies of water, the bite has the potential to be pretty good all day. Not on all lakes, but some lakes.

This time of year you need to keep moving until you find the fish. Try different depths, and different structures, just keep moving until you find fish activity. When you find them, sit on them until they move, then you move too. That’s the key to ice-fishing year-round, but perhaps more under late ice. Keep in mind that the fish are headed toward the areas where they’ll be spawning in a few weeks. You should be headed to those areas as well.

Remember that the fish have seen lots of baits by now. If you’ve got something on the end of your line that’s been working, keep using it until the fish tell you they want something else. Then go to a different color or a different size or impart a different action on the lure. If you’ve got a bait that hasn’t worked all year, give it a try. Maybe the fish will decide that it looks rather good to them now. There’s a new bait called a Jointed Pinhead Pro that the fish haven’t seen much of and should be very productive under this year’s late ice. Use the smallest size for bluegills, larger for perch and crappies, and even larger for walleyes.

The late-season ice fishing can be outstanding, but like most things, don’t try to get too much of a good thing. If you’re not sure about the ice being safe, don’t go out. If no one else is out there, you shouldn’t be either. Keep an eye on current conditions. If it starts to get warm during the day, you should head for shore. Venturing onto the ice when it’s not safe can be very exciting in a way that you don’t want to be excited. Be safe, move until you find the fish, and experiment with lures and how you present those lures, and the last few weeks of ice fishing could be memorable and exciting for you in a very good way.

– Bob Jensen of fishingthemidwest.com.

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BROSDAHL ON SPRINGTIME PANFISH – Catch More Good Eating Panfish In the Springtime

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Blueback Herring Have Changed Spring Fishing At Clark Hill

How and Where To Catch December Bass at Upper Bear Creek with GPS Coordinates

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