Warm Weather Fishing
by Ken Sturdivant
Southern Fishing Schools Inc.
With the recent warm weather this is a great
time to catch bass. As water temperatures
move into the mid 50's,
bass begin to roam around and find food in preparation for spawning
on the next full move. All of a sudden just in the last week, it
seems that
all the bass are surprisingly shallow. In the upper reaches of the
lakes, bass are in the creeks and shallow coves. The fish are all
looking for
any food and lures as well as live baits are all worth using. As
these fish look for food, several baits will work for bass. As the
waters warm
up the fish will feed on shad, crawfish and almost anything they
can catch. There are several good choices of lures for for this action
and
the crank bait and the spinner bait can be two of the most productive.
There are many choices of crank baits but the basics are small and
in two colors. If the water is stained or muddy use bright colors.
Fire
tiger, chartreuse and limes are great for this action because the
fish can see these lures in the off colored water. Keep bait sizes
small early
in the pre spawn times for more bites.
If the water is clear use shad
and blue combinations for this early spring action. Light lines to
as small as 6 pound test can get baits deep to the fish. This light line
allows the lures to swim deeper and with a lot more natural action.
Spinner
baits in the early spring are great locator baits. In the clear water
the blades should be all silver with white skirts. In off colored water,
use bright gold blades in the Colorado or Oklahoma styles with bream
or crawfish colored skirts. The fish can see these baits better in
stained water.
For live bait, never overlook shiners for early spring
spawning
bass. Live bait requires a good live well or bait saver system to
keep the baits lively. Drop these shiners into shallow cover and around
docks. Bass love shiners all year. Concentrate on the northwest banks
in the
lake for the best action. This water warms faster than the rest of
the lake because of the early sunlight each day.
