Hello, Anglers. It is February! If you love to pursue big bass then this is your time of the year. In Florida, the pre-spawn is already happening and in south Florida, even the spawn itself. In mid-western states just to our north, it will happen in late March through May, but in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, this is it. That doesn't mean that there won't be excellent bass fishing for weeks to come but is just means that the large females are moving toward shallow water and are somewhat easier for anglers to encounter them.
BIG BASS AND PRE-SPAWN
How do you increase your chances in catching one of these big fish? Well, this is a somewhat simple answer but the more often you fish, the better your chances and don't wait until you get a perfect, warm,beautiful day to go. Put on some cold-weather clothing and join nature. Also, use baits which have a history of getting big bass to bite such as jigs, spinnerbaits and big crankbaits, to name a few. Also, use techniques/presentations which have been successful as well as fish structure and habitat that will hold big bass.
On Toledo, one measurement I use to tell the pre-spawn and 'staging' season has begun is when my deep winter jigging spoon and drop-shot holes start to become less productive, as they have the past 2 weeks. This tells me that bass are en-route to thinner (shallow) water. They have a natural urge to spawn (reproduce) and this involves moving to areas which have the necessities for them to do so. This process involves a saying that bass anglers often use...'moving up'. I get a lot of e-mails and calls saying "Are the bass moving up?".
What they are asking is whether the bass have started this annual pilgrimage from deep water structure to the shallows. For many area anglers, the moving up of bass signals a time when they get their boat out of winter storage and un-box that new reel they received at Christmas.
Currently, the moving up/staging is just beginning and water temperatures are in low to mid - 50s and will need to warm to mid-60s before bass start to actually move on to spawn beds. However, some of the best and most productive fishing is during the pre-spawn which is where we are just approaching. As far as catching a big bass, now is an excellent time. However, with water temperatures still cold, anglers should be patient and work baits very slowly along the edge of grass lines close to deep water as well as on the edge of ditches and creeks. Also, don't overlook shallow points close to deep water.
More than likely, until the water warms, anglers may not get very many bites each day but females are very heavy right now and full of roe (eggs) and are in prime physical condition. So keep a mental vision/positive thinking of that 10 pound lunker when you have been fishing for an hour and have not had a bite. Your next cast may be the cast that you hook the lifetime bass you have been looking to find. Make sure you have a good knot (Palomar), fresh line, drag set and sharp hooks. As water warms, fishing action will increase but the time to catch that big one is now through the pre-spawn. Good Luck!
LAKE CONDITIONS: Toledo's lake level at mid week is 168.5 which is 3.5 feet below full pool of 172 msl. Surface temps are 53-54 degrees but these should warm some by weekend as weather is expected to warm significantly. Generating at the dam is minimal with one unit running a couple of hours per day. The northern part of the lake is stained to heavily stained, mid lake is slightly stained and south Toledo is clear. All major feeder creeks have some off-colored water conditions with the upper portions more stained than areas near the main lake. These areas also warm up quicker.
FISHING REPORTS/BASS: For my guideservice the past week we have been having better results late morning, mid day and even the late afternoon as the water warms up. This is a normal pattern with water temps still in low 50s. Another hint is that the northern banks of the lake and feeder creeks will be the first to warm up as these are exposed to more direct afternoon sunlight. A 2-3 degree difference in water temperatures can make a huge difference.
Slow presentations remain crucial with cold water but things are close to changing. By weekend, bass might even chase a bait for a change. I'm ready for that, how about you. The only way we have been getting bites is to hit them on the head with the bait and leave it there while they decide to hit it our not. Jigs and Carolina rigs in deep brush has been good in depths of 12 to 18 feet in part of the lake with clear water. In off colored areas, they are in 4 to 12 feet.
Spinnerbaits (3/8 ounce double willow in white/chartreuse) worked over and through grass continues to catch good bass as have lipless crankbaits (Frenzy Rattl'r and Rat-L-Traps) worked along edge of grass and over 4-8 ft. flats. Deep diving crankbaits are always a great tool for catching bass moving into staging areas. Wacky worms are starting to be a good presentation. My jigging spoon areas did not produce much this past week and I will put these away for a while. Drop shot is still on the table but I will move up to 18 to 28 feet instead of 30 to 45.
AUTHOR INFO: Joe Joslin is a syndicated columnist, tournament angler and pro guide on Toledo and Sam Rayburn. His sponsors include Skeeter Performance Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Lake Charles Toyota, Red River Marine/Alexandria, LA, Berkley, Fenwick, Abu Garcia, Bill Norman , Daiichi, Jay's Carpet One DeRidder, The Floor Trader Lake Charles,
Extermatrim Exterminating, Inc. and Stanley Jigs Inc. Contact him at 337-463-3848 or joejoslinoutdoors@yahoo.com. and WEBSITE www.joejoslinoutdoors.com
