Fayette County Fishing Report

February 2003

 

            Is everyone ready for Spring? Spring on Fayette comes early remember. And Spring means fish, big fish and shallow water.

 

            The weather will be warming more and more, days getting long, fish getting much more active as the shallows warm. I hope you paid close attention to the weather in January, as that will dictate what you do in February. The lake should be down a bit if LCRA follows the pattern of the last few years, unless of course heavy rains keep the level up. Also, don’t forget the fog can be deadly on Fayette, so take it easy and use your Lowrance GPS!

            A cold January means many fish will still be deep on the humps so keep your spoons, Carolina rigs, drop shots and DD-22s handy. Good fish will still be deep and no doubt hungry! Warm weather in January means secondary points and staging areas. They should be there in good numbers. We will be looking for water in the low to mid 60s. That could be the coves north of the discharge or further east depending on the weather and wind. By the time we reach the full month in February, we should see a spawn in full swing.

            Secondary points will be the first place I look for pre-spawn bass. Lucky Craft lipless baits are wonderful search baits. The American Shad and Aurora Shad have really produced for me. Cover as much water as you can. Once you find the fish, slow down. War Eagle spinner baits in the ¼ to 3/8 ounce varieties will do the trick. They have a hand-sown skirt with an extremely sharp Mustad hook. The arm produces a nice vibration and the blades are top drawer. Work the bait slower than your lipless and you should boat numerous bass. If that fails, move to your soft jerk baits: Bass Pro Shops has a super one, the Stik-O. Remember to look for the coots and the submerged grass. Fish will hold there.

            If you like fishing for bedding bass they will be in the shallow flats at the back of the creeks. A drop shot can be deadly. Throw the weight past the bed and slowly lower your rod until your bait is in the bed and just jiggle it. It will be hard for a bass to resist such a threat and temptation. A wacky worm over the beds can be a lot of fun so keep one tied on as well. Try to hit the lake during the week because the weekend brings so many fishermen and trolling motors that the shallows are chewed up a good bit.

            I am always worried this time of year about the way I dress. Layers are a given as we all know. I start with a Bass Pro Shops 100 MPH suit. In all my years, I have found nothing that keeps me as warm and dry. In fact, you need fewer layers than with traditional suits. That gives you more mobility, an important factor in working the beds and the run and gun of pre-spawn. Life jackets are vital. Surely, your life is more than important than a fish.

Finally. I want to thank all of you that came by the Red Wing Boat Company and Bass Pro Shops booths at the Houston Boat Show. I appreciate the good conversations and fellowship we had. Next up? The Spring Fishing Classic at Bass Pro Shops in Katy. It runs March 15th to the 23rd. We will have all the vendors, reps., and pro's there with new products and great ideas to share. You don’t want to miss this. Remember too, the free fishing classes I teach there as well. You can contact the store for more information.

If you would like to book a trip to Fayette you can email me at: FishCoach@compassnet.com or check out my website:  http://www.compassnet.com/fishcoach.