Fayette County Fishing Report

March 2003

 

Greetings all, Spring has spring and the fishing if fantastic. If you have been reading my reports over the last few months, you know that they have been a bit off the real pattern. Why you say? Quite simply Mother Nature was not as predictable as the past few years. December and January have been characterized by rapidly moving cold front followed by quickly rising temperatures. Coupled with very strong winds mixing this power plant warmed water the fish simply never really moved deep. Smaller bass, more readily effected moved out but the bigger fish stayed in shallow water most of the winter. They had lockjaw sometimes but they were still there. Early January still saw us throwing spinnerbaits and crank baits in less than 4 feet of water! Every now and then Mother Nature has to remind us she is unpredictable AND in charge.

That being said, what impact does all this have on March fishing? Well, the fish have stayed shallow and the spawn began in earnest just after the January full moon. As many of you know, on Fayette the northwestern coves warm first and the fish spawn there early. By March, the spawn has moved across the lake to the east side. So the choice is your: pre-spawn fish will still be on the eastern points and secondary points, many will be spawning and post spawn will be occupying the western points and secondary points along with, in some cases the fish still moving in. What an amazing time of year!

So what to do? I like to begin and most often stick with, the pre and post spawn fish. Those who refuse to use a push pole chew the shallows up with their trolling motor. Imagine helicopter after helicopter hovering over your house throughout the day; it might just disrupt your routine. Sure spawning bass are fun to fish for; the thrill of the hunt, seeing the fish and all that. But, they get hammered and become extremely hard to catch. Unless my clients really want to fish for them, I leave them alone.

With my attention turned to pre and post spawn bass I have fewer boats to worry about and fish that are hungry! I do not subscribe to the philosophy that post spawn bass are harder to catch. Quite simply, my records over the years do not indicate anything of the sort. That being said, pre and post bass hang out in the same areas, a nice double whammy.

I prefer to start with either a Blue Fox buzz bait (white) or a Yellow Magic top water early in the morning to catch the aggressive feeders. Btw, why to people pay so much attention to the TOP of a topwater? The fish never see the top. Remember, popping type baits mimic smaller fish feeding on the surface; “walk-the-dog” type baits imitate struggling baitfish. Fishing the sharp drops on secondary points can really produce some nice fish on Fayette this time of year. 

When the topwater bite slows I will switch to a War Eagle spinner bait or a Rapala DTR-10. Willow blades and shad colored skirts/baits produce the best. Try to throw parallel to the shoreline. I love following behind someone throwing towards the bank. Their bait is only at the optimum depth for a short time. Throwing parallel insures your bait is where the fish are for the maximum amount of time of each cast. Another bait I have had outstanding success on is the Lucky Craft 500 lipless crankbait. In know, they are real proud of their baits. But, there is no doubt in my mind that the finish, rattle chamber and wobble of this bait produce more fish. My records indicate that this bait will out fish any other lipless bait on any given day. So, is it worth the extra cost? You have to decide that for yourself.

Finally, if you find a nice pod of pre or post spawn bass slow down. Work them with soft plastic. I have been working with a great new bait from Bass Pro Shops this Spring: the Hairy Hogg. It is a creature bait with a twist. The body has “hairs” hollow chambers that trap air and allows the bait to float. It will float a 2/0 hook, has a nice trips ripple tail and really excites bass to hit. Rigged on a light weight I have caught some nice bass on it off of the secondary points and on beds! I am also throwing a wacky worm and Senko when the situation warrants. Watermelon/red and green pumpkin are proven winners on most of our lakes.

Well, that is about it for now. Don’t forget you can find me at the Bass Pro Shops in Katy teaching classes on bass fishing. The BPS Classic this year was the best yet. If you missed it you missed a wonderful chance to literally feel the pulse of the bass fishing industry. If you would like to book a trip to Fayette give me a call (281) 499-3799, email (FishCoach@compassnet.com) or check out my website: www.compassnet.com/fishcoach.

Good fishing to you all.