3/13/08
Pack your gear … go now for excellent bass fishing
By Terry Madewell

Terry Madewell Photo

Warm spring days and a plastic worm will produce largemouth bass in shallow water. Go bass fishing now!

During the past few years we’ve been in a drought, even with brief periods of rain scattered in. While we’re getting a bit more rain now (as in the past couple of months), we’re still, in the big picture, way behind on rainfall. It’s going to take a while to catch up.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy spring bass fishing on lakes Marion and Moultrie right now. Actually the fishing is excellent right now. It’s just different than what we’re used to and what we traditionally expect. And if we continue to get rain and the water does come back close to normal pool, we’ll have to continue to be adept at changing our fishing patterns to stay with the changing water conditions.

That would be one factor I would be glad to contend with.

With the severe drought conditions we’ve faced, anglers have had to adapt and adjust to a totally new fishing scene on lakes Marion and Moultrie. To their credit, the local anglers have fared well and continued to produce good catches despite the very low water conditions and totally different places the bass called home.

The bass are beginning to do their spring “thing,” so it’s time to go and find them, wherever they are hiding. There is no more waiting for the bass fishing to get great if you want to enjoy some truly outstanding fishing. In fact, you’re already a couple weeks late according to some reports.

If you’ve done some homework, you can now reap the benefits of planning while the water is low.

During all the low water conditions, you probably read in different places (this column for sure) that it would be a good time to “look, chart, photograph or otherwise note” areas that would provide excellent fish cover when the water once again returned to normal. If you did heed that advice, you can bet your best crank bait that these areas you found where small indentions, even a six inch dip in the depth of the lake bottom, will be main travel routes for these big fish. Obviously, it’s still not too late, so I’d take a camera and do some of this even now while fishing.

Plus, those pockets of slightly deeper water that would exist back in the bushes and trees, where old ponds existed or even slight depressions with lots of weedy growth, are prime places for largemouth bass to hang out as the water creeps back in.

You may have to hunt and peck around a bit more than in past years when water was normal or near normal pool, but if you simply get out and fish with a lure you have confidence in, such as a spinner bait, a plastic worm, top water lures or a mixed bag of lures, you should eventually come across some largemouth willing to bite. When you do find such a hotspot, work that area repeatedly. When the action slows, study the area where you caught the fish and go find another place with the same characteristics, or as nearly like it as possible. Odds are very good you’ll find more fish waiting on you and you should be able to continue to repeat this pattern throughout the day.

This is a good time of the year to release most of the fish you catch. It’s likely even more important this year than most in terms of ensuring we have plenty of largemouths in future years. The low water has made it easier for some to take fish in big numbers, so catch and release can be crucial this year.

It’s spawning time and while one big sow bass can lay a lot of eggs, with the water conditions we’re facing, some of these nesting attempts may not be successful. A prime reason being that some of the bass will spawn in very shallow water that with only a few inches of drop in the lake level may be high and dry as water conditions change during the next few weeks.

So while you’re enjoying some great fishing, remember to think about the future and slip them back into the water to keep the process going full circle. By doing so, when you catch that wall hanging trophy, you can have it mounted.

With anything that’s as exciting as excellent bass fishing, there are always some points of caution and courtesy that should be observed. First, there’s a lot of debris creating hazards on lakes Marion and Moultrie, as well as other area lakes. Be watchful for these and stay safe. We all know about the stumps, trees and logs that are permanent fixtures on our lakes, but there’s some floating debris to be concerned with too. Don’t let your desire to get from Point A to Point B lead to an accident or mess up your boat. Wear those life jackets when traveling.

Another factor to consider is to be courteous to other fishermen. Most experienced bass fishermen are courteous to others, but if you’re new to the sport, or just anxious to get to the next fishing spot, be careful with your wakes when passing others who are fishing. Also, don’t cut others off when they’re working an area you wanted to fish. If they get there first, respect that and let them fish. You can go in there when they leave. Odds are you’re fishing something different and can still catch fish if the place is good.

The best advice I have is just to go fishing … now.