I have been searching for some shallow areas with big fish close. Yesterdays trip proved that the fish are really making their way back to the backs of creeks and drains. With North winds to 20 miles an hour and cool temperatures I tried to prepare my clients for a long day of casting and maybe not much catching. I was wrong. First stopped had a big fish on and jumping like she was an Olympic swimmer throwing the spinnerbait back at us. By 8:14 we had a 9:75 lb female in the boat and at 9:00 another Falcon lake monster jumps at the boat on slings the baits back at us. This fish was even bigger that the other monster. The rest of the day was good with fish in the 4 to 5 pound class. We caught a fair amount of bucks when we moved to the shallows but the good fish seemed to be on the points, creek edges in the trees, and on rocks. Spinnerbaits in the 3/4 to 1 oz range were the ticket in the wind. We used the big size to help us keep it slow. The magnum blade Chartreuse and white magnum spinnerbait definitely out produced the standard blades. Had several fish on worms but the blade was the bait of the day.

The cold has come and gone. I had been catching fish deep and that bite has gone south. I can still get some fish in 20 to 30 foot on Football jigs and plastics but the big schools I had located before the freeze have moved. I think the transition from deep to shallow has begun. Went out today to check some spots and found fish to 5 1/2 up shallow. Smaller buck bass and some big fish have moved to 6 foot or less. Still not a spawn going on but the fish are up looking and cruising. It won’t be long now. We just need mother nature to let us have a few more days of warm but the weather man calls for more cold to come. You can catch numbers in the backs of pockets on Worm (lizards and creature baits) I have also been successful throwing moving baits ( Spinnerbaits and shallow crankbaits). The fish are not everywhere yet but give them time and this spawn will happen. Look up the river on bad weather days and then almost any pocket or creek on nice days. More to come…..