As we reach the end of March and crawl our way into April bass fishing will only continue to get better on the local lakes. As the old southern tale goes ‘when the dogwoods start to bloom, the bass are spawning.’ This almost hits the nail right on the head this year, but the bass are surely in a pre-spawn pattern at the moment. With what seems to be the last major cold front imminently upon us I would expect to see the fishing on local lakes really start to heat up moving into the second week of April.
I have been finding a lot of fish on the main lake, and secondary points near spawning grounds. Those areas are going to be heavily fished over the next month so to really set yourself apart focus on these things when looking for points to fish.
1: Locate pockets or creeks of the lake that have fresh water flowing into the back
2: Find points with a main river channel swinging in tight to them
3: Key in on points that provide an adjacent feeding flat
4: Points with deep water access very close for fish to move to during a cold front
If you can find an area on your lake that provides all of the above during these next few weeks you will be close to fish and need to then dial in what they want to feed on. If you hit the lake over the weekend remember our temperatures are about to fall 20 degrees, this is where that main river channel comes into play. If you were catching fish on a secondary point and go back during this front you have a couple things to check off the list. If you have a river channel swinging in those fish will likely slide off and hunker down in the middle of it. If they don’t seem to be in the channel, or you don’t have one near your point, fish the same point but focus on the breaks and the drop offs instead of the top ridge. Often a quick front like what is coming at us now will not push the fish back entirely out to the main lake, but only move them to find the nearest deep water access.
Remember these fish want to eat right now, it’s not quite about what baits you’re throwing but the areas in which you are fishing and how you are presenting them. The cold weather may make them a bit more picky, but as we come out of it they will be willing to feed heavily.
Goodluck the next time you hit the water! Snatch em up
I would be happy to answer any questions or see some fish pictures from the weekend! DM me on instagram @captn_ty
*To book a bass fishing trip you can visit Headwatersoutfitters.com or call 828-877-3106