FISHING REPORT -February & Early March
LAKE WEST POINT is still below full pool and surface temps are in the middle 50's
Bass: Good. Expect big changes as we head into March. Warming weather and a stained lake should move many of the largemouth shallow quickly, especially after a late February warming trend. Expect the largemouth bite to continue to be good around any shallow wood or brush, rip-rap rocks or around shallow baitfish schools. Fairly fast - moving shallow-water baits such as ChatterBaits, square-bill crankbaits, Spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps allow you to cover water quickly to find actively feeding fish. It’s a good time to catch a trophy fish.-- One of the main keys to this type of shallow fishing is to look for warmer stained water. A ditch or creek run sometimes helps to bring warmer water into an area, especially after a warm rain. Dark chunk rock and red clay retain heat and attract bass.--Fishing for spots can be awesome as they will start to bed in March as well. Small crankbaits or Carolina rigged finesse worms will catch fish on almost any gravel bank, especially on the lower end of the lake.
Linesides: Good. The river run cranks up in March, and how good it gets usually depends on weather and water conditions. What you don’t want is really muddy and cold water below 50 degrees. I usually start out with cut bait soaked in garlic spray in water temps around 60 or lower. Live shad usually work better in water temps of 60 or higher. Start around Ringer Access and follow the fish upstream as the water warms. ---Also, this month, stripers mixed with hybrids and white bass can continue to school on top or in shallow pockets. The schooling fish are mostly less than three pounds or so, but there are some bigger fished mixed in as well. The mouths of Yellow Jacket, Wehadkee, and Maple creeks have all been producing some fish.Try small crankbaits or topwater lures if you see them schooling. --- Downlining with live shiners will also work at times. Target drop-offs near the channel or the top of humps. Trolling with Flash Mob Jr. rigs or bucktail jigs and vertical jigging with spoons have also been producing some fish in these same areas. The key is finding a little clearer water.
Crappie: Excellent.-- A few warm days in a row will drastically improve the crappie fishing in March . Good numbers of crappie are being caught in the shallows by bank fisherman on minnows and jigs under a float, especially in the afternoons. Blowdown trees and brushpiles in 3 to 6 feet of water are holding fish as well. Trolling for crappie usually kicks into high gear soon as well. Whitewater and Yellow Jacket creeks almost always seem to turn on strong this month. --- Expect the shallow bite to turn off in the event of an extended cold snap or get even better with an extended warming trend. Trolling always seems to work better in clearer water and casting jigs for them is usually better in stained water. and Overall, March is probably the BEST month for size and numbers of crappie.--- Expect many of the crappie to bed on the full moon cycle in late March.
