| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 57-64 | - Males moving shallow to prepare spawning areas while females stage on nearby secondary points and first break lines
- Fish are responding to warming trends, moving from winter areas to pre-spawn staging locations, particularly active during stable weather
| - Secondary points near spawning pockets
- Weedlines adjacent to spawning flats
- Flooded brush in less than three feet of water
| - Umbrella Rigs worked along grass lines and secondary points
- Wacky Rigs around laydowns and shallow cover
- Bladed Jigs in stained shallow water
- Spinnerbaits around flooded brush
| - Shad - primary forage base according to multiple reports
- Minnows - secondary forage mentioned in reports
| - Dark Neutrals
- Natural Craw Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Chain Pickerel | 52-64 | - Chain Pickerel actively staging near spawning areas, primarily in shallow vegetation zones and flooded brush, exhibiting increased feeding activity due to pre-spawn metabolism
- Fish moving from winter depths to warmer, shallow flats, following shad movements and establishing ambush points along vegetation edges
| - Submerged vegetation edges adjacent to spawning flats in 3-8 feet of water
- Protected coves with flooded brush and emerging vegetation
- Secondary points with mixed vegetation and brush near deeper water access
| - Soft Jerkbaits worked erratically with frequent pauses along vegetation edges
- Spinnerbaits retrieved steadily through gaps in brush and over submerged vegetation
- Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6') worked parallel to weed edges and around brush
| - Shad schools moving into warmer shallow waters
- Young of year panfish beginning to emerge in vegetation
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Crappie | 52-65 | - Pre-spawn crappie are staging in transitional areas between winter and spawning grounds, actively feeding to build energy reserves
- Fish are moving from deeper winter haunts to shallower staging areas, following the warming trend and baitfish movements
- Most active during dawn and dusk periods, with increased feeding activity as water temperatures climb toward spawning range
| - Deeper brush piles adjacent to spawning coves in 8-15 feet of water
- Creek channel bends near flooded brush in Cox creek area
- Secondary points with submerged vegetation leading into spawning pockets
| - Crappie Spider Rigging - allows for precise depth control and thorough coverage of brush piles
- Crappie Long Lining (Pulling/Trolling) - effective for covering water and finding active fish
- Vertical Jigging Mid Depth (10-19') - ideal for working isolated brush piles and channel bends
| - Shad congregating near creek channels and points
- Small bluegill near brush and vegetation
- Various minnow species staging around submerged cover
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 58-65 | - Largemouth bass are in various spawning stages, with males preparing and guarding nests in protected areas while females move between staging areas and spawning flats
- Fish are highly territorial and aggressive around nest sites, responding well to presentations that threaten their nests
| - Protected spawning pockets with firm bottom near submerged vegetation and flooded brush
- Secondary points and flats adjacent to deeper water staging areas
- Grass lines and weed edges in 2-6 feet of water
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around visible cover and spawning areas
- Soft Jerkbaits worked slowly around spawning flats
- Wacky Rigs for sight fishing and working spawning areas
| - Shad schooling in pre-spawn patterns near spawning flats
- Crawfish becoming active in warming waters
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Light Neutral Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Chain Pickerel | 58-68 | - Chain Pickerel actively spawning in shallow vegetation, with post-spawn fish staging nearby for recovery and feeding
- Aggressive territorial behavior around spawning areas, with fish ambushing prey from flooded brush and weed edges
| - Shallow vegetation zones with adjacent deeper water access
- Flooded brush and grass edges in 2-6 feet of water
- Protected coves with emerging vegetation
| - Soft Jerkbaits worked erratically along vegetation edges
- Inline Spinners retrieved steadily through shallow cover
- Spinnerbaits worked parallel to weed edges
| - Shad congregating in spawning areas
- Small sunfish in vegetation
- Young of year baitfish beginning to emerge
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Crappie | 58-68 | - Actively spawning and pre-spawn behavior, with fish staging in and around shallow brush in protected pockets and coves at 64°F
- Males guarding nests while females move between spawning areas and slightly deeper staging areas
| - Buck brush in protected creek pockets (like Cox Creek area)
- Shallow coves with flooded brush and vegetation
- Secondary points leading into spawning pockets
| - Crappie Sniping (Casting/Single Poling) - targeting visible brush
- Crappie Dock Shooting - for fish holding tight to cover
- Bobbers - for precise depth control in spawning areas
| - Young crappie and small baitfish in spawning areas
- Shad moving into shallow areas
- Bluegill in and around brush cover
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 65-75 | - Post-spawn bass are actively feeding to recover energy, targeting bluegill and other forage around shallow cover
- Fish are relating heavily to laydowns and brushy areas, using these as ambush points for feeding
| - Laydowns and fallen trees in shallow water
- Submerged vegetation and grass lines
- Secondary points with brush or vegetation
| - Swim Jigs worked through and around cover
- Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around laydowns
- Spinnerbaits parallel to grass lines
| | - Natural Craw Colors
- Green Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Chain Pickerel | 58-72 | - Post-spawn Chain Pickerel are actively feeding to recover energy, primarily targeting shad in vegetation edges and flooded brush
- Fish are establishing ambush positions in shallow to mid-depth areas, especially during morning and evening periods
| - Weed edges and vegetation transitions in 3-8 feet of water
- Flooded brush near shallow flats
- Points and irregular shoreline features with submerged vegetation
| - Soft Jerkbaits worked erratically along vegetation edges
- Inline Spinners retrieved steadily through gaps in cover
- Spinnerbaits worked parallel to weed edges
| - Shad schools moving into shallow areas
- Young-of-year baitfish beginning to emerge
- Small sunfish in vegetated areas
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Crappie | 65-75 | - Post-spawn crappie are transitioning from shallow spawning areas to deeper summer haunts, staging along brush lines and creek channels
- Fish are actively feeding to recover from spawn, with most aggressive feeding during early morning and late evening
| - Brush lines and timber along creek channels in 8-15 foot depths
- Secondary points with submerged vegetation near deeper water
- Dock structures adjacent to deeper water, especially in clearer areas
| - Crappie Long Lining (Pulling/Trolling) along depth transitions near brush
- Crappie Dock Shooting for fish holding tight to dock structure
- Vertical Jigging Shallow (0-9') around brush and timber
| - Young-of-year shad beginning to school
- Small bluegill in and around brush
- Various small minnows around vegetation
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
