| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Spotted Bass | 58-65 | - Actively feeding on suspended shad schools while transitioning to pre-spawn locations
- Moving between points and secondary areas, staging for upcoming spawn
- Showing aggressive feeding behavior when bait is properly presented
| - Main lake and secondary points, especially those with rocky composition
- Natural chokepoints where shad schools concentrate
- Weed edges and grass lines adjacent to deeper water
| - Lipless Crankbaits worked over points and chokepoints
- Shakey Heads on rocky points and transitions
- Hard Jerkbaits when shad are present and fish are suspended
- Damiki Rig for suspended fish actively feeding on shad
| - Shad (primary forage based on multiple reports)
- Baitfish schools concentrated in pre-spawn areas
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Green Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Crappie | 52-62 | - Fish are transitioning from deeper winter haunts to staging areas near spawning flats, becoming increasingly active as water warms
- Feeding activity increases during this pre-spawn period, with fish gathering in schools near brush piles and creek channel bends
| - Creek channel bends adjacent to spawning flats in 8-15 foot depth
- Brush piles and laydowns near shallow coves in 12-20 foot range
- Secondary points with submerged vegetation in 6-12 foot depth
| - Crappie Spider Rigging
- Crappie Long Lining (Pulling/Trolling)
- Vertical Jigging Mid Depth (10-19')
| - Shad schools gathering in pre-spawn staging areas
- Small minnows in and around brush piles
- Young of year baitfish beginning to emerge
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 59-68 | - Pre-spawn bass are transitioning from winter patterns to spawning areas, actively feeding to build energy reserves for spawning
- Fish are staging near spawning flats but utilizing adjacent deeper water as safety zones, especially during cold fronts
| - Protected grass areas adjacent to spawning flats, particularly those with matted vegetation
- Docks near spawning pockets, especially those with deeper water access
- Secondary points leading into spawning coves
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around matted grass and dock areas
- Lipless Crankbaits worked through submerged grass
- Swim Jigs along grass edges and through sparse vegetation
| - Shad schools staging in pre-spawn areas
- Bluegill beginning to become more active in warming shallows
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Green Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Spotted Bass | 55-65 | - Spotted bass transitioning to spawning behavior, actively moving into shallow rocky areas and laydowns for bedding while maintaining feeding activity on shad
- Fish showing typical spring pattern of moving between pre-spawn staging areas and spawning flats, particularly around hard bottom areas
| - Rocky banks with scattered laydowns in spawning pockets
- Hard bottom points adjacent to spawning coves
- Brush piles in 12-15 foot range near spawning areas
| - Shakey Heads worked slowly around laydowns and rocky banks
- Soft Jerkbaits fished with erratic retrieves around staging areas
- Medium Diving Crankbaits (7'-12') worked along transition areas between spawning flats and deeper water
| - Shad schooling in pre-spawn areas
- Crawfish becoming active on rocky banks
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Natural Shad Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Crappie | 58-68 | - Crappie moving shallow (2-8 feet) to spawn near brush, laydowns, and grass edges
- Males guarding nests while females stage slightly deeper, creating multiple depth opportunities
- Most active during dawn and dusk, with increased activity on overcast days
| - Protected coves with brush piles and laydowns in 2-8 foot depth
- Grass edges and matted vegetation in spawning pockets
- Secondary points leading into spawning coves
| - Crappie Dock Shooting
- Bobbers
- Crappie Sniping (Casting/Single Poling)
| - Shad fry beginning to emerge
- Small minnows in shallow spawning areas
- Young-of-year bluegill near vegetation
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
- Pink Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 59-72 | - Largemouth bass are in spawning mode, stacking up in areas with matted grass for pre-spawn staging and moving to protected dock areas for spawning
- Fish are actively feeding in the upper water column, particularly around vegetation and dock structures
| - Matted grass areas in protected coves and bays
- Docks, particularly those near spawning flats
- Shallow vegetation edges adjacent to deeper water
| - Swim Jigs worked through grass and along vegetation edges
- Wacky Rigs worked slowly around docks and spawning areas
- Bladed Jigs for covering water and triggering reaction strikes
| - Bluegill gathering in spawning areas
- Shad moving into shallow areas
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Green Colors
- Natural Craw Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Spotted Bass | 65-73 | - Post-spawn spotted bass are actively feeding but transitioning between shallow spawning areas and summer patterns, showing both shallow and suspended feeding behavior
- Fish are most active during morning and evening, moving deeper when sun is high as indicated by fishing reports showing technique transitions
| - Matted grass edges in 5-15 foot range, particularly where it intersects with deeper water
- Brush piles in 12-15 foot range, especially those near points or spawning flats
- Main lake and secondary points with access to deeper water
| - Wacky Rigs during morning hours and overcast conditions
- Shakey Heads when sun is high and fish move deeper
- Hard Topwater (Walking) on points during morning and overcast conditions
| - Shad schools beginning to group up in post-spawn patterns
- Bluegill around shallow cover and grass edges
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Dark Neutrals
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Crappie | 68-78 | - Post-spawn crappie transitioning from shallow spawning areas to deeper summer haunts, staging near brush piles and creek channels in 12-20 foot range
- Actively feeding during morning and evening periods, suspending near cover during midday
- Schools becoming more concentrated around deeper structure as water continues to warm
| - Brush piles and laydowns in 15-20 foot depth adjacent to spawning flats
- Creek channel bends with woody cover in 12-18 foot depth
- Dock edges with deep water access near spawning areas
| - Crappie Spider Rigging
- Crappie Long Lining (Pulling/Trolling)
- Vertical Jigging Mid Depth (10-19')
| - Shad
- Small Minnows
- Young-of-year Baitfish
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 68-78 | - Bass are actively feeding during shad spawn periods, particularly in early morning for 2-3 hour windows
- Fish are recovering from spawn, transitioning between shallow spawning areas and early summer patterns
- Bass are utilizing matted grass areas as primary cover, moving between shallow and slightly deeper water
| - Matted grass areas near spawning flats
- Main lake pockets with shad spawning activity
- Dock areas adjacent to deeper water
| - Hard Topwater (Walking) worked aggressively during shad spawn
- Soft Jerkbaits (flukes) in pearl white for post-spawn bass
- Swim Jigs worked through grass mats
| - Spawning Shad - primary forage during early morning periods
- Bluegill - secondary forage especially around docks and vegetation
| - Natural Shad Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
