I fished West Lake from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm on March 5, 2016.
 
Fish/Pattern:  Caught 5, all between 1 and 3 lbs.  One on red SLCB (ticking it off the top of submerged Coontail, ripping it out when makes contact), one on a fluke, and 3 on CR lizards in 5 to 7 feet of water.  3 males, 2 females ready to spawn.  Health good except for largest fish (male) looked beat up.  Males seem to be setting up shop between isolated clumps of Coontail in 5 feet of water.  I am sure they are shallower deeper in the weeds, but good luck with that.

Water:  No idea on temp.    I fish out of a float tube - no electronics (yet).  I sat in the water all day in swimsuit and was comfortable.  Did not have to wear sharkskins.  Best guess:  low to mid 60’s.  Water heavily stained, very tannic.  Visibility about 1.5 to 2 feet.   

Weeds:  Coontail was THICK - almost to top (or to top) in upper 1/3 of lake, about a foot under in deeper areas.  In 30 days, I anticipate it will cover at least half of the lake, if not more.  I fish out of a float tube, so its hard for me to see the edge when vegetation is still submerged, and I didn’t have my electronics, but it seemed to me that it was even growing in the channel.  It’s going to be a banner year for the Coontail.

Property:  Couldn’t find the roads so drove over the fields trying to find them.  Very difficult to find the roads.

Other issue:  about 3:30 man and woman drove up, parked, pulled out two yellow kayaks and starting fishing.  White RAM 4x4 truck with black grille cage.  Didn’t have a chance to talk with them.  Don’t know who they were.  They were still fishing when I left around 6:00.  PWF has been notified.

Posted By: Murray Camp