Beds have not been made

Mar 04 2018

Robert Lundin

Keeper

Member Since :
2002
Number of Posts :
366

Fished yesterday and found the lake full but not muddy. Water flowing over spillway, weeds well below the surface. Wind was suppose to be SE 8 was SE to SW 20. We started by working the shallow banks looking for some aggressive males.  No luck, threw senkos, Sprinker frogs and flukes. After wondering what the next idea was we tried a white chatter bait no trailer in deeper water maybe 50 to 100 feet off shore line on east side. Bingo, bango, bongo that was the ticket. We ended up with 10 females loaded with sagging bellies.  We took a walk along the dam looking for beds but not one found.  So our best five for the day was 24 pounds. This was topped off with a sassy 8.1 lb female that was 23 1/2 inches. Everything was caught on chatterbaits.  So I was thinking since they stock Tilapia in northeast and some are white in color. Does a Bass remember that it's best meal was a white Tilipia​ . We threw things in Shad, red and green but they only attacked white.  The launch area was solid ground and wide open area of water to get the boat into lake. 

Posted By: Robert Lundin

Mar 05 2018

Tom Dillon

Toad

Member Since :
2014
Number of Posts :
516

Sounds like you managed to salvage what could have been a miserable day! Way to go, and congratulations on that 8+!

Mar 05 2018

Robert Lundin

Keeper

Member Since :
2002
Number of Posts :
366

Thanks Tom.   I like throwing plastics and my first thought was going to a white spinner bait.  A long time ago someone surveyed what would be your number one bait if you only had one. White spinner with willow blade was first second was a Texas rigged purple worm and third was a wacky rigged senko in pumpkin. So since they weren't shallow I knew the males were out pestering the female in deeper water.  Since we only caught females who knew enough to eat as the males had other thoughts. I would think by this weekend the males should be moving in to start creating beds. I just don't know what the trigger is to start the process.  Maybe the full moon had a bearing or maybe the quick influx of runoff into the lake. I have a daughter that is a Marine Biologist by education from Texas A&M. I asked her and she said her specialty was marine mammals as they are more predictable. Oh well, already thinking about the next trip.