I’m sure you have all noticed that, in the past few years, our lake has been exceptionally clear all the way through May and early June. We have not been getting any of the green color due to algae growth until well in to July. This is partially due to the weed control as well as the cooler temperatures of the waters of late. With regards to fishing, I find the clarity of the spring water a major advantage. But with this change, we must adjust our fishing techniques. When fishing cloudier waters, you want your lures to have more vibration so that the fish can locate the lure easier. Spinners and surface lures work well when the water is cloudy. But when the water is clear, that’s when you need to “match the hatch” so to speak. You want to use baits and lures that actually look like the food that the fish are currently eating. That’s going to vary depending on what type of fish you’re after. Here’s a few of my favorites Spring lures.

           When it comes to largemouth bass, there’s no bait that are more successful in clear waters than “old faithful”, the rubber worm... and the fewer hooks you put in the worm, the more you’ll fool the fish. But don’t just cast the rubber worm out and real it back in! You need to move it correctly. You need to practice and make sure that it is displaying the right “action”. Cast it up next to the docks and weed beds and let it sink to the bottom. Then bring it in with very soft, short movements. You will know immediately when a fish bites... but don’t be so quick to react. Once the fish bites, give him all the line he wants and let him take the worm to dinner. Once he stops moving, wait about 10 seconds, slowly real the slack out of your line, and then PULL!... and be ready for the fight! You may have noticed that there are a number of bass tournaments in our lake each year. There’s a reason for that. We have some great Largemouth, up to 6 or 7 lbs.! The tournament fisherman never keep what they catch, they just weigh them and release them. As long as we all do the same, we will continue to have great largemouth fishing.

         There’s another proven method I use to catch Largemouth as well as Pike and Musky in the Spring. If you wake up early and quietly go out on our lake in your boat while the “steam is still rising”, you will notice that, in certain areas all over the surface of the lake, there are ripples. Don’t get too close or you’ll spook the schools of 3”-6” Silver Shad (fish) that are feeding on the surface. Put on the silver lure that best matches these feeding shad and then sneak up with in casting distance and flip that lure right in to the midst of them. Then slowly real it in while keeping it as close to the surface as possible. Hiding in the weeds below these feeding fish, just waiting for the right chance to strike, are some enormous fish. Be patient, it’s well worth the wait!

        Most people think that our lake is really hard to fish. We have a lot of weeds and cover and we also have a lot of natural food for the big guys to eat. If you’re going to be successful, you need to think like the fish. You need to use baits that match what they eat and you need to move the baits so that they think they’re real. It takes time and it takes practice but, trust me, our lake is loaded with trophy fish! So keep your camera with you at all times...  and remember to practice Catch and Release!