Greers Ferry March Forecast 2010

[Cody Smith]

Hello All! Spring time is right around the corner and I for one could not be

happier! March is a prime time conditioner for great fishing to come over the

next several months. During March we will see sprouting vegetation, pleasant

temperatures and longer days with cool nights. This is one of my very

favorite months to be on the water here on Greers Ferry. It's light switch

time, what I mean is a lot of changes will take place over a very short amount

of time this month. We will go from cold days of inconsistent fishing and

then bingo, over night the bite will surge amongst all species, the sun will

shine and your graph will be lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July.

During the first week or so of March we will see a slow climb of warming water

temperatures on the Main Lake portions of Greers. For the first couple of

weeks we will see much warmer water in the lower portion's of the creeks and

tributaries then the far reaches. There will be a cutoff line that forms and

the vast majority of our game fish and bait fish will not migrate past this

line of separation between the cooler inflow water and the still cold but

warmer water in the rest of the reservoir. Once the water entering the lake

becomes warmer than the main lake our fish will respond in a highly positive

way and an aggressive feeding trend will be upon us.

During this month we will have all three stages of the walleye spawn taking

place, pre, active and post spawn fish will be pushed up our tributaries, as

well as, on mid lake humps and points with a hard bottom and current be it

wind or inflow. A variety of methods will be used in locating and catching

these tasty fish. Some of the more prominent means in taking these fish will

with be Fish Dinner Spoons dropped to deeper staging fish in the creeks. Look

for highest concentrations of these fish to be on the last major

structure/current break within the feeder arms or on the primary ledge leading

into the main lake hump or points. Live bait will be number one when

presented to fish shallower in the column, as well as the fish that have

pushed all the way to the spawning grounds. Fish large shiners on a sixteenth

or eighth ounce lead head jig in the current or just off the break line around

obvious structure. Let the amount of current dictate the proper weight,

ideally you want your minnow and jig to be swept slightly slower than the

current your fishing in. By casting up stream and letting your offering drift

by these fish they simply cannot resist an easy meal when presented correctly.

Our Largemouth are growing more and more aggressive by the day during this

month in anticipation for the spawn that will happen in the next 6 weeks or

when water temps start to get in the mid to lower 60's and the amount of

daylight is sufficient for spawning. Right now the majority of the fish are

staging on secondary points within the feeder and main creeks and inlets of

the reservoir. Depths of 8 - 16 feet of water will hold the largest numbers

of fish when coupled with deeper water very close by. Finesse Worms, Jig and

Chunk Combos and slower moving baits on brighter days will produce best. If

we have some wind, clouds or both you can definitely capitalize by fishing a

jerk bait or crank bait in these same locations.

The Kentucky's and the Smallies are really going to be on the feed this month.

Main lake points and ledges are going to hold a vast number of the spots and

smallies for the first couple of weeks. As we get towards the end of March

our Smallies will have a big urge to start spawning once water temperatures

reach the upper 50's. 58 degrees seems to be the magic number here on Greers.

Fourty-Five degree banks with pea gravel and scattered wood will hold pre

spawn fish. Depth will be very much dictated by the clarity of the water and

light penetration. Typically on the lower end of the lake look at 9 - 16 feet

of water with the upper reaches of the lake being much shallower. C-Rigs with

creature baits, Drop Shot rigs, Shakey heads and 3 - 5 inch grubs will be key

in finding and catching these fish. Smaller Cranks, Tubes and Jigs should

also be considered when pursuing these fish.

March is a great time for our White's and Hybrid striped bass. During the

first couple of weeks of the month look for the fish to be staging 1/2 way up

the creeks and arms in large concentrations. These fish will be tailing the

thread fin shad we have in the reservoir. Both the Shad and temperate bass we

have will be spawning at relatively the same time. 55 - 58 degrees marks the

beginning for the temperate bass as well as the shad. The whites and hybrids

will move up the arms as the water warms. Once they reach their spawning

grounds towards the last week of this month they will stay put for two to

three weeks with a 3 - 5 day stretch being the peek time to catch extremely

high numbers of 100 fish or more as they are very acceptable to many different

artificial and live bait offerings during this time. I prefer 3 inch Action

Bait Grubs, www.actionbait.com, on an 1/8 oz. lead head jig as well as the

Cindy K Spinner which can be found at www.fishdinnerlures.com .

I am often asked about our Crappie population here on Greers Ferry and this is

one of the few months I feel competent enough to answer and predict where the

bite will be best, as I do not pursue these fish on any other regular basis

other then March and April. Towards the end of this month look to channel

swing locations on the main lake as well as major and minor feeder arms.

Depths of 16 - 32 feet with standing timber adjacent to spawning flats within

these locations will produce. I use a very light weight set up with

traditionally an 1/8 ounce lead head and a 2" tube or Slider style soft

plastic on a basic cast and retrieve presentation. I typically count the bait

down to the depth the fish are holding, generally 6 - 12 feet deep just over

the tops of the timber. Typically it is a very light bite and there is little

need to set the hook with aggression, simply lift the rod tip and keep

reeling.

March is an awesome time to be on the water here on Greers Ferry Lake. Great

days of fishing and Catching are right around the corner. Give me a call or

shoot me an email when your ready for some drag pulling action here on our

beautiful reservoir located in the foothills of the Ozarks. Good Fishing!