Any Help Appreciated

[JDH_MOangler]

We're coming down to TRL next Sunday 4/11 for a week and was wondering what to expect as far as water temps, clarity, levels and basically what the bass are doing and how you're fishing for them.

This is my first Spring trip down there as we usually come for a week in the fall. Hoping we picked a good time.

Thanks in advance for any info.

[Trav]

Expect prespawn conditions.

My guess the temps will be mid fiftys for the most part by the 11th. If we get plenty of sun that is.

I will be thinking about gravel beds off twenty to thirty feet of water around then myself. The bass will be staged right off those areas waiting for the water to prime.

I think if you stock up on some 3 to 4 inch grubs and hope for some lipless crankbait action you will be setting yourself up OK. Right know we are looking at some tough cold water but I am expecting better reports after the weekend. The key right now is "methodical". I call it "slow and boring". But I am a man of little patience.

Good luck

[dtrs5kprs]

Curious how you fish lipless baits on the Rock. Have caught some school fish, gravel points, also sometimes as a vertical bait, but just don't normally throw them.

[Trav]

Curious how you fish lipless baits on the Rock. Have caught some school fish, gravel points, also sometimes as a vertical bait, but just don't normally throw them.

I use lipless cranks different than some.

In the summer I like to skirt the deep side of sunken timber and drag them parallel to the shoreline, maybe pause every six feet or so if the water is still cold.

Here in the Ozarks, I tend to avoid running them away from the shore or pausing at all if I choose to run through timber. I don't like digging out the lure retriever. I save my baits. There are a lot of snags and with sinking lures such as lipless cranks, containing double trebles to jam up my retrieve, it is a hassle.

Although, it is well worth the risk to snug your boat close to shore and cast out to deeper water and run them toward the shore through timber. Pause while it is still in deep water. Just avoid a long count.

If I am working deeper water for pre-spawn bass, they are killer. If you give a 10 count before your retrieve and pause like I mentioned. Six feet of line is like 6 to 8 reels? A two second pause will drop a foot or so. I use spinning rigs so you may have to adapt if you use bait casters.

Also, if you have fish on your graph and don’t get any reaction then try a longer count and avoid long pauses. Sometimes you have to bring the bait upwards through them. They don’t always come up to the bait. I have learned though…they rarely go down for it so if you run too deep it seems pointless.

Just for a side note…I am skittish when it comes to running expensive baits through obvious cover so I am not as aggressive as I know I should be. When I want to run through heavy timber I tend to use grubs. They are usually as responsive and much cheaper to cut off. I tend to be quite frugal with my approach.

Good luck