Kc Area Feb 13 & 14

[Dock-in-it]

The vertical/deep grub bite slowed down a lot in early February like Pete W reported.

On Feb 13 in the PM I tried a deep grub, jerk bait, and the A-Rig. No luck on the jerk bait.

The A-Rig produced a few keeper SM on windy gravel with deep water nearby.

The grub produced a few which is a good sign for a PM trip.

Feb 14 in the AM (to avoid the Joe Bass guys), I decided to start with the grub and spoon on main lake chnl swings.

At my fist stop I knew instantly the deep bite would be good, there were plenty of suspended (42’-45') fish feeding on very small pods of shad over 80-90 FOW. The bite slowed down about 8:30. Had 20+ Ks with 12+ keepers and nothing over 2.5 lbs.

Three categories of catchable fish for me.

(1) Suspended/feeding about 40’ in 80-90 FOW (2) Tree tops about 40’ (3) On the bottom in 45-60 FOW.

I could not catch fish that were alone and suspended in the 30’ range.

Also they did not want the smoke/red flake grub, so I switched to salt/pepper and it worked much better.

The 4” grub (fished vertical) caught most of the fish and a white spoon produced 4 or 5 fish.

The spoon worked in the tree tops and right at the bottom (barely shaking the spoon).

[fishingaddiction]

Excellent intel Dock and figuring out the deep bite. I don't think the majority of the bass have vacated the deep locations, but some have disbursed and moved to shallower staging locations. These fish wander even shallower when we have warmer weather patterns and based on recent reports are being caught with jerk baits, jigs, grubs and Ned Rig.

[Dock-in-it]

The 45 seconds rule: (for curious/happy fish)

When you approach a chnl swing, put the trolling motor down about 40 yds from where you think most fish will be and

start easing up to the key location.

Have your grub ready to drop, because within 45 seconds one or two fish will appear streaking up from an extreme depth

or they just appear magically.

These fish are very catchable and seem really curious/happy about your presents and often times are the

biggest and perhaps the only fish you will catch.

You can ease around the area for the next 30 minutes and for some unexplainable reason the ‘curious/happy’ factor

does not repeat itself.

So after the first 45 seconds, you have to find them (vs them finding you) and then try to aggravate them into biting.

[fishingaddiction]

The 45 seconds rule: (for curious/happy fish)

When you approach a chnl swing, put the trolling motor down about 40 yds from where you think most fish will be and

start easing up to the key location.

Have your grub ready to drop, because within 45 seconds one or two fish will appear streaking up from an extreme depth

or they just appear magically.

These fish are very catchable and seem really curious/happy about your presents and often times are the

biggest and perhaps the only fish you will catch.

You can ease around the area for the next 30 minutes and for some unexplainable reason the ‘curious/happy’ factor

does not repeat itself.

So after the first 45 seconds, you have to find them (vs them finding you) and then try to aggravate them into biting.

Interesting!