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Recently, Benji Hohenberger and I headed over to pre-fish a tournament
at
Cedar Creek Lake. After fishing for an hour or so, we headed
into a small creek
looking for bass and boy, was I surprised. The water was just
clear enough to spot
a nice bass on the bed with the help of my Solar Bat polarized glasses.
High
quality sunglasses, like the Solar Bat's, are a must when bed fishing. They
help
you see through the water's glare enabling you to spot bass on their
spawning
nest. Upon further inspection in our small creek, we found several
more bass
protecting their nest. I love to sight fish for bass more than
any other type of
fishing.
At this point, we pitched lizards and small worms onto the nest. Being
careful
not the spook the fish, we would actually pitch past the nest and
drag the Kalin's
watermelon lizard or Western worm in green back onto the nest in
front of the fish.
Once the bait was on the nest, we shook the line to make the bait
move a little
and aggravate the bass to the point that they wanted it off of the
nest. They would
pick it up in their mouth to move it and BOOM, we'd set the hook
and the rest is in
the pictures. We even caught the same bass, two different times. I
caught it first
and 20 minutes later Benji caught it off of the same nest.
I like the Kalin's worms and lizards because they are packed with
salt, which
the bass find irresistible. Once they bite, they hold on longer
than with other
plastic baits I've used. Proper rod, reel and line selection is
also important when
bed fishing. The clarity of the water you are fishing will
greatly dictate the size line
you need to use. Bedding fish are spooky and in clear water, the
chances of
hooking up with these fish are less than when they are in murkier
water. Proper
gear selection is important.
In clear water I use P-Line's CX fluorocarbon coated line. It is
virtually invisible
underwater making it difficult for bass to detect. In all other
conditions, I use
P-Line's CXX line. It is limp and spools off of the reel smoothly
making accurate
pitching much easier to do. When bed fishing, it is imperative that
your casting
be on target to increase your chances of hooking up with the bass.
A good medium-heavy to heavy action rod is a good choice. I
prefer my Abu
Garcia 6'6'' med/heavy action Conolon rod with my Moorum reel, also
by Abu
Garcia. With precision casting being a necessity when bed fishing,
I go with the
smoothest rod and reel combo in my arsenal. In "gin clear"
water, like that often
found at Lake Whitney during the spring, I use my Ultra cast spinning
reel
mounted on a 6'6'' medium action Conolon rod rigged with 6-10 lb.
P-Line. It
makes for a lethal combination for clear water bassin'.
If sight fishing is not for you, try chunking spinnerbaits along
the bank. Cover
lots of water, and you will probably catch fish. I like bright
colors in the spring.
Look for 60-68 degree water and watch for movement along the shoreline
or for the
bass themselves. If you want to fish the spawn, but don't own a
boat, don't know
where to go or what to do, contact a guide. They are there to help
you catch fish
and learn the sport. They can be a great benefit to you. Contact
Stan Lawhon or
Mike's Guide Service. I highly recommend both of them for a
good day on the
water.
This is the time of year for you to do your thing, if your thing
is catching bass
here in the south. Find or make time to get out on the water
and look for spawning
bass. Until next time, enjoy the Texas Outdoors.
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