By Steve Hanson
The New Guy at Marks

Well, here we are again kicking off another great year. Although the warmth of spring is still a couple of months away, good fishing can be found on Lay Lake now. Remember, many of the largest bass on record have been taken this time of year. While many people find it hard to believe, good fish can be caught in surprisingly shallow water this time of year. In fact, most of the fish I catch during the cold months come from shallow water. Though the larger concentrations of fish will usually be found in deeper water, I believe your best chance at a quality fish rests at depths shallower than 5 feet! As productive as shallow water has been for me through the years, there are certain factors that enhance its effectiveness.

First and foremost is the weather. Shallow water bass, no matter where you're fishing, will always be more directly affected by weather changes than deep-water bass. The more overcast (grayer) the day, the better. This is particularly true in clear water (which is what we have right now at Lay Lake). The lack of heavy rain has left Lay in a clear state. Bright, sunny days, and clear water most often do not make for successful shallow water fishing.

Stained water is key when targeting bass in the shallows. I like water which has visibility approximately 6 inches beneath the surface. If nothing else, this does two very important things. First, bass in stained to slightly muddy water generally tend to be less spooky than clear-water bass, Secondly, bass in stained water tend to be more "object-oriented", simply meaning they will hold tighter to cover! This in a way, makes them more predictable. Although, I could go on and on, lets turn the focus of our attention to what to look for when fishing shallow water. When I pull up to a bank on Lay Lake, I tend to look for irregularities along the shoreline.

For example, when I'm flipping a weed-line, I look for things within the weeds that are different. If I'm seeing a line of thin weeds then I will focus on any matted patches within those thin weeds. Also look for points, indentions, logjams, holes, pockets, etc. along a line of weeds. Lastly, never...never... overlook isolated weed-beds; they can be particularly good for larger fish. Coincidentally, flipping is one of my favorite patterns on Lay, no matter the time of year. Popular choices for this technique include tube baits, lizards, worms, and crawfish. Of these, I prefer tubes in the 4" range mated to a 3/8 oz. to 1 oz. gambler weight. The size of the weight strictly depends on the density of the weeds I'm flipping.

Tubes are unique for this situation because of their cylindrical shape. They simply penetrate the thicker weeds more easily than many other soft plastic designs. Other effective techniques for me, during the colder months, include spinnerbaits and jigs. While many people rely on 3/8 oz. or 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits in the shallows, I tend to like the larger baits. I have become more and more attached to 1 Oz. bait with a single #6 willowleaf blade. Sometimes you have to experiment by "cupping" the blade a little, but when you get it right, the lure will cast a fairly large wake when retrieved just underneath the surface.

As a result, I believe it triggers many fish that would pass up the average spinnnerbait. I remember one particular day during late February or early March when a good friend and I were fishing a cut in Waxahatchee Creek. We started out crappie fishing a favorite treetop ina this partcular place. the carrie were fiarly slow and as the sun got higher that morning, we began to see some shad activity. Soon we saw shad scatter and there was a boil on the surface.

The second time we saw this my buddy put down the crappie rod and began casting a 1/4 oz. rattletrap. The second cast produced a spotted bass of about 2 pounds. Just for the heck of it, I wheeled out my 1 oz. spinnerbait and caught one about the same size. I went on to catch 7 more spots from 1 3/4 pounds to 4 pounds on that spinnerbait. My buddy, who is quite a fisherman, managed to catch only one fish on a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait the same color as mine. I believe it was the unique size and sound of my bait that triggered the strikes.

While most people associate shallow water with big largemouth, it is true that you can catch some very impressive spotted bass in the skinny water. This time of year on Lay Lake, I particularly like fishing shallow "chunk-rock" flats. As mentioned earlier, this pattern is enhanced by stained water...(maybe we'll get some hard rain before long!) My most productive lures here tend to be shallow-running crankbaits, jig-n-pigs, and the Carolina rig. I would say that my favorite here is the latter. I have caught many quality fish throwing a Carolina rig on these flats. A major advantage is that, like a crankbait, you can cover water quickly.

This pattern is a "dead-ringer" as we approach the month of April. Just remember, adjust the length of your leader according to the color of the water. The more stained the water, the shorter the leader while clearer water calls for a longer leader. A good rule of thumb is to stay somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 feet. While I have touched on just a few of my favorite techniques for Lay Lake, it is important to remember that all the bass on a given body of water are never doing the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Therefore, there is always the need to be patient and work areas thoroughly. I think all of us, myself included, tend to get over-anxious and fish too fast. Treat each day on the water as a learning experience.

Come by the store and lets talk fishing, I will be glad to help you any way I can!