Well the weather has been mild over the past few days and we had records highs this week. The pond outside my office window is starting to show some water. I am confident that there will be some fishable water by this weekend (which happens to be a 3 day weekend for many of us).
So with that being said, my hope is to get out on the water and begin sharpening my ice out - early spring techniques. There is no question that this is my favorite time of year to bass fish. (Assuming the ice is thawing) Some of the best fishing available is right after ice-out. Bass (smallmouth and largemouth) are tightly school together and will instinctively begin their migration towards prespawn staging areas. It takes some searching, but when you find them, you can have some of the best days (size and numbers) of your life.
Every body of water is different by design. In natural lakes and ponds bass transition differently from the bass in reservoirs (man-made lakes/ponds). I personally prefer the opportunities provided by reservoirs following the ice-out period, however natural lakes and ponds can offer some great bass fishing as well.
So, for those of you who fish in areas where your lakes/ponds actually freeze up, how do you approach locating and catching bass during this time period? I just figure that this is a good time to strike up a discussion because many of us will be on the water before we know it and sharing tactics and techniques might give us all something new to try and who knows, even improve our success this year!
Looking forward to hearing back from everyone.
BC
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Brendan C.
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