Lake Jackson Fishing Report – April 2019

Jackson: Level: Full pool. Temp: Upper 50s. Clarity: Stained to clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Brian Lee reports, “April is the month that most anglers really look forward to on Jackson. The water temps in April will have been in the 60s or better for a few weeks, and the bass fishing heats up. The spawn can be a very temperamental time for bass as they know what journey is ahead of them. Start the mornings with a search bait. Once you’ve found some fish, you can pretty much catch a handful of fish. The bass will be in every stage of the spawn and can be caught on several different baits. Primary and secondary points leading into spawning coves and flats are the areas to target to catch fish. Sight fishing can be a fun way to catch fish, but it’s a very meticulous way to do. So many things factor in to being able to catch a bedding bass, and you can waste valuable time working that fish. So if you’re looking to catch numbers and quality fish, you fish areas leading to spawning areas without targeting bedding fish. In May, look for some late spawners to be up bedding. The wave of bass before these late fish will be eating again. So remember take all the baits that you wish because it’s the time of the year that any bait will catch ’em.” Keith Dawkins reports, “April has always been my favorite month on Jackson. You will find bass in all stages of the spawn and looking to eat a variety of baits. The water is a little cooler and more stained than the last couple years due to all the consistent rain. I would start my search on secondary points with crankbaits like Bandit 300s in shad and blue/chartreuse patterns or No. 7 Shad Raps. Hit as many points near creek channels heading into spawning coves as possible. Other go-to baits for me on prespawn points are weightless Zoom Flukes in shad patterns, Carolina-rigged Zoom 6-inch lizards in watermelon/chartreuse and Yum Flash Mob Jr. Alabama Rigs with smaller-sized shad imitations. Once the water begins to warm into the 60s, its time to break out the double willowleaf spinnerbaits and Bang-O-Lures to add to the other baits. Moving into pockets off the secondary points and on spawning flats in the backs of pockets, use the spinnerbait to hit any visible cover along with any soft plastic you want to flip to any laydown or dock. Throw the Bang-O-Lure parallel to any rocky bank or in the backs of spawning pockets. Slowly twitch it, and hold on. The big spawning females hate that bait dipping down above their beds and making noise. Keep in mind the spots bed in deeper water, so if you are targeting them, concentrate on deeper flats down the lake near the dam or islands at Martin’s Marina. It’s hard to beat the fluke for aggressive springtime spots, but jigs and straight-tailed worms on shaky heads are good options, as well.”