Bartletts Ferry Fishing Report – February 2010

Bartletts Ferry: Level: 1.6 feet below full pool. Temp: Low 40s. Clarity: Good stain.

Bass: Tough. With the cold weather and frigid water temperatures, Bartletts has been tough of recent, said Dennis Hudson. The flood gates have finally closed, and generation schedules have gone back to normal, changing the pattern from what was working when the current was consistently strong. Dennis said that early in the month of February he’ll be targeting deep-water spotted bass in 20 to 30 feet on ridges and brush. Drop shots, jig-head worms, jigging spoons or football-head jigs fished right on the bottom will all work for this bite. It just depends on what the fish want on any given day. Also, a tail-spinner bait, like a Little George, is a good choice. Pull it up a few feet, and let it flutter to the bottom. If you can catch a warming trend, go shallow and try throwing a jig ’n pig around bluff walls and boat docks, especially if you find some good stain on the water to help it warm quicker. Dennis likes a Rattlin’ Booza Bug in either black/blue or black/red. A shallow-running crankbait like a Rebel Wee-R can also work on these fish. Stick with shad patterns in clear water, but go to red/chartreuse if the water is stained. At the end of the month, when the fish start moving up for the prespawn, it’ll be time to start flipping Senkos up under boat docks.

Stripers: When they are generating power, the stripers are moving onto the main-river points where they are ambushing shad, Dennis said.