Bartletts Ferry Fishing Report February 2012

Bartletts Ferry: Level: 0.6 feet below full pool. Temp: 52 degrees. Clarity: Muddy in the creeks; stained on the river.

Bass: Fair. Dennis Hudson won a recent Saturday tournament with a 12-lb. sack of fish caught right up on the bank. He said he thinks the bass are confused with the warm nights and water temps that are rising when they should be falling. “They’re confused as to whether it’s time to do their winter thing or if they should start the prespawn,” Dennis said. The best bite going right now is shallow. It doesn’t matter if it’s docks, sloping banks in the coves, rock in the river or shallow brush, the fish are right up on the banks. Dennis said you’ll do better with either a jig or a shallow-running, square-billed crankbait depending on the day. A worm rigged wacky style or a Senko can also be effective on the banks. If temps continue to warm, the fish will start staging up in the spawning coves around boat docks. Then it will be time to break out a Senko and skip it under docks. A cold spell will scatter them and send them back into the shallow, bank-running pattern Dennis likes for his winter fishing.

Crappie: Fair. When water temps hit 55 degrees, Dennis said it will be time to start looking for crappie around boat docks and pier lights at night.