Lake Jackson Fishing Report February 2017

Jackson: Level: 1.1 feet above full pool. Temp: Low 50s. Clarity: Stained

Bass: Tournament angler Keith Dawkins reports, “February through the first of March has historically been one of the best times to catch a giant largemouth on Jackson. Since the spots have all but taken over, one may not think that is still true, but the big ones are still there to be had. One place to start your search is rocky points and banks in 2 to 5 feet of water.  No. 5 or No. 7 Shad Raps in crawfish for stained water or shad/black back in clearer areas can always catch fish.  A Rapala DT 10 or Bandit 300 crankbait will work, as well. Concentrate on horizontal casts that bump the rocks slowly. Look for areas that the sun has had time to warm the rocks and the water around them. If the Jackson bass are not on the crankbait bite, a 1/2-oz. jig with a craw trailer flipped next to docks and blowdowns or slowly crawled on the rocky points can be very effective. Many times you can find bass stacked off points or in the middle of coves. Use your electronics to locate the schools of bait and bass. Once you locate them, throw a Fish Head Spin with a small swimbait trailer. Throw it past them, and let it sink down to the depth you need. Use a slow, steady retrieve back to the boat. Resist the urge to set the hook like a worm, and just let the fish load up on the bait and keep reeling when they hit. I seem to catch a whole lot more on the Fish Head Spin when I just keep reeling.”