Lake Jackson Fishing Report – February 2019

Jackson: Level:0.6 feet below full. Temp: Upper 40s. Clarity: Stained to muddy.

Bass: Tournament angler Brian Lee reports, “February is another month to yield a big bass on Jackson. The largemouth population is coming back a bit after being taken over by spotted bass. This month, fish long, rocky points with a No. 5 and No. 7 Shad Rap in crawfish and shad patterns. A Rapala DT 6 crankbait will catch fish, as well. If the bass won’t eat the crankbait, take a 3/8- to 1/2-oz. jig and work the same areas. You can also use your electronics to locate deeper schools of fish in the mouths of coves. A Fish Head Spin or jigging spoon will catch these fish. The Lake Jackson bass will start moving toward spawning areas in the later part of the month as the water starts to warm. These fish will be eating up on everything as they get ready to spawn.” Tournament angler Keith Dawkins reports, “February has historically been a month to catch some big bass on Jackson. There are not as many big largemouth due to the spots taking over, but they are still there. Target rocky banks and points in 2- to 10-foot depths. Concentrate on rip-rap and rocky points that are most exposed to the sun so the water will be warmer. Blue-and-black or brown-and-black jigs with a trailer like a Zoom Super Chunk or Paca Craw are my first choice for hitting these shallow rocky banks and points. Shallow pockets adjacent to main-lake points are also great areas to find a lunker laying next to brush and or rocks. Always keep a No. 7 or No. 8 Shad Rap in crawfish or firetiger tied on to hit shallow flats with rocks or to bounce off brushpiles. Some of my biggest spotted bass on Jackson have come in late February and early March on Shad Raps fished parallel to rip-rap. Bump the bottom, and then let the Shad Rap float almost all the way to the surface on a very slow retrieve. You can always look for fish suspended over brushpiles with your electronics and hit them vertically with jigging spoons. I would concentrate on brushpiles in the middle of deep coves down the lake near the damn for vertical fishing.”