Lake Jackson Fishing Report – March 2008

Jackson: Level: 0.9 feet below full pool. Temperature: 49-52 degrees. Clarity: Heavy stain in the Alcovy, fairly clear in the Tussahaw area.

Bass: Great. Eric Perkins said March is a great month simply because the fish are shallow. “You can pretty much stay in the 1 to 6 foot range this month,” said Eric. “My favorite bait for March is a big white spinnerbait. I like a 1/2-oz. War Eagle or a Stanley and usually have multiple colors tied on, but white-and-white and chartreuse are both excellent choices. One pattern I run a lot in March is heavy wood cover and blowdowns with the spinnerbait. It can be a deadly tactic for big fish, especially if you have any wind. Also a lot of fish are staging up for the spawn, and a Rat-L-Trap or a Spro ArukuShad are great search baits. Usually when you catch a fish it won’t be by itself. They will stack up on points and secondary points leading in to the pockets, and the warmer it gets in March the farther back they will go. Even the back of wind-blown pockets can be deadly for spots, hybrids and largemouths. Another pattern I like in March is skipping a 3/8-oz. Net Boy Baits jig under floating docks. A lot of times those big females will stage under floating docks on a bright sunny day. There are a lot of options in March; it’s a great month.” Guide Aaron Batson is also looking for big female bass on the banks feeding and staging before the spawn. “They normally seem to key on wood cover half way back in coves and creeks,” said Aaron. “Target these fish with jigs, shallow crankbaits and spinnerbaits. The Stanford PUG ESR crankbait in sour-apple color will work great crawled through a blowdown or fished over a stump. The bait will only run about 1 to 2 feet deep. Expect the bite to be right on the cover. A 3/8-oz. War Eagle spinnerbait in chartreuse/white with big willowleaf blades will catch them better in the same areas if there is a strong wind present. Late in the month you can expect to have some fish actually trying to bed, even if you cannot see them due to water clarity. Flip dock posts, stumps and rocks in the very backs of the spawning coves with a 1/4-oz. white Net Boy Baits Flipp’N Jig with a pearl Zoom Super Chunk. There very well could be a big female bedded next to the cover that will eat it.”