Lake Weiss Fishing Report February 2013

Weiss: Level: 4.6 feet below full. Temp: 45-46 degrees. Clarity: Very stained to muddy.

Bass: Fair. Guide and tournament pro Warren Barnes reports, “The recent heavy, warm rains have caused both largemouth and spotted bass to move from their winter areas and start staging. Spotted bass and some largemouth bass are beginning to show up in prespawn staging areas around the mouths of creeks, and they are keying on areas with gravel or hard bottoms. The Ima Shaker or Rockin Vibe lipless crankbait are my baits of choice for these fish. Windy days will cause these prespawn fish to school up and feed very aggressively. A jerkbait like the Ima Flit ripped through these areas can get these fish. I am also finding largemouth around docks and blowdowns. Flipping a Revenge jig in black and red with the same color trailer is the bait of choice, and I have been finding most fish around the shallow sides of the docks, and I’m looking for any wood structure.”

Crappie: Good. “The crappie are starting to move into the bays and coves,” guide Mark Collins said. “The crappie are suspended 4 to 8 feet deep and even shallower in some coves. Long-line trolling with 1/24- and 1/16-oz. Jiffy Jigs in colors JJ01, JJ08, JJ13, JJ17, JJ24 and JJ33 is a great way to catch these suspended crappie. A Float-n-Fly technique is also catching a lot of fish in these same areas. Little River, Little Spring Creek and the bays around Riverside Campground are starting to produce a lot of crappie.”

Stripers: Fair. “They are starting to show up on the river-channel and creek-channel ledges in 8 to 16 feet of water,” Mark said. “Slow-trolling live shad is always a good way to catch these fish, and a good way to catch these winter stripers is trolling a 1/4-oz. jig with a white 3- to 4-inch Sassy Shad body.”