Paradise PFA Fishing Report – February 2009

Paradise PFA: Report filed by area manager Charles West. Temp: 56-58 degrees. Clarity: Lakes lightly stained; 36-inch visibility on Lake Patrick. Water levels in some smaller lakes have come up to near full pool.

Bass: Fair. Anglers have reported bass caught in lakes Patrick, Bobben and Russell. Spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Trap fished 6 feet or deeper have been the best. Expect bass to start taking junebug, red, black and pumpkinseed plastic worms in middle February just prior to the spawn. Once bass start showing up in the shallows, switch to red and green lizards or a jig.

Crappie: Good in 3 to 4 feet of water using 1/32- to 1/16-oz. float-rigged jigs. They’re hitting blue and white, black and green and chartreuse jigs in Patrick, Russell, Tacklebuster and Horseshoe 2. The best bait has been a green Crappie Magnet fished on 4-lb. line.

Catfish: Fair. A few channel catfish have been caught in Lake Patrick and Horseshoe 1 using pond worms and mullet gut. This should improve as the water temperature rises.

Bream: Good. Starting to pick up. The best bait for redear has been red wigglers fished just off the bottom in 4- to 6-foot depths. Good catches of 1/2- to 3/4-lb. redear have been reported in Lake Patrick. Bluegill have been biting crickets around the docks and in heavy cover. Bream fishing should improve through the next few months and is usually best from March through June.