More of this Feature • Part 1: Day one • Part 2: Day two • Part 3: Day three • Part 4: Day four

Join the Discussion "I was using a #5 Shadrap and it is one of my favorites this time of year.  What is your favorite prespawn crankbait - one to use when the water is 55 to 60 degrees?  What size and color?" Ronnie

Pictures

• Fritz's First GA Bass

Related Resources • Crankbait Techniques

Past Articles One Year Ago - 3/26/01 - Creel Census Reports Two Years Ago -3/20/00 - How To Fish A Carolina Rig Three Years Ago - 03/29/99 - Unusual Catches Part 3 Four Years Ago - 03/23/98 - Boats I Have Known and Owned Five Years Ago - The First Article I wrote for About! -  03/24/97 - Georgia On Your Mind

After two days of driving to Lake Sinclair, Fritz and I decided to stay closer to home and fish Jackson Lake on Monday.  We did not get an early start and went through town late enough to stop by Berry's Sporting Goods to get some line and info.  Jim said they were biting little crankbaits on rocky points.

When we pulled up at the ramp the lake was calm and pretty.  The air was very warm compared to the past two mornings and we just knew everything was right to catch some bass.  We put in and started fishing the rocky point near the ramp, a place I had caught fish in past Februarys.  The water temp was in the upper 50's and the sun was quickly warming it.

After no strikes we ran across the lake to a rocky point off an island - the kind of place Jim had said they were biting, and the place I had caught my biggest bass ever, a 9-7 that hit a crankbait in February.  Nothing bit here or on the next point.  

By now the water was warming so I thought bass might be more active in the coves.  The first one we fished did not produce, but on the sunny side of the second one a solid keeper bass hit my #5 Shadrap.  We fished on around the point and into the next  cove.  On the sunny side of it in the back I caught another keeper bass and a third one on my very next cast.

Since the bass seemed to be back in the coves, I suggested we run up the lake to a similar place that usually holds fish this time of year when they are moving into the creeks.  Near the back of it where I have caught bass before during this time of year, Fritz caught his first Georgia bass, a keeper that hit near a dock.  We caught two more in that area, if my memory is still good, and then moved to the next similar creek in that area.

In the back of that creek near a boat ramp Fritz caught another bass a I caught the best one of the day out of a treetop. We caught two or three more back there before leaving.  That gave us about 10 bass for the day, a lot more than either day as Sinclair but the fish were smaller.

We fished two more places on the way in but did not catch any more fish.  I was a little disappointed in the size of the fish since Jackson is known for big bass in the winter, but it was a good day.  We finally had some warm weather and a nicer day for fishing.

The Rest of the Trip - Day One >  Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4