Lake Gaston help.

[jrbdad]

I only had a couple hours on the water this weekend and no bass to show for it. Help me understand this transition period please. I was thinking fish
would be moving shallow. Didn't see much signs of that. Also areas that are dirty now, will the fish leave these areas for cleaner water at spawning time? I have fish some places that dirty water isn't a bad thing. But no luck with it here.

I tried to go to areas that I haven't fished so I can learn more, but all was muddy.

I did catch the biggest Pickerel I have seen.....Not what is was fishing for but it was a nice fish.

[JINXBASS]

I personally like the dirtier water. I have not been there in a couple weeks but when I was there they we starting to spawn. I caught a couple with blood tails. I know the water has probably cooled off a little. But with my experience ( which is not much) the little cooler water, dirty, they should be shallow close to deep water looking for the spawning grounds. If there is not a place to spawn real close don't look there. Cover lots of water. If you find one you should find more. My goto bait is a spinnerbait for these conditions. Love the stump fields, and long hard tapering secondary points. Also a c-rig on the points. Just my thoughts and nobody will pay for them. So they must not be worth much.

[jrbdad]

So they wont necessarily leave dirty water to find clean water to spawn?

I was using a spinnerbait, chatterbait, shaky head with trick worm and a whacky worm. My son even drug a lizard around some.


Thank you for the help. Trying to keep my son interested in fishing with me. But these days of little to nothing are rough.... Not having but few hours at a time isn't helping either.

[JINXBASS]

To answer that questions no I don't think they will move to find cleaner water as long as everything else is there. This spring has been super tough for me due to the weather issues. They are so on and off this spring. Also to keep the kid into it you need to try the Mattaponi. I have a cousin that lives in chesterfield that fishes the Mattaponi with me all the time and my kids fish as well. Let me know sometime and I could show you around. We don't usually catch big fish but good numbers. I did catch one 4.5 2 days ago.

[Jumping Jimmy]

Fished there a couple weeks ago. We caught fish on secondary points inside pockets. (shakey heads) As the weather warmed we caught them around shallow docks with some wind on them. Should be no problem finding places with some wind!!!

[jrbdad]

Docks with wind blowing on them is where we caught some two weeks ago too.

Guess I need to find some time to just fish. Looks like it maybe be 3 weekend in May before I make it back to lake.

[munchie]

Some fish are spawning. Both clear and dirty water, just can't see them as easy in dirty water. Fish slow, stumps docks , and grass