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Spring 2018
Y
ou’ve been preparing for ice-out since you put
the boat away and it’s time for your initial trip
of 2018. More than likely, your water temps are cool, if not cold, and your water clarity is mixed, but
no matter where you are fishing, it’s an opportunity
to catch some really nice sized largemouth and
smallmouth bass. The question is how and where
you’ll be marking off your first catch of the year, and if
so, will you need to tackle sheets of ice in the process?
ICE-OFF PREPARATION
First thing’s first, mentally preparing yourself for a slow day can be helpful when it comes to fishing in water that’s currently in the high 30s or low to mid 40s. You can fish for hours without a bite; but one single spot may hold three, four or five fish.
I’ve noticed largemouth bass tend to school up with the bigger fish being caught first this time of year. After the dominant fish eat, it seems like size usually decreases. While it’s not always true, the past two years have shown me that the big girls dominate cold water.
As always, make sure to carry extra clothes and be prepared for bone-chilling temperatures. While most of our northern lakes in Washington and Idaho will be semi-free of ice, some of the hardest aspects can be finding a boat launch that’s usable.
time (and daylight) might be limited, you want to make the most of the warmest parts of the day.
Second, by choosing a smaller body of water, you can stay in areas longer without wanting to run and gun. Mental decisions are vulnerable this time of year so having a game plan and following it to a “T” can pay dividends.
Many of our rivers are flowing with cold, mountain runoff. There’s no doubt in my mind that you can catch some nice fish, but we have trouble getting to ramps located in coves that are away from the main channel.
Since many of our state-run boat ramps don’t open up until April, you can certainly try your luck from shore by focusing on rip-rap banks. While I haven’t caught many big ones from shore, it’s always fun to catch fish no matter their size, especially when all your friends are still preparing for the season.
LAKES vs. RIVERS
Many of our smaller lakes are active through the ice, so putting the boat on the water as soon as the ramps are free is something of the norm here.
My biggest bass of the ice-off season came near the edge of ice that was still covering half of the lake. The biggest takeaway is that if you have open water, bass fishing is fair game from a boat. More than likely, they haven’t been pressured and they’ll certainly eat if given the opportunity.
Smaller, natural lakes filled with grass are at the top of my priority list. First, I don’t have to break down a huge body of water. Since your
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