Bass still at multiple depths

By Craig Nyhus

 Lone Star Outdoor News

Don’t count out the big bass in the winter.

At Lake Fork, water temperatures remain about where they were last month, and guides have been reporting success.

“My clients and I have been having great success around shallow grass in 2-4 feet with lipless crankbaits like the 6^th Sense Snatch 70X and a shallow-running Movement 80X in pro red shad and shad drone colors,” said Lake Fork guide James Caldemeyer.

Bass also are holding in mid-depth creek channels and on deep structure.

“We have been using a 1/2-ounce black/blue Santone Rattlin’ Jig, flipping timber in 8-14 feet depths,” Caldemeyer said. “The deep bite has also been very good on flutter spoons and umbrella rigs fished on main lake structure in 22-32 feet.”

As the water temperatures dip into the 40s, Caldemeyer expects a shallower bite will be slow in the morning until it warms up later in the afternoons. But mid-depth and deep fishing should remain steady.

Some large smallmouth bass also have been landed on lakes Grapevine and Ray Roberts. A potential lake record smallie at 4.95 pounds was landed at Lake Grapevine last month on a square-billed crankbait, and a good stringer of largemouth and big smallies was landed at Ray Roberts on several lures, with a jerkbait being the most successful according to Internet posters.

According to Falcon Lake Tackle’s fishing report, the bite was described as decent with all sorts of different tactics being used.

“Most people are using Carolina rigs with a fluke in the deepest water they can find,” said James Bendele. “But the people fishing shallower have been doing just as well.”

Bendele had recent success with a chartreuse square-billed crankbait and a chartreuse lizard and craw. The fish on the border reservoir were already full of eggs last month.