Do you like crappie? Do you like spending a day or even an entire weekend hanging out with friends and family? Or what about spending time with family and friends while eating the crappie you caught that day? Well then get your stuff together and get to the biggest crappie state in the nation, NOW!
Grenada lake is still showing relatively low water levels but the fishing action is about as hot as you can find it. The crappie have moved in shallow and limits are being caught daily by trolling, jigging and wading. Variations of green jigs have become the go-to color and the fish are being caught in relatively shallow water, some in less than 2 foot. Do not miss the spawn this year, go now!
Lake Washington is still rocking along and is said to just be days away from really getting hot. The fishing has been better early in the day and the warm weather trend in place has them moving into spawn mode really fast.
Ross Barnett reservoir has recovered from the cool snap and the bulk of the fish have been found again by jigging in shallow water areas with cover such as cattails, pads and stumps. The time is now to catch crappie in great numbers.
Ross Barnett is also seeing a lot of bass fishing action and much more is on the way. There will be a Bassmaster Elite series tournament held there in mid-April and many of the pro anglers that have stopped in to pre-fish have found some impressive limits of fish. Look for more info on the tournament and winning techniques right here in the next few weeks.
Another crappie report this week came from Eagle Lake near Vicksburg. Fishermen say that limits crappie have been caught regularly trolling however there wasn’t much of a report on jigging activity.
Lake Guntersville is finally starting to see the spawn in bass however the full moon is expected to bring a big wave of fish out of the remaining pre-spawn activity and push them over the edge by the middle of April. Rattletraps, crankbaits and jerkbaits have been the go-to rigs for catching big fish on Guntersville this week. Shallow grassy areas, points and pockets found in creeks and bays will be the key areas to find the spawning bass in the coming days and weeks. For more info on Guntersville, Pickwick, Smith and Wheeler contact Blake Hall at 256-566-3380!
The boys in Texas continue to shine as they are now routinely catching limits of speckled trout, and some massive ones to say the least. Run-N-Gun Adventures offers and accommodates just about everything you could want in a fishing trip and if you want to smash some bull reds and speckled trout, I would look them up immediately! Call Daniel at 979-240-5312.
The SWC Sportsman’s Lodge in Venice is also showing outstanding catches of speckled trout much like their Texas neighbors. The wind has caused some fishing to become tough but it didn’t keep the boys from bringing in some huge tuna from off shore! Bart and the SWC Sportsman’s Lodge offers everything you could think of both inshore and offshore and would love to have you spend a weekend with them. Contact Bart at 601-466-0152.
The word along the Gulf Coast regarding fishing this week has been WIND!! So much wind that some agencies are recommending not to fish! Our new friends at the Half Hitch in Destin escaped most of the weather and reported great catches of Spanish mackerel, redfish and sheepshead. The Cobia bite has also really hit a high point for this time of year. The offshore fishing has been good for yellowfin and blackfin tuna with a few wahoo mixed in. If you have any questions or are looking for someone to fish with in the Destin or Panama City area, contact Half Hitch at 850-837-3121.
The Orange Beach area is also seeing great catches of Cobia lately. The trout have been steady on live shrimp and offshore action is picking up but has been heavily reliant on the wind and rough water conditions.
Looking at the weather across the southeast I would feel safe saying that there is not bad place to be fishing this weekend. Grab your stuff, hit the gulf or the murky waters of the greatest crappie lakes in the world and let us know how it goes for you this weekend!
