Well, I’ve been kinda staying in due to a sore toe but it’s healing and I will back on the water in no time. Been booking a few spring trips, and fish are still being caught.
Beaver Lake bass and stripers are both feeding on small bait now, which they do in the cooler water. Best in 60 foot water from the surface to 30 feet deep.
Big schools of small shad are from Prairie Creek area south of the Hwy. 12 bridge. Seems that warm rain brought in warmer water south of the bridge, and three days hitting 60° brought the water temp back up closer to 50°.
The further you go upriver the warmer the water will get as it gets shallower. In water 60 ft. or deeper the warmer water is down close to 30 ft. deep. Find the bait, find the fish.
The water on our end of Beaver seems to hold less bait this time of year but the clearer water lets the birds see the bait better, so you might have to go for a boat ride. If you put in at the dam, run up into Indian Creek to the marina and back. If you don’t see birds or any surface activity, come back and cruise the north side of Point 1 Island. The long way around the Island not the cut through.
Keep your eyes peeled all the way around the corner at Point 5. Slow down and look around good. If no surface activity or birds are seen you can go up and look up in the Big Clifty and Little Creek arms a little slower, watching your graph for bait or open it up and then get it on the trailer and put in at the Hwy. 12 bridge where you can just drop your trolling motor down and get some rods in the water.
Trout fishing in the tailwaters below the dam now with a boat or from shore is another option to enjoy getting out. Just a piece of night crawler tipped with some power bait to lift it off the bottom can usually catch you some good winter trout. I use a worm weight with a rubber band wrapped around the line under it so I can cast it out there a ways then let it sit on the bottom.
The line will slide through the weight so the fish feels less resistance compared to picking up a split shot before it gets to your rod tip. Six-pound or under test line is your best bet.
Found this picture of a moon phase calendar that shows you where it’s at every day of the year. It relates to fishing as it does with most all animals. Stay warm, safe and as the days get longer now, enjoy that sun when you can.