Bass Pundit

Weather: Today was a beautiful 70 degrees and sunny. Now that's what I'm talking about. This evening we even got a bonus thundershower.

Ice Check: Tonight I headed out to do my first open water fishing of the year. First I headed to the Grumpy Old Man Hole (GOMH) and the water there has opened up considerably on the Sullivan Side all the way to the Platte River Outlet (Pro) and well into the "Crossroads." There were several acres of water on the Platte Side. Water Level is decent and current was running at a moderate clip under the bridge. No Grumpy old man sightings or bullheads to report; It shouldn't be long now for either. I am guessing that the ice will be off Platte and Sullivan by the weekend. I did hear a loon calling. Cool!

Bulldog: I would say this lake is now 1/8th ice-free especially at the access and south end. I would guess Bulldog will be ice-free Wed. the 18th.

Rock: At the rock access the ice has receded a good 40 feet from shore all along the west side of the lake. I threw a few casts here as well, but no luck. I'm guessing Wed. or Thurs. for ice out.

Remember those Fantasy Bass Fishing rosters with the Clarks Hill Elite this week!

I guess this is a kind of Bassin Blog: The Brushpile Here is an excerpt:

I Never Fish For Spawners!-I love this comment made by those "holier than thou," when it comes to tournaments where bed fishing may be a factor. Arizona Pro, Mark Kile once said something to me in an interview that has left a lasting impression on me. "If you fish for bass in the months of February through May, you are fishing for spawners. It is an activity that consumes their entire life for that Springtime period."

I guess the moral of that story is that if you find it "beneath you" to fish for spawning bass, then you shouldn't go fishing during that three month period because even if a fish is eating, it is doing so to support itself for the spawning cycle. Pre spawn is for gaining the energy it will take to go through the ordeal, the spawn is the actual "bed fishing phase," and post-spawn is where the bass tries to regain it's energy after the dropping of four pounds worth of eggs or fighting off enemy Blue Gil, round the clock for several weeks. It is all part of spawning.

You can add June to the time frame because a lot of bass spawn in June in Minnesocold.