Beyond The Hunt

Bass

Fishing Tips

Frank Kirk of Athens caught this ShareLunker from Lake Athens on a January outing. The fish weighed 13.67 pounds and was 26.75 inches long.

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BY WILL LESCHPER

While some of Texas’ prime largemouth bass waters remain in a subdued state of slumber during the winter, that doesn’t mean you can’t still catch the biggest bass of your life. In fact, this might be the best time of year to hunt lunkers, if you can stand the chill. The spring spawn is right around the corner, arguably the best time for any angler to catch the biggest bass of their lives in almost any lake, but fish currently are in a state of transition making the approach for anglers different than at other times of the year.

Though the eastern portion of the state has larger waters and gets more attention from many anglers looking for lunkers, the lakes west of the Metroplex remain some great spots any time of year, including this transition period. To understand the tactics and methods that work best this time of year, you first must get a grasp on the effects of Mother Nature on the largemouth bass. Because they are cold-blooded, largemouths must rely on outside temperatures to warm the waters they live in and allow them to carry out their life cycle. When water temperatures are lower, largemouths become much less active in their foraging activities, likely eating a fraction of what they normally do when it’s hotter while burning less energy. With a slower metabolism rate, the fish will look for structure or drops in the terrain from which they can hide and launch their occasional attacks on prey items.

Fishing cover and structure becomes even more important this month since bass basically are waiting until the water warms up to turn on their spawning activities and are hiding out anywhere they feel safe. Since bass are apt to gravitate to warmer water

when it’s cold, one tactic you should think about employing is fishing in and around hot spots.

Fishing guides and other experienced anglers know that while water temperatures in open water areas are sure to be the coolest parts of a lake in January and February, areas near manmade objects such as marinas and boat docks and rocky areas such as riprap will be warmer. This simply revolves around the sun warming up objects that touch the water and making the surrounding area a little bit hotter. It’s similar to Texas inshore fishing when targeting shallow flats and other fish-holding areas that attract trout, redfish and flounder as temperatures rise and they come up lower in the water column searching for bait fish.

Though it won’t put the fish into a frenzy, this bit of warmth often will turn on fish that had been lethargic, making them more likely to seek out a bait that comes close rather than let it go by. A number of finesse offerings such as shaky head jigs or soft jerkbaits can be used in these types of situations, especially if they’re Texas-rigged to avoid snags. You might also be able to coax a bite with a spinner bait or other quicker lure if the fish are a little more amped up.

While water temperature plays a big part in where fish will be, water quality is also important since bass for the most part will avoid cloudy or muddy water if they have a choice. Most lakes actually do fare well when it comes to water quality right now, making fishing much easier than it would be if the water were dirtier and colder at the same time. With spring rains yet to arrive, there hasn’t been a bunch of runoff, which can cause cloudy depths that make fish harder to find.

The spawn also occurs at different times on different lakes across the state, so the fish may be in a longer transition period on some bodies of water, especially if the winter especially was harsh.

On O.H. Ivie Reservoir, Lake Alan Henry and some of the other lakes in the western portion of the state, the spawn might not really start until April and the peak may not be until May in some years. It all depends on the water temperature and hitting that magic number of 60 degrees and higher.

There’s no doubt that standing timber and laydowns and other vegetation will hold fish, but some of the best places often get overlooked for the function they serve. When fish go to spawn they’ll look for areas that will make for good nests and some of the best are rocky areas such as near dams and riprap and also along most shorelines.

And if you’re talking about structure, docks and piers and any other type of manmade

Robert Whitehead reeled in this Lake Austin lunker during a February outing. The fish weighed 13.19 pounds and was 27.28 inches long. WIN PRIZES AND CONSERVE BIG BASS

Since 1986, the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s popular Toyota ShareLunker program has been partnering with anglers to promote and enhance bass fishing in Texas. Each season, Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, anglers will have new and exciting opportunities to partner with ShareLunker and be recognized for their achievement and contributions all year long.

Anglers who reel in any largemouth bass at least 8 pounds or 24 inches can participate simply by entering their lunker catch information. All confirmed ShareLunker participants will receive a Catch Kit corresponding to their fish’s weight class. Each Catch Kit includes an achievement decal, merchandise and other giveaways. Plus, everyone who enters will be included in a grand prize drawing to win a $5,000 shopping spree and other prizes. And, anglers who donate their 13-pound or larger bass for spawning will be entered in an additional drawing to win a $5,000 shopping spree, VIP access and awards programming at the annual Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest and other prizes.

More information: texassharelunker.com

objects also are great places to look for sluggish bass. Targeting docks and other structure with suspending and slow-falling baits can be dynamite for finding fish, including good ones right now.

Winter definitely ranks as a transition month for largemouth bass across Texas. Water temperatures are on the rise from the cooler months, but they still have a ways to go to get the fish into the mood to spawn. By tailoring your offerings to slow-moving fish that are still on the prowl, you’ll be able to catch more fish during a month in which you might not have thought about hitting the water. When you put it like that, they’re bonus fish to add to the ones you’ll haul in during the spawn.

The author’s daughter, Bryleigh, was determined to shoot her first buck. She put in the time and effort to prepare, and found success with this nine-point buck.

STORY

Midsummer 2021, my daughter started asking me, “Daddy, I get to hunt this year, right?” I said, “Yes sweetie, you do. Are you excited?” “Yes,” she responded and went on for a little bit explaining she wanted to get a bigger deer than her dad, and she also wanted to shoot a wild hog as well. So as we do every year, we started going through the game pictures I had been getting on my cameras.

There were quite a few hogs that would show up every few days and a mixture of young six-, eight-, and 10-point bucks, with an occasional mature eight- or nine-point showing up that would make an excellent first deer. I started discussing with her how some deer were darker in color and how to tell older deer from younger deer. I answered questions she had and asked her if she’d seen a deer she wanted to shoot. She picked out a 2½-3½-year-old main frame eight-point. She said, “That one looks nice.” I replied, “It’s nice, but it’s not as big as your dad’s. It takes patience and sometimes a lot of hunts to come across a nice mature deer.” I have been hunting over 25 years and just recently got my first 130-class buck three years ago.

Weeks went by, and more deer pictures along with turkey and wild hogs continued to come in. We sat and went through dozens of game cam photos, looking to find one she would be happy with. As we had time on the weekends, we would go out back so she could practice shooting to better prepare herself for the upcoming deer season. We started at 25 yards and then a week later stepped out to 50 yards then 75 yards, and a week after that, out to 100 yards where her three-shot group landed just outside 4 inches with a .223 caliber.

As we got into September, I started looking for hunter’s education classes for her to attend after her birthday in September. She did great and learned a few things even I hadn’t taught her. We continued to go through 50-100 photos every couple of days for the next few weeks to become familiar with all her options. We talked about the deer and hogs she wanted to shoot.

On Oct. 22, 2021, her mind became set as we looked together at the widest main frame eight-point I had ever caught on a trail cam. This deer remained on my camera over the next 3 days, with Oct. 24 being the last day we saw the buck. It was a long week, as we kept hoping the buck would show up by the weekend of Sept. 30.

Day after day went by. Through the week she would ask, “Has it come back yet?” The buck didn’t. I explained to her that sometimes deer come and go and show up randomly, but we have a little over 2 months of deer season in Texas. It could be a waiting game if that’s the deer she wants to take. I let her know we hunt on public land so there’s no guarantee someone else won’t get that deer, and for her to keep her options open for whatever makes her happy, being her first ever hunt.

The public land where we hunt has a report time of 4 a.m., and we live about an hour away. It was an early morning for her for sure. She had accompanied me on many hunts in the past, but were all evening hunts. This was her first early morning hunt. We reported by 4 a.m. as needed for the hunter’s safety briefing and to prepare to go to the stand. We arrived at our stand at 5:25 a.m., a little over an hour and half before daybreak, where we sat in the dark and whispered back and forth for a while. “When do the deer show up? Will the big one be here?” she asked. I whispered back, “Usually after the feeder goes off, they will start to show up.” At 7 a.m., just before 7:15 daybreak, the feeder went off. She said, “What was that?” I said, “That’s the feeder. Keep the noise down. The deer should start showing up shortly.” As daylight came, she patiently waited. Nothing but birds fed on the corn. 7:45 rolled around when she started to lose interest and asked if she could play on my phone. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on that morning. There’s usually animal movement of some sort other than birds. I proceed to hand her my phone to keep her content. No more than 4 or 5 minutes after handing it to her, I said, “Look! I think that’s the big one we haven’t seen in over five days!” She looked up as a smile grew upon her face and whispered, “I think it is!” as it disappeared at 200 yards behind some trees. She said, “Where did it go?” I said, “Hopefully, it’s on its way to the feeder. You just need to be patient. Keep your eyes on the feeder and looking around the area for movement.”

Bryleigh found it challenging to keep her patience while she sat waiting for her opportunity. But with a little help from her dad, she managed well.

A few minutes passed and then excitedly, but as quietly as she could, said, “Look! There it is!” I said, “Yes!” as the buck proceeded towards the feeder. We continued to watch as the buck made its way and then stopped right behind a 5-foot tree to the left of the feeder at 140 yards. The buck started grazing on the corn like it knew to stay out of sight.

At this time, I had repositioned Bryleigh to my left across my knees to allow her to set up for her shot. She had the gun up in the window and watched the buck move around, lifting his head occasionally to look around as its body stayed hidden. She waited ever so patiently as 10 minutes went by. By this time my nerves ran wild, my heart raced, and my knees trembled as she sat so calmly.

She turned towards me and whispered, “Daddy, why are you shaking?” I responded, “Baby it’s cold.” You hunters out there know what was really happening. I calmed myself and told her to brace herself so when she was ready to shoot, she could.

Finally, at 8:05, the deer stepped out from behind the tree. She said, “I see him! Can I shoot?” I said, “Do you have a clear shot behind the shoulder?” “Yes,” I replied.

The deer started to turn away. We saw nothing but the buck’s antlers and butt. She had no shot at this point, but patiently waited. The deer walked around in circles feeding, not presenting her with a shot.

Eight more minutes pass and then finally, the buck presented a quartering shot. I said, “If you’re behind his shoulder, shoot when you’re ready. POW! The buck crouched down like he’d been hit and disappeared.

About 30 seconds later, the deer reappeared at about 100 yards, coming straight toward us as it skirted the tree line. At this point she had reloaded, just in case, and I told her, “If you see it again, you may need to get the crosshairs on it and shoot a second time.” With the deer closing the distance, heading closer and closer to us, the buck stopped at 60 yards and looked to its left.

I said, “If you have a shot, you need to shoot. It looks like he’s about to go into the tree line.” She said, “I have him.” I said, “When you’re ready, pull the trigger. The .243 rang out again and the massive nine-point disappeared.

Bryleigh looked at me and said, “It dropped to the ground!” as she handed me the rifle. I set it down. She crawled back into her chair, looked at me with both hands upon her cheeks, smiling with joy and said, “Let’s go get him.” I told her, “We need to give it a little bit of time just to be sure.” I didn’t see the deer drop as I watched Bryleigh making sure she was braced and ready for her shot. After 20 minutes or so, we got down out of the stand with our hunter orange on and made our way in the direction where the deer was last seen. I told her, “You go ahead. I’m gonna stay right here behind you. If you see something, you let me know.” She proceeded forward, looking back at me. “I don’t see it,” she said. “Keep walking slowly and keep your eyes open.” Then suddenly, she spotted the buck and started smiling and giggling. I could tell her heart was pounding and she wanted to go get her trophy. I said, “Let’s make sure the deer is dead first.” It was. She wrapped her hands around its antlers and smiled from ear to ear. The successful kill of her first deer, a ninepoint with a massive 20-inch spread with a gross score of 1347⁄8 will be a hard family record to beat. This memory I made with my daughter will always stay with me—the joy, the laughter, the time we shared. Here’s to the start of a lifetime of hunting memories to be made. Daddy loves you. Congratulations.