A few tips and strategies to help you catch fish in the springtime at Lake Purdy
Written by: Jeffrey Little
(Ronnie Davis 6.13lb 2/8/23)
As we approach the springtime, the fishing starts to get good as the big bass come up shallow to bed. Springtime in Alabama has unexpected cold-fronts and a ton of rain. That doesn't stop the fish from feeding up on bait and headed to shallow waters to spawn. Over the last two weeks multiple 5.4-5.5lb bass were caught as well as a 6lb bass. Some days were mostly sunny and others drizzling rain. The month of February has been full of nice bass catches. If you like fishing shallow this is the time of year to do it! Here are a few ways you can find and catch fish on Lake Purdy whether in a boat or bank fishing this time of year.
Covering Water & Locating Fish
Covering water is very important to do when you are searching for fish but many times we may miss fish because we are retrieving our lures too fast or too slow. When the water temp drops due to weather conditions, it may be good to slow down your retrieve and see if that triggers a sluggish bass to bite. Don't be afraid to fish a little slower but if they aren't biting there after a few minutes try leaving for another area or move on down the bank. If you know the fish are there maybe come back to that spot after a while to see if they have started to feed. Good Baits to try and search with this time of year are spinnerbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and texas-rig or shaky heads can all work wonders this time of year. Jerk-baits can also do the trick if the water isn't too stained. Live bait and Crappie jigs are great for finding schools of crappie around submerged brush. Find some cover to fish along the bank and start there. If you cant get any bites move a little further off the bank and make a few casts. Weather and water temp can play a major role in how deep the fish will be. Cold fronts can push the fish out deeper so finding warm water in creeks or pockets can be key during those times.
Bass and Crappie behavior from late winter to spring
Bass are already making moves to pre-spawn transition areas around the lake. You can find bass hanging out around points, humps, grass edges and flats along the creek channel as they feed up before they make their way to shallow waters that have a hard bottom to spawn. Not all the bass spawn at once, they spawn in waves. You could find some spawning bass when the water temp is in the upper 50s all the way into the 70s. The spotted like to spawn in a little cooler water but you can find fish cruising the banks all the way until summer. The crappie usually move shallow to spawn when the water temp approaches 65 degrees to low 70s but that doesn't stop some from hiding out in the brush along the bank. The crappie in a range of water temperatures and locations around the lake. You can still find a good bag of fish this time of year in submerged brush, stumps, and structure along the bank, around creek mouths, creek channels, and pockets. As the water reaches the upper 60s and 70s from March through April the Crappie will make their way to shallow spawning flats around the same structure when the conditions are right.
Productive Springtime Areas & Fishing Strategy
Creeks feeding into the main lakes can be very productive this time of year so don't count them out. A good strategy is to start in the back of a creek and fish your way out towards the main lake hitting the areas most likely to hold fish. If you get bites, remember what that fish was doing and how you caught it and try to replicate that on other parts of the lake. Was the fish on a stump in a shallow pocket or in some grass in the mouth of the creek whatever the case try to find the same conditions on another spot to see if that's what the fish are holding too that day. If the creek isn't producing, work your way out to the main lake and try fishing some main lake points or work your way down the bank and try laydowns or brush piles submerged off the bank. Maybe find a shallow flat that leads to deeper water. The key to catching fish in the springtime is finding the right conditions. Finding warmer water during cold-fronts, fishing key staging areas along creek mouths and points, or working your way along the bank fishing brush could all catch fish during the springtime. Keep things simple and stick to your plan. Success is only a cast away!
Bass and Crappie fishing in the Spring at Lake Purdy can be some of the best fishing all year. There's nothing better than going to your favorite crappie hole after work for a unset view while you catch a few fish and relax, or jumping in a boat to fish the creeks and find some shallow water bass on a beautiful Spring weekend can really make for some good times you can cherish forever. Especially when you catch your personal record bass or crappie this time of year! Follow some of these tips next time you come out and you might hook into a giant!
( Jeffrey Little @longleaffishingco - Spotted bass Lake Purdy )
