# topwater bass in feb



## Tall cool one (Jul 13, 2006)

Probably think I'm crazy,right? Nope,not kiddin! Some yrs back I was at a local fishing store here in Dayton , Fishy Q down on Keowee, and I overheard a conversation about it. Apparently when we get some more day length and sunny days starting in Feb it warms up the concrete bridge piers that support the roads and highway and the fish get up next to the concrete to soak up some of the warmth and there they are! I was highly skeptical till I went out and tried it. My second cast was a fat smallie of 14" and several LMB's followed. I told a buddy who said what you're probably saying right now...BS! He went down the next day and hooked up as well as got pics of where they threw water up on the concrete as they came for the bait. I used a 3" pencil popper on my flyrod and my buddy AJ used a PopR.
So,when the river goes down and clears head to a big river w/ some serious concrete pillars,ya just never know. Oh yeah,fish the ones that face S,SE or SW since they get sun most of the day and do it later in the day after the piers have warmed...very important facts for success as I have learned. I just got really lucky my 1st day out but figured it out after some time on the water,TC1


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## cantsleep (Jul 25, 2007)

I'll give it a shot.
Beats sittin inside watching Bill Dance on VS.


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## chrsvic (Apr 20, 2005)

i believe it. I caught some bass on Zara Spooks really late this past fall. Ive read articles that say the water has to be 50 degrees, or don't try them til it hits 60. If the water is clear, its one of the first baits i'll try.


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## BigSmallieMike (Oct 20, 2005)

That's an interesting and tempting strategy - were you fishing deep-seated pilings? I would expect that shallower water would be moving to fast to warm up enough to attract fish. Deeper water would be moving slow enough to conduct and accumulate adequate heat.


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## Tall cool one (Jul 13, 2006)

Yeah,deeper water pilings for sure and the downstream end is best of all where it swirls in an eddy at the back.I'd say 4' or deeper.
The way the piers are placed ,sometimes not in perfect line w/ the way the river has lain the gravel,causes an eddy along one side of the piling,those are best if that zone is sunny.TC1


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

That was an interesting trip for sure TC1. If i recall i also got a few on buzz/spinnerbaits. I went back solo a few days later and got skunked on a cloudy day...without the sun to warm up the pilings, your wasting your time this part of the year  

AJ


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## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

Very interesting i look foward to giving this a try. Hopefully it won't be to much longer. FISHONAJ, what is that beast in your avatar?


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

A lingcod i hooked and released in Alaska...pic of a smaller fish as we couldn't get the hog avitar momma over the rail...i used to have them saved in my pic folder her on OGF, but having issue's accessing it


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

The pics @...

http://www.midwestangling.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?11307

AJ


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## BigSmallieMike (Oct 20, 2005)

Man that's a big fish - looks like he could've swallowed your head!


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## Tall cool one (Jul 13, 2006)

Ever seen AJ? I think it did get ahold of his head.... kidding! Just busting yer chops buddy!
AJ goes to AK every year and gets a bigger fish than the last one. His biggest last year....??? I saw a pic of the 700 lb'er that was the smallest fish they "landed". I guess you don't actually pull aboard a fish that's closing in on 1,000lbs!They use whole salmon as bait! TC1


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## lurer (Oct 25, 2006)

Topwater in Feb.......maybe in Florida. Just kidding, winter topwater is a tactic that works during low pressure warm ups. Excellent fish!


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

TC1 likes when i bring over vittles that i caught in Alaska. The salmon shark i harvested last summer was maybe 300 lbs at best. However earlier in the week, we caught and released some that were a lot bigger 

I'm at work now, if i have time i'll try and post a pic of that beast when i get home :B 

AJ


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## BlueWater (Feb 13, 2005)

This past Sat. seemed like the perfect day to try this top water fishing with all the warm sun that we got. 

Did anyone get out and catch some fish?

BlueWater


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

FISHONAJ said:


> The pics @...
> 
> http://www.midwestangling.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?11307
> 
> AJ


AJ, what family of fish is that Lingcod in, (duh, could it be cod? )
that's a huge fish, sounds like they are aggressive.

Thanks for the link!
LMJ


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## scrawfrd02 (Jul 27, 2005)

How long ago back did you do this. With depleting lmr conditions (in my opinion), do you think its still possible to catch them topwater in cool weather? I caught many white bass this time of month last year... but smallies a different story... but wouldnt moving river water diffuse any heat in a spot, especially since water takes longer to warm than air or concrete or even ground? Sounds good in a lake, any one had lmr luck lately?


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

Reply for LMJ ~ http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/fish/lingcod.php


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## CARP 104 (Apr 19, 2004)

I'm not so sure I'd fish moving water in February. The bass have a really slow metabolism and DON'T want to move, let alone fight cold current. I personally have never tried topwater this early in the year but I have heard of situations where it's worked.


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

Smallies will bite along with spots this time of year.....topwater in 34 degree water aint happening though....tubes and hair jigs are better baits


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

I once witnessed a largemouth slam a buzzbait in mid March at Shreve Lake near Wooster, Ohio. I would've never believed it possible but we were fishing out of my boat and my buddy ties on a buzzbait and says "watch this" yeah right I say. First cast WHAM, about a 2 pounder. He didn't catch any others on it though. I really wouldn't chose a buzzbait in March myself unless maybe we had a week of extremely warm temperatures.


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## WishinIwasFishin (Apr 5, 2005)

About 8 or 9 years ago (when I was really starting to fish) I would fish a local stream in late Feb/early March on a nice day. Mainly with low expectations, but to get out. I used a medium to large size south bend spinner. Crome or brass. Sorry, don't know the actual size. On 2-3 occasions I caught 1 or 2 smallies when fishing the same hole. Depth ranged from 3' to 7' ft deep. They were probably the biggest I have ever caught. 4-5 pounds. They were very dark and lethargic. It was like pulling a tire in. Now that I am more experienced I understand that they were huge! I was naive. I plan to head back.
Only drawback was getting the spinner snagged.

Happy fishin.


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

now March....that's a different story.....some of my best days ever in March!


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

For anyone interested i finally got around to uploading a few pics from my annual trip to Alaska. Since Tall Cool One saw the originals, this is what he's talking about.




pic 1 - store bought whole salmon is used for bait, keep the receipt aboard the boat to show DNR/state boys. Strait outa the rule book  



pic 2 - To catch these toothy critters requires a close to 200 mile round trip run from Whittier, where you put in at. Even with 2 big extra fuel barrels, we could have had more gas. Anyway we C&R the first part of the trip and the morning we plan to go home we go for an eater shark. It just so happened i got to reel it in. The pic is actually of the smallest one we caught all week  Oh well it was still PLENTY of meat to bring back to Ohio...I'll post another report in the out of state forum with a few more pics  

AJ


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