Shallow Fish

[00SKEETER]

I fish Nolin, Rough, and Barren mostly. At what water temp do you feel the most comfortable fishing really shallow in early spring. I've always heard that the big girls move up first. I never seem to catch the bigger fish in the spring when I should. I'm thinking I may be fishing too deep in the early spring. What are your thoughts and sucess.

[colonelmeyer]

If this general weather trend holds the walleye and the whites should start real soon, we will see how that's going to go, stupid gopher....the only thing I have been able to catch monsters of in the spring so far is crappie (I'm young still), my personal best was a whopping 26 inches, which I understand even for KY Lake in March is big. Her belly was so round, I remember playing it like a drum, pla-bonga, pla-bonga, like a Tanuki. I actually went fishing yesterday, all I caught some some good casting practice and myself a few times. I obstenately took my fly rod, a few of those 50 mph gusts almost blew me in! But my friend did catch a few small largemouths slow rollin a mepps golden spinner.

[RIBLUEFISH]

I have had some success catching bigger fish shallow when the water hits about 48 degrees. The key has been I was not fishing it at 7AM but rather after noon time when the sun has had time to bump that 46-47 degree water up to 48 plus. I usually will not fish shallow flats early in the year. I have better luck fishing shallow where there is a sharp drop nearby. Fish your jigs, plastics, and deeper cranks in the moring then try 2-6 foot diving cranks in the mid afternoon.

[slowride]

Giant monster LM's go to bed with the smallie's.......I normally keep that too myself, but i'm sure most anglers agree with me. But come early spring 55 degree water im on the water 5 days a week for as reason!

[MagikSmallie]

I believe that the males come up a week or two before the females.

[fishhound]

look for staind water,warmerwater run off if it had rained,at the back of bays that has a creek,fish the warmer part of day,fish wind sweeped banks, fish shallow water were deeper water is near fish will hold at the break of deep an shallow meet and if theres cover big plus. these r some things i look for bass fishin late winter early spring its all about the temp!
just a few degrees will trigger them to go shallow..

[Tim_T]

you want to find shallows with deep water nearby in the early spring because if a front comes through the fish can retreat to deep water easily.