Lake Travis Fishing Report - February 2018

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Dave Kemper set his personal best record with this chunky 6lb 4 oz Lake Travis largemouth

A chunky bass caught on a jig by Allen Codding

Water Level: 668.7

Water Temp: 54.5 degrees

Regardless of the frequent cold fronts in January and February, bass fishing still remains good on Lake Travis. It took over 27 ½ lbs. to win last weekend’s Bass Champs tournament and more than 13 ½ lbs. to cash a check! That being said, a lot of the field struggled to find the right fish, which is typical for this time of year. In late January, the bass were in their full winter pattern. Now they are in transition and moving shallow to prepare for the spawn.

My tournament partner and I realized this after 3 of the 10 deep spots we fished produced only 3 small keepers. Unfortunately for us, we only had 2 hours of fishing left in our tournament day when we figured it out. We were able to finish out our limit by slow-rolling spinnerbaits on a bluff wall and culled up 3 times before we had to check-in. On February 5th, I sought out by myself to seek revenge on the fish that eluded me during the tournament and caught over 21lbs for my best 5 including a chunky 8lb 9oz pre-spawn bass. The spinnerbait failed to produce on Monday but the crankbait killed them.

My experience over those two fishing days sum up what I love so much about the sport of bass fishing. While it can be frustrating at times, finding out where the fish are and how to catch them is what makes it so rewarding. Patterns can change from day to day and hour to hour. Whether practicing for a tournament, guiding, or fun fishing by myself, I always keep an open mind. A good friend of mine told me once that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This axiom applies directly to bass fishing. If you are in an area that you are confident holds fish and are chunking crankbaits at a bank and not getting bit, you better make a change and try something different. If they are suspended and not willing to chase, try a fluke, wacky-rigged Senko, or a jerk bait. Maybe they’re on the bottom and targeting craws…try a Texas-rigged worm, craw, or a jig. It’s a puzzle and you have a limited amount of time to figure it out and it can be a real challenge sometimes. But that’s what I personally love about it.

Guided Fishing Trips
For updates or to book a trip, give me a call at 915-217-5263 or email me at raytomasits@yahoo.com

Tight Lines!

Ray Tomasits - Hill Country Bass Coach

www.hcbasscoach.com