I think February is the best month of the year to fish Ross Barnett Reservoir for bass, which are in the prespawn mode and moving shallow. In many sections of the country — and Mississippi — you will often be fishing for bass in deep water in February, but on Ross Barnett, you’ll catch most of your fish in water 3 feet deep or less.
This time of the year also is when bass like to get into the lily pad stems, unless a severe cold front arrives. But on those very cold February days, I’ll be fishing the rocks. Basically those are the two February patterns for Ross Barnett.
Pad stems, reeds
First, fish the lily pad stems and the reeds with a black/chartreuse or a crayfish color Baby 1-Minus crankbait on a medium-heavy Shimano Zodias baitcasting rod, alternating casts between the two colors. I’ll be fishing a Shimano Curado 200, a 6.2-to-1 retrieve-ratio reel, spooled with 23-pound White Peacock fluorocarbon. I’ll run that Baby 1-Minus with a fairly fast retrieve into the lily pad stems and on top of the scattered patches of coontail moss that comes up from the bottom but doesn’t reach the surface in the stems. Generally, I get my bites when the lure hits the stems and bounces off.
The most-productive part of the lake to fish for bass is from the Highway 43 bridge south on the east side of the lake. Even in February’s shallow water, you can catch several bass weighing from 4 to 7 pounds each, since the females are full of roe. Read Full Story
Paul, Wanted to drop you a line and again thank you for the great time Lance and I had. The time spent with you on the electronics was amazing,but the real deal was when we put that knowledge and applied it out on the water on Friday.We guessed our best 5 would of been in the 42 lb range, with both of us catching our personal best fish of our lifes.We had 2 over 10 and 1 around 9 from your lake. We are getting ready to start into the Everstart series this year and your class will definitely help us out.
Just a quick email to let you know how much I enjoyed my trip to Pachuta. As an avid angler I found In-Depth Fishing to be a master's level course in the sport of bass fishing. I learned a great deal and it was fun to apply the lessons while catching lunker bass (see photos). Lake Eddins is an extraordinary fishery!