It has been a long, cold, windy winter. As I am writing this report, the Shenandoah River and local lakes are all frozen over, and I have yet to wet a line since the first of November. And I know anglers, including me, have smiles on their faces as we flip the calendar to March. What a welcome sight, but that’s not to say that March won’t bring more winter weather.
I remember back in the day we would have ice on the water every winter. And when the spring thaw would come, bass and all fish would be hungry and willing to take any offering you throw at them. When that takes place, you should make plans to be on the water.
I believe March to be a transition month. Bass will begin to pull out of their wintering holes and into more of a shallow pattern. This doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a couple of months and will eventually lead fish to their spawning areas.
For the first part of March, you will want to fish with your winter lures, including jigs with a chunk trailer and jerk baits. As water temperatures continue to rise to the mid to upper forties, bass will begin to move shallow. Target these bass with square bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatter baits, and focus on that 5–8-foot range. Bass will most likely be near their wintering holes. If we get a three-day warming trend, you may even find some fish in 2-3 feet of water. I would throw a small crankbait or a rattletrap (lipless crankbait). If you aren’t finding any fish shallow you’ll want to move to deeper water that has a drop-off with structure such as wood lay-downs, rock piles, or clunk rock. Until the fish get into their spring pattern you will have to cover a lot of water until you find them.
Most of the biggest bass of the year are caught during the next couple of months in our area. So, I hope you get time to go fishing and just maybe you’ll catch that bass of a lifetime. That’s what keeps me going back.
The bible tells us Jesus prayed often and alone. As followers of Jesus, prayer should be the number one priority in our life. It’s the connection between us and God. God desires nothing more than Christians coming to him in prayer. So, I would encourage you to pray more, pray for your church, pray for those that don’t know Jesus, and pray for yourself. Set time aside daily to spend alone with God. No matter how confusing life can be at times, we don’t have to face life alone. The Spirit and the Son are praying for you today. Our Lord’s encouragement to us is clear, always pray and don’t give up.
Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
God bless you all!
Mike
