Cold Weather = Hot Bass Fishing on Texas Power Plant Lakes Part 2

Ok, in my last blog I tried to explain the differences of power plant lakes and your typical Texas reservoirs we usually fish.  I hope you looked into some of the lakes that I had listed for you to try.

Now, we will get into the guts of how fishing a power plant lake is a bit different than the impoundment down the street.

1. Water Temp- Knowing the water temperature is absolutely critical when fishing a warm water generating power plant lake. Water may fluctuate 30 degrees from the discharge end of the lake to the other.
2. Grass- Most power plant lakes I fish have grass. It may be hydrilla, lily pads or duck weed, but all will typically have grass. Try and find the grass on the deep edges closest to the discharge.  Bass will use these grass lines as an ambush point.
3. Go against the grain- If the masses are pounding the banks in early February with buzzbaits, try moving out a bit and throwing a chatterbait or rattle trap. Most of the fish in these lakes run in packs, and when you catch one, you will catch several.
4. Think a month ahead- The water temps are considerably warmer and these fish are at least a month ahead of your local bodies of water. So if your fish on Sam Rayburn are still in a winter/pre spawn pattern, then your power plant fish will be spawning and post spawn normally.
5. Lighten Up- I will throw lighter line than normal due to fishing pressure and clear water. If most of my reels have 20lb floro, I will opt for 14 or 15lb floro and will get more bites. There are times I will break off a fish or two, but I usually out fish my partner 2 to 1 also.
6. Think Bluegill- This time of year, bluegill imitating baits are better than shad baits. A lot of the bass have already spawned or are guarding a nest and will smash bluegill baits much faster than a shad colored bait.
7. Let it sit- If you like to throw a senko, or weightless fluke, this is the time for you. When there is a slight bit of current, a fluke or senko thrown out and dead sticked slowly back, can be absolutely deadly on these warm water spawners.

As far as baits go, there are many to choose from and you need to take into account your local body of water in regards to water clarity, cover and forage base.

I like buzzbaits, chatterbaits, flukes and lizards for the most part.  You can throw your own arsenal of spring time baits at these power plant bass and see what you come up with.

I hope these tips help you catch some warm water bass when it is down right freezing outside!! Tight lines and good luck Texas Nation.

Story by Shane Smith