After a couple of weeks of highs in the mid 30s, the weather is warming heading towards this weekend.  I'm going to fish a deep, clear resevior (Lake Ouachita). The forecast high tomorrow is 60.   I'm expecting living, green weeds from 10-15 feet deep in the clear water near the dam.

The patterns I'm going to try are:

1. Slow rolling a spinner bait along deep weed edges (inside and outside edges).

2. Ripping lipless cranks out of the weeds.

3. Jigging the deep weedline with 1/2oz jigs.

4. Cranking a jointed shad rap until it hits the weeds, then ripping and contiuing the retrieve.

 

Anything I'm leaving out?  Thanks in advance, Paul.

 

 

Sounds like a good plan to me. I'd spend a lot of time with that jig, and just fish it real slow. Good luck.

forecast is about the same over here in Oklahoma, high is 60 and for some reason i too have talked myself into looking for some bass as well.

 

Just going to hit some near by farm ponds, good luck out there sir.

NICE!! The EPA has rated Ouachita one of the cleanest lakes in the nation for years due to the fact that there is no industry surrounding it. I wish I was fishing there this wekend! Good Luck & be patient, definitely work that Jig nice n sloooow.

Working a fluke across the tops of the weeds, or how about a drop shot rig.

Oh, the good old south. We haven't seen temps above freezing most of the month here in Boise and  near zero temps. at night. I wouldn't be bassin for a while.

Just remember that the water temps play a key more than the air temps. The higher air temps will get you on the water but dont forget the fish are going to be slow in the cold water. Get that shakey head out also. 

52 Sat and 46 Sund for Me, probable a good chance to try and target my 1st 2013 pull.  

NICE!! The EPA has rated Ouachita one of the cleanest lakes in the nation for years due to the fact that there is no industry surrounding it. I wish I was fishing there this wekend! Good Luck & be patient, definitely work that Jig nice n sloooow.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone!  Christian M, thanks for the info.. Did not know that.

If you have straight sunlight, your fish can move shallower during the day as the shallows warm quickly. 2-5 pm should be prime time for shallow fishing, so you may want to try it out.

Then again, I fished stained Louisiana water. Stained water heats faster than clear and fish generally are less afraid to go shallow in it. I could be way off about clear water.

That's my plan to hit my farm pond about 2pm-ish

I'd be pulling a suspending crank or deep diving jerkbait over those weeds and letting it sit for a long time. Also any steep shoreline, like 45 degree angle or more, with sun shining on it would be a place I'd hit. Pull a jerkbait along the drop or drag a jig or shakyhead slowly along the bottom.