I know most of you follow the dogwoods, but around here, we have a ton of Bradford Pears, and their blooming generally marks the beginning of the prespawn (in my area).  Sure enough, yesterday I noticed they were starting to bloom and today I caught a few up shallowish (around 4-6 FOW in lake that maxes out at 12-14 FOW)!  I'm excited!  I can't seem to catch a thing in the winter months, no matter what I try, but once the prespawn starts, it's on!  

Ours started blooming about ten days ago....and sure enough,  I caught a few in less than 3 FOW from the dock.  Interestingly, I saw something from the county offering me a dogwood, if I cut down the Bradford Pear...lol.  If it was a pink dogwood, I'd take them up on it.  I sorta promised the wife last year that I'd get her a pink dogwood.   I guess I should get on that before I get reminded.

We’ve got green leaves on Bradford pear and weeping willow already. Redbuds just started blooming purple 

4 hours ago, Bankc said:

I know most of you follow the dogwoods, but around here, we have a ton of Bradford Pears, and their blooming generally marks the beginning of the prespawn (in my area).  Sure enough, yesterday I noticed they were starting to bloom and today I caught a few up shallowish (around 4-6 FOW in lake that maxes out at 12-14 FOW)!  I'm excited!  I can't seem to catch a thing in the winter months, no matter what I try, but once the prespawn starts, it's on!  

In my area , it’s Azaleas…and dogwoods…

40 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

In my area , it’s Azaleas…and dogwoods…

I’ve got both of those in my front yard, no color yet 

Bradford Pears are blooming here.  I haven't seen any dogwood blooms yet.  Water temp was 59 today.   I caught 13.  One was on a devils horse.  (topwater)

I haven't seen any dogwoods blooming, but I have seen a bunch of algae blooms in the lakes. 

I mainly pay attention to water temps and we're warmer this year compared to last year......by 3 weeks.

Today the fish were already staging just off of where they spawn.

Trees Tell me when to look for mushrooms ?

We've got frogs croaking here tonight, that's my sign that things are happening. 

When over night temperatures stay at or above the water's temperature.

 

Early pre-spawn started here somewhere around the middle of January. 

 

Southeast Texas is on ?

 

Go ahead everyone....rub it in. It's still winter up here. ?

7 minutes ago, Will Ketchum said:

Go ahead everyone....rub it in. It's still winter up here. ?

We still got 24" of 'hard water' here...sample taken yesterday on a bay close to my house.

No hard water here.  Temperatures have been back and forth warming the water somewhat. Last weekend I fished in 42 degree water and the fish were biting finesse jigs and Ned rigs, but they were still located near the deeper basin in this small 56 acre lake.  We have had a number of warmer days lately.  Unfortunately, the forecast for March 8th - 17th is for lows in the upper teens to around 30, and highs in the 30s and 40s.  If that forecast holds our water won't be warming from the low 40s until probably late March.

19 hours ago, Choporoz said:

Ours started blooming about ten days ago....and sure enough,  I caught a few in less than 3 FOW from the dock.  Interestingly, I saw something from the county offering me a dogwood, if I cut down the Bradford Pear...lol.  If it was a pink dogwood, I'd take them up on it.  I sorta promised the wife last year that I'd get her a pink dogwood.   I guess I should get on that before I get reminded.

 

Yep.  Bradford Pears are a non-native invasive tree.  I know a lot of them have been sold and planted in yards over the past few decades, but they do spread quite prolifically.  I see a lot of them growing on the roadsides around here.

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

We still got 24" of 'hard water' here...sample taken yesterday on a bay close to my house.

And I complain about VA winter being long...... that's wild.

And I went ice fishing yesterday! I'm excited for those of you kicking off your seasons though, go catch em!

Went to one of my local honey holes a few days ago and saw these guys all over the place but no fish. I am hoping fishing will be better this weekend. 

 

 

On 3/3/2023 at 7:51 AM, senile1 said:

 

Yep.  Bradford Pears are a non-native invasive tree.  I know a lot of them have been sold and planted in yards over the past few decades, but they do spread quite prolifically.  I see a lot of them growing on the roadsides around here.

In my area there are wild plums blooming this time of year. They look alot like The Bradfords, but they are plums. Could be at you local as well.

The Bradfords are blooming again.  This time in February!

 

I was kind of freaking out about that (it's been a hot winter), but then looked up this post and realized that it's only a week ahead of last year's.  

 

Either way, the fish should be pushing up shallow again!  I hope!  

I don't know if it's the rain, or if it's been colder this Winter.  The water temp is 6 degrees cooler than it was this time last year.   52 Sunday, 57 last year, last week of February.  

 

Edit: I noticed my bad math.  I'm not going to change it.  That way I'm not the only one laughing.   

@Woody B - we had an overall warmer winter last year with a couple severe cold snaps. I catfished ever couple weeks Jan-Mar and barely needed a coat.

  

I just looked through my old electricity bills from Duke Energy.  According to them the average temperature in February 2023 was 52 degrees.  The average in February this year (so far) is 45.   

 

I wonder if the warm days have been warmer, but there's been less of them.   I caught Bass on buzz baits in both January and February this year.   

Water is definitely warming more slowly but I can't complain because it's more fun before they move up anyways!  😎

Plants bloom according to photoperiod, bass spawn according to warming water temperatures.

Tom

It's really about water temps but flowers are pretty.

I'm heading out Monday hoping for at least 50* water temps.