El Salto Bass Fishing Report for March 15, 2004

Report:

· Air Temp: 65° F (Mornings) - 82°F (Mid-Day)
· Water Temp: 70-74°F
· Average number of bass per boat per day: 40-60
· Largest bass caught: 12 pounds
Popular lures used this week:

1. Kinami Flashes & Yamamoto Senkos 5, 6 & 7 Watermelon, Black & Blue, Green pumpkin, Pumpkin Seed, Chartreuse.
2. 6-8 Lizards - Watermelon, Watermelon with blue flake, Black with Blue tail, Blue flake, Green pumpkin.
3. Storm Wild Eye Swim Shad 5-6  Pearl White, White w/ Chartreuse top, Shad, Golden Mullet. (5 have been working the best)
4. Rattletrap - 1/2 oz. & 3/4 oz. - Silver/ with Blue back, Silver/ with Black back, Bleeding Baby Bass
5. Jerkbaits  5  7  Silver / Blue, Shad, Fire Tiger.
6. Spinner bait ½ oz. to 1-1/2 oz.  White, White / Chartreuse, Chartreuse, Shad.
7. Popr s (Ricos) & Zara Spooks  Silver / Black, Chrome, Clear, Green Pumpkin.
8. Fat Free Shad & Rapala  Deep and Medium  Citrus Shad, Parrot, Blue Gill, Fire tiger, White

ADDITIONAL INFO:
We are on the last stage of the spawn and it should be over by the next full moon. Most of the bass are still coming shallow (about 6-12 feet) but the quality bass are coming a little deeper. Up on the banks, the best baits are still Senkos, Flashes and Wave Worm has a soft plastic jerk bait that has been working just as well. They tend to hold together better than the others. The bass that have spawned out go down and suspend for a couple of weeks. This is were the deep diving crankbaits come into play. The Fat Free Excaliber and the DD22 have been producing some nice bass. Also deep spinners with double silver willow blades will catch the monsters as well. The weather has warmed up as has the water temparture. Now that the water temparture has warmed up, the bass should be even more active than they already are. Hard plastic jerkbaits have been doing well early in the morning and late in the evenings. Most customers are working them with a crank and pause. Pausing the bait for a second and then jerking it again and letting it sit. Watermelon lizards and worms are producing all sizes of bass. Texas rigging in the trees and the areas where there is a lot of structure is the key. Carolina rigging has been better of the flats, humps and cliffs. Swimbaits are still producing big fish in about 20-25 feet of water. We are also fishing the swimbaits of the cliffs and letting them drop slowly. Some nice bass where caught like this and the fish were hitting them on the fall.