By Michael Murphy
April on Murray is the month of spawn. It is typically when the biggest waves of fish come to the banks for their yearly ritual and will be roaming the banks and in the shallows. Fishing techniques for largemouth bass will be different for both ends of the lake. Look for largemouth lake-wide to be staging on secondary points or deeper banks outside of spawning areas, as well as moved up into spawning coves with sand or hard bottoms.
On the upper reaches of the lake, from Dreher Island up river, where the water has more color, look for fish to be further along and shallower. Techniques of choice are crankbaits that dive to the 2- to 4-foot range like an IMA square bill; spinnerbaits; jigs; soft plastics; flipping baits like the new Reins Punchin’ Predator and Ring Craw Tube; or finesse worms in a natural or green pumpkin color or a merthiolate or white-colored trick worm. Look for areas with a hard bottom and visible cover in the form of laydowns or docks. Be sure to make repeated casts with soft plastics to visible cover to entice spawning fish that may not be visible due to the water color. By the end of the month, look for fish to start chasing topwaters, such as buzzbait, frogs, prop bait or poppers, as fish will be guarding fry.
On the lower end of the lake, from Dreher Island to the dam, focus on wake baits like an IMA Bone Floating Flit or swimbaits like the Optimum BLT or Opti- shad and a Reins 4″ Fat Rockvibe Shad to find areas of activity with cruisers or spawners, slowing down in areas where fish are located using a jig, shaky head, dropshot or trick worm in a watermelon or green pumpkin color. Look for fish to be staging more on secondary points around rock and docks with black floats, with fish spawning adjacent to these areas. In the clearer water, look for beds that are close to rocks, dock posts, laydowns or stumps. Be sure to look in the deepest water, as the biggest fish will spawn deeper. Deeper beds will be easier to catch; yet can be more difficult to see.
In the month of April, the fish move into spawning coves across the lake. This is a great month to pick up your favorite shallow water lure and go fishing. Bass will be in the backs of creeks and pockets holding on the last deep water areas around rocks and docks and spawning around shallow cover. Up the river and in the backs of creeks and coves, where resident fish are more prevalent, fish could be as shallow as a couple feet in areas that hold heat. Be sure to focus on areas with bait, hard bottoms and North shore banks that get the most sunlight. Down the lake where bass are set up slightly deeper, they will be feeding on blueback herring, white perch or crayfish and will be positioned on secondary points adjacent to spawning coves and starting to spawn by the middle of the month.
A great way to get out, enjoy the outdoors, and do a little fishing is to book a trip with one of the Lake Murray area guides. I am a certified Fisheries Biologist, have fished fulltime and competitively for over eight years across the country on both the BASS and FLW trails, and have a lifetime of fishing experience. I am well versed in many techniques and would love to share my knowledge with you on the water and enjoy a day of fishing.
Michael Murphy
www.MichaelMurphyFishing.com
Michael@MichaelMurphyFishing.com
