By Scott Norton
It is that time of year when nature’s instinct of renewal plays out in all things. In the lakes, the longer days and rain cause fish to prepare for spawn. The waters start warming real fast and bass start their migration from the winter holes to end up in the shallows to spawn. Different regions and elevations will experience this at different times.
With these events happening you have to expect that everyone else is making their plans as well. The issues you may have include the availability of things you need to replace and adding items you will use in your own plans. Do not forget about things in your inventory. I know some people that are great at organizing and some that cannot keep up with what they have. I find it easy to just go through everything to see what is missing and take care of it on a rainy day when nothing else is planned.
When working on plans it does not hurt to do a little recon on places you’re going to fish. Small bait shops will have some info on what is going on in those bodies of water. Some people take short trips to test out areas the bass are in, so they know if things are ready or close to it. I try to simplify indicators to know when it is time to start your trips such as the dogwoods blooming. You can see dogwoods bloom around the area, but I wait until I see it around the lakes I am fishing. This is because of the elevation changes and lake effect weather.
Everything you do right now is to stack all the odds in your favor. Think about what could fail that could ruin your trip. Bad line, batteries, tires, rusty hooks, and gear maintenance can put you in a situation where you’re at a standstill. These situations are the number one reasons for failure and a waste of time. There is no reason to make big plans just to have them fail when the time has to count. It is all about having fun and keeping your focus on fishing, not problems you have to figure out how to get out of. We are finally here, and it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.