SpRING ba op S era S tion
By Marc Marcantonio
M
y angling friends may not know about
my former life. My boyhood dream of
fishing the bass tour in the 1970-90
eras was superseded by a 23-year Active Duty stint in the U.S. Army. Freedom to fish
is not automatic, nor happens by accident. In honor
of those who selflessly have served, and those still
serving, I dedicate my first article to the brave men
and women of the military. The format of this article
will feel strange to those who have not served or
executed an Operations Order, but if you take the time
to read I hope you will find key tips that will improve
your bass catching success in the Pacific Northwest
(and other regions) during the Spring. Those who
have participated in military operations will hopefully
allow my literary license to amend the strict format of
an OpOrd so as to not lose the rest of the readership.
oPerATIon sPrInG BAss
Your mission: locate and capture enemy forces (bass). Capture and release is desired so that enemy reengagement occurs during future operations.
Situation: Enemy forces are infiltrating shallow cover in search of rations prior to locating bedding areas. Intelligence sources indicate that several days of warming weather make the bass especially aggressive. These bass are looking to consume both baitfish and crawfish to fill their empty stomachs. The enemy must replace strength lost while enduring months of cold water and slow metabolism. Be prepared to do battle with tanks, as spring brings the largest bass into the shallow water where you can find them. After no pressure all winter, these lunkers are easily tricked into aggressively biting.
Area of operations: Recon forces have spotted the most activity along northern shorelines on Lakes and Rivers. The north shore of large coves and river arms also warm first. Water temperatures are warmer here since northern shorelines get maximum sunlight
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exposure and greater protection from lingering cold, north winds. Prevailing south winds push warm surface waters to the north where they collect and push deeper along the shoreline. Warm water attracts spring bass like mess halls attract soldiers. My Ranger attack vehicle has Lowrance surface temperature probes networked to all sonar and GPS units, to find the warmest water available to increase mission success.
Terrain: Past missions indicate bass concentrate first on major points in the main lake, so initiate interdiction operations here. As weather warms, locate secondary points for bass that linger to feed prior to spawning. Look for big bass to stack on points because south winds create warm currents that attract their food. Best regions are identified by locating rock and gravel, especially with fallen wood providing cover and concealment. Points exist on lakes and rivers because they have hard bottoms that don’t erode, making them key terrain for spring bass. Operations conducted on points adjacent to spawning coves can result in mass casualties.
Strategy: Three courses of action (COA) are encouraged to fit different situations. The first is best suited to clear, open water and low amounts of cover and concealment. This operation employs search tactics that setup sniper shots. The second COA is for water containing cover and concealment, and requires jungle warfare. The third COA can be used in all terrain, and utilizes Special Forces to capture key individuals.
Course of Action #1: High mobility operations are characterized by open water Search and Destroy strategies. Since cover and concealment are sparse, high speed tactics can be employed to quickly intercept enemy concentrations. Search tools include Lucky Craft crankbaits and jerkbaits for long- range deployment and realistic appearance in clear water. Staysee jerkbaits in natural colors like Ghost Minnow, Phantom Chartreuse Shad, and Aurora Black perfectly imitate favorite food species and reach deep to extract spring bass. In shallow water employ