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Spring 2023
page 66
The Strike King Flats Head has a good quality hook and
VERSATILITY
comes in light weights. I would say the really good A-rigs
come from the “garage shop” guys, like Bailey’s rig or
Yes, like I said earlier, Clear Lake can play to anyone’s
Borofka’s G-Funk rig.
strengths; and there are times when you can fish one rod all
A crankbait will be a player when they’re moving up, and day to sack ‘em up. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you
there is always some bass moving up somewhere in the
will know what rod it will be in the springtime.
spring. So, then you’re looking at a Red Eye Shad, a lipless-
It could be a Thunder Cricket, it could be a jerkbait, it
style bait, and a 2.5 for crankin’ shallow tules and shallow
could go old school and be a spinnerbait, and you can never
docks in five-feet or less. When rolling out on structure, you overlook a Flippin’ Stick.
probably have to have a 6XD to crank the top of some of
The fact is you may get locked into catching your entire
those 12- to 15-foot rockpiles or ledges. I don’t get carried
limit on one rod, but you can’t just have one rod on deck.
away by colors. I’m going to have a Sexy Shad or Pearl
One area could be fishing entirely different than
Chartreuse, and I’m going to have a red, like Delta Craw.
another. A guy can be a one-rod Todd and battle it out for
ounces with another guy that only fished an A-rig all day.
LATE SPRING TRANSITION
The fish will tell you what they want, and there will be plenty of ‘em to listen to.
When they start to move to the bank, I will narrow it
For the last couple of years, we’ve had a crippled version
down. When they have moved up, and they’re doin’ their
of Clear Lake; however, for spring 2023, Clear Lake is back,
deal, some of those baits will come out of play. The A-rig
and it’s something you don’t want to miss.
bite is going to taper
The fish at Clear
off, and the Thunder
Lake beat to their
Cricket is going to
own drum, but when
pick up.
you leave Clear Lake
By mid-April, it
and put your boat on
is possible to have
the trailer, it doesn’t
some of the best
matter if you caught a
bags on topwater,
30-pound bag or only
including the Sexy
caught two all day; you
Frog. I’m not looking
always leave thinking
for a specific water
about when you can
temp to know it’s
get back there again.
time for a frog. I’m
You may hear a guy
looking for nights in
say they have a lake
the 50-degree range,
that they hate or never
so the water doesn’t
fish, but that’s not what
need so much over
anyone thinks about
time each day from
Clear Lake. Myself
the lows. Blooms
included. When it’s
are nice, but you’ll
Clear Lake, guys always
know it’s time to
think when can I get
throw a frog at Clear
back there? Well, this is
Lake when you hear the frogs.
Clear Lake April 2022
the year to get back to Clear Lake! •