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THE BASS FEDERATION
“ WITH THE LOW WATER LEVELS , THE FISH AREN ’ T GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF PLACES TO HIDE , SO THEY ’ RE GOING TO BE VULNERABLE .”
“ Everything that time of year is kind of going to be around the spawn ,” Faircloth confirmed . “ There will be some postspawn fish , there will be some prespawn fish , there will be some spawning fish . So everything is going to be pretty much shallow related .”
That all might sound standard for a springtime derby . However , a few key variables could still throw anglers a curveball , most notably the water level .
As of this writing , the lake level is nearly 7.5 feet below full pool . While it would typically fill up by late March , Faircloth expects it to remain low due to construction on the dam . If that ’ s the case , the bushes , trees and lily pads that would normally serve as prime spawning habitat will be high and dry .
Faircloth expects bass to spawn around submerged hydrilla , stumps and timber instead , with more of them likely relating to main-lake banks than normal . That could negate the homefield advantage of those anglers with springtime experience on the fishery .
“ Normally you ’ re going to be fishing bushes , willow trees , cypress trees , lily pad stems , stuff like that that time of year ,” said Faircloth . “ But that stuff is just not going to be in the water . So it ’ s going to be if you can find some shallow grass and stumps and timber — that ’ s going to be the big deal that time of year . Because that ’ s basically all they ’ re going to have cover-wise to get around .”
The other question , of course , is how much forward-facing sonar will factor into the outcome . In years past , electronics likely wouldn ’ t have mattered much in March . But a few tech-savvy anglers always seem to incorporate the technology into their game plans , no matter the season . Especially given the low lake level , Faircloth could see it being used to find non-traditional spawning areas that aren ’ t visible to the naked eye — or perhaps even a completely off-the-beatenpath pattern .
“ It seems like every time we fish a tournament nowadays it plays a role ,” he said of forward-facing sonar . “ So if some guys can find some deeper spawning fish that they can ’ t actually visibly see , or if they find some underwater stumps , yeah , I could definitely see it playing a role .”
With plenty of big females likely to be shallow , expect to see some lunkers landed . Faircloth anticipates multiple limits will weigh well over 20 pounds . The key , however , will be finding a pattern or area that can continue to produce across all three days of the event .
Ultimately , Faircloth believes any angler able to average more than 20 pounds per day will find himself in contention to earn the Living Your Dream prize package , which includes a fully-rigged Ranger Z250L and paid entry fees into the tournament circuit of the winner ’ s choice . But given the number of trophy bass swimming in Sam Rayburn , no lead will feel safe until the final weigh in .
“ Definitely there will be some quality fish caught that time of year ,” Faircloth said . “ With the low water levels , the fish aren ’ t going to have a lot of places to hide , so they ’ re going to be vulnerable .”
Water will be lower than usual on Sam Rayburn during the National Championship , which will cause anglers to rethink their plans .
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
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76 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024