Exploit The Season Of Love
AS INCREASING WARMTH bolsters spring’s enlivening influence, big fish are putting themselves in vulnerable positions for those who know where to look. Five Bassmaster Elite Series anglers shared their insights into how they track down and engage April giants.
BRAD WHATLEY — Wooded Lake
Framing his April focus in no uncertain terms, Brad Whatley said, “It’s all about the flats. I completely avoid creeks; I don’t give two flips about the creeks this time of year.”
On those flats, he finds stumps his most consistent giant-fish magnet (assuming it’s a lake with minimal vegetation). Whatley will fish every one he can find, but spotting a stump with a prominent root system or a depression between two stumps on his Humminbird MEGA 360 makes him especially optimistic, as these are the makings of big-bass bedding sites.
In his view, truly capitalizing on such opportunities requires something outside the norm — something that will tempt, taunt and tick off a big bedding bass.
“Because this is a spawning situation, I’m not looking for a fish that’s going to chase anything down,” Whatley said. “Everybody flips Texas-rigged baits, but several years ago, I learned a technique that has allowed me to win [a lot of money] in local
