Hey everyone, Captain Anthony Awgul here! It's time for my first Nockamixon fishing report of 2024! This year as part of my mission to help people catch more and bigger bass, I'll be posting free Nockamixon fishing reports on the first day of each month from April through November as I guide on this lake full-time. Also, if you're interested in extra detailed weekly Nockamixon fishing reports and monthly livestreamed Nockamixon fishing seminars, be sure to subscribe to, "The Nockamixon Fishing School" by visiting www.awgulfishing.com/nockamixonfishingschool
My boat has been in the shop for the last 4 months over the winter, but I just got it back in mid March so I've only been fishing Nockamixon again the last couple of weeks. Although winter has officially passed and spring is here, the water is still cold on Lake Nockamixon! As of today 4/1/24, water temperatures range from 45 to 47 degrees around the lake.
Lake Nockamixon always has a reputation for being a tough fishery. However, it's usually even more difficult when the water temperature is below 50 degrees. Nockamixon has a population of lazy lunker bass that don't need to work too hard to compete and hunt the abundant bait source. Being cold blooded creatures, they become even more lethargic and lazy in cold water because their metabolisms burn slowly in low temperatures. That means less moving and less hunting; the perfect recipe for difficult fishing!
The water has been cold and the fishing has been tough, but we've still been putting some fish in the boat! The key these past couple of weeks has been fishing LOW AND SLOW. All of our fish have been caught in 15-20 feet deep. Every spot we got bit on this year so far has had some type of hard cover present (Including submerged timber, rocks, and other offshore features).
There have only been four baits that I've gotten bit on so far during the beginning of this season; jerkbaits, deep diving crankbaits, drop shot rigs, and jigs. I've been using jerkbaits and deep diving crankbaits to SLOWLY cover areas that I think should be holding late winter and/or early spring bass. Then, I've been using drops shots and jigs to thoroughly capitalize on high percentage spots in these areas.
The water clarity has mostly been heavily stained and even murky in some areas (As it usually is in early spring with all the rains). Historically, I've sometimes caught bass in shallower water (4-8 feet deep) in low visibility with water temperatures under 50 degrees. I've tried covering a lot of shallower murky water with spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, squarebill crankbaits, glidebaits, and jigs, but I haven't seen any success yet in water shallower than 15 feet deep.
The best is yet to come on Lake Nockamixon this season. With water temperatures still in the mid 40's, some bass are still in their wintertime seasonal patterns while some bass have started their prespawn seasonal patterns. Once temperatures settle over 50 degrees, the bite should really heat up! As temperatures continue to rise in the spring, the smaller and more aggressive male bass should move up into their shallower spawning grounds first to stake out territory and start making spawning beds while the bigger female bass stay out deeper to bulk up and feed heavily in preparation for the spawn. Later in the spring, waves of bigger female bass should move up and start spawning.
Stay tuned for my Lake Nockamixon Fishing Report for April that will be posted next month on 5/1/24. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to The Nockamixon Fishing School at www.awgulfishing.com/nockamixonfishingschool and book your guided fishing trip with me as soon as possible! We're already booking out until July, so be sure to get a spot on my calendar so we can target giant summertime bass! Book now online at www.awgulfishing.com or call/text me at (267) 730-3203.
Tight lines and I'll see you out on the water!
-Captain Anthony Awgul