Warming water temperatures are drawing fish and fishermen alike into shallow waters, and whether you’re after largemouth bass, crappie, white bass or catfish, you’ll likely find what you’re looking for near the banks.

Bass are showing up on their nests, creating excellent sight-fishing opportunities. These circular-shaped nests, or beds, can often be seen on shallow sand, mud or gravel flats near the shore with the naked eye.

While they’re on the nests, bass are easy targets and aggressively strike. Even if they’re not feeding, fish will often attack if other fish or lures get into their zone. Sight-fishing takes stealth and patience, and a pair of polarized sunglasses doesn’t hurt, either.

Crappie are also beginning to congregate in the shallows, with minnows and chartreuse-tailed jigs being top-producing baits, according to reports. Most of the fish being caught are still undersized males, but the action is good and an increasing number of keepers are coming in. Marina slips with submerged structure are hot spots.

Earleen Brister of Crowley took first place in the Navarro Mills Lake Marina Crappie Tournament for March with a 2.14-pounder caught on the marina’s fishing dock. Hubbard’s Martha Milne took the red ribbon with a 1.63-pound crappie.

Derrick Ashley of Midlothian currently holds the lead in April’s competition with a 2.07-pounder he caught — no fooling — on April 1.

White bass are still up the rivers, as my dad and I were happy to discover during a canoe trip last Sunday on the South Bosque. We wore the tails off of a couple of white Roadrunners and left them biting as we headed home to watch Baylor basketball.

Catfishermen have been moving their juglines into shallower, rocky-bottomed areas, and rod-and-reel anglers are catching spawning blue catfish using cut shad fished off the bottom along channels and gravel points.

ShareLunker at 494

That $500-per-pound bass is closer to making some lucky fisherman a little bit richer through the ShareLunker program, as number 494 was caught last week at Lake Fork.

Jason Barnes of Yantis was fishing in two feet of water with a homemade jig when the big bass he’d been targeting for two days finally bit. The bass weighed 13.23 pounds when Barnes took it to The Minnow Bucket to await the arrival of ShareLunker program manager David Campbell to confirm the fish as Toyota ShareLunker 494.

Barnes actually caught the fish twice — almost — on two successive days.

“The first day she bent my hook straight,” he said. “I went back the next day with a heavy rod, braided line and a heavier hook. I wasn’t going to lose her twice. I sat on her for about two hours before she finally bit. She just inhaled it.”

Barnes was still feeling aftershocks when Campbell arrived a few hours later.

“I thought I was having a heart attack,” he said.

While Barnes has the dream of manufacturing his own line of tackle someday, in the meantime he won’t have to. His catch qualifies him for a $500 cash prize from the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce and a tackle package worth $500 from Lake Fork Marina.

ShareLunker 494 is the 23rd fish to be entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program this season. Only six fish remain to be caught to reach the 500 mark. The angler who catches that fish will receive $500 per pound and a rod-and-reel package from G. Loomis and Shimano.

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between Oct. 1 and April 30 can submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling Campbell at (903) 681-0550.

Fishing tourney Saturday

The 39th Annual Waco Bass Club Lake Waco Crappie Tournament is set to begin Saturday, with sign-up and weigh-in at the Lacy Point boat ramp.

The tourney is an open competition, and entry fee is $50 per two-person team. Entry forms can be found at bait and tackle shops around Central Texas. A portion of the tournament’s proceeds will benefit local nonprofit groups.

Last year’s champs were Darwin Miller and Tommie Guest, followed by Travis Bailey and his son, Travis, Jr.

www.centexoutdoors.com

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