Comanche Lake, OK
3-31-09 The surface temp was 59-60 on the main lake, but the water in the backs of some coves reached 65 today. Water clarity was 1-2' in the middle of the lake and less than 6" on the SE side. I spent most the day pitching to shallow cover and any irregular structure in small coves on the east and west sides of the main lake. I fished from noon to 8pm and caught four bass. The largest bass was 3-1/4 lbs. All my bass were caught texas rigging a green pumpkin Basskwondo 6" Lethal Lizard. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
4-8-09 The surface temp was 62 degrees on most the lake, but the water in the backs of some coves reached up to 70 today. Water clarity was less than a foot today. I worked a shallow cover pattern most the afternoon, only pulling a couple bass. The largest bass was 6 lbs 12 oz. She was full of eggs. Both fish were caught on shallow wood cover with a texas rigged green pumpkin baby brush hog. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
5-7-09 The surface temp was 73 on the main lake and 76 in the backs of the creeks. Water clarity was 1-2' on the main lake. The creeks had zero visibility due to the recent heavy rains. The sky was overcast and I found bass right up against the banks around the main lake. Several bass were caught on green pumpkin baby brush hogs and 6" Basskwondo Lethal Lizards in green pumpkin and red shad. I tried to target the newly flooded buckbrush, but it seemed the bass were more related to windblown small drop-offs around rocky places. -Ben Merritt www.basskwondo.com
Lake Elmer Thomas (LETRA), OK
March '09- Surface Temp: 55 early this month, currently 60, 2-3' visibility, early March patterns involved Basskwondo Scorpion 80 jigs, Strike King Bitsy Flips and drop-shots near steep drop-offs around the main lake areas. The best areas had some type of heat-holding rocky bottom. Lately, bass have been moving up creek channels. I caught several bass on an unseasonably warm day in the back of one creek. I used a texas rigged Zoom baby brush hog in watermelon candy. The biggest two bass that day were 3-11 and 4-01. Other bass this month have been <1lb up to 6 lbs. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
3/25/09- Surface Temp: 56-57, 3' visibility on main lake, The water in creeks has cooled off again. The main lake seemed less affected by the cold fronts as bass are still in a winter pattern. Bass stacked up on obvious main lake points, subtle main lake points and brushpiles in 10-15' water. A few 3-4lb bass were caught along with several buck bass. Finding new hydrilla growth increases odds of locating bass. Lures most effective were 3/16 oz. finesse jigs and 5" Basskwondo Salty Samurai Sticks in watermelon/red (sunny) and junebug (cloudy). Some bass were still caught around flat areas beside deep water away from the main lake. Water away from the main lake is slightly more dingy, but the bass seemed to be fatter as they have been flip flopping between winter and spring patterns. Basskwondo 5" Salty Samurai Sticks in junebug and 3/16 oz. finesse jigs proved effective in all areas today. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
4/3/09- Surface Temp: 48 early, 53 afternoon, 6' visibility on main lake. Back to back cold fronts cooled the water considerably and the bite slowed. The NW and W creeks are heating up but not enough yet. The West Creek did reach 57 degrees late in the day. I caught six fish on a 1/4 oz. Strike King Bitsy Flip with a custom Basskwondo skirt in a blue gill pattern. The fish were in 10-15' of water off subtle main lake points. Later in the afternoon, a couple fish were caught in warm pockets protected from the wind. These two fish were caught on a watermelon Tiki Stick. The strong south winds made fishing very difficult. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
4/4/09- Surface Temp: 53 warming to 55 late, 6' visibility on main lake. The strong south winds continued making fishing difficult. I caught a few more fish on the 1/4 oz. jig pattern in 10-15' of water. Late in the afternoon the back of the West Creek warmed to 65 degrees and I caught 10 smaller bass in very shallow water. I used a Zoom Baby Brush Hog in a watermelon color to catch these fish. The deeper part of the creek only made it to 57 degrees today. I caught several more bass in the NW creek channel late in the day. Those fish readily hit 5" Basskwondo Salty Samurai Sticks in watermelon pepper, Strike King Bitsy Flips with custom Basskwondo skirts and Zoom Baby Brush Hogs. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
4/9/09- Surface Temp: 51 warming to 53.5 late, 6' visibility on main lake. The wind was ridiculously absurd today. Double anchors would not hold me. I managed to hide in a protected pocket that warmed to 65 by mid-afternoon. I caught 16 bass out of this pocket. Most of the bass were small males getting in position to make beds. The two best fish were 4lbs. All fish were taken with Basskwondo 6" Lizards in watermelon. -Ben Merritt www.basskwondo.com
4/10/09- Post front conditions made for a tough day fishing. The main lake was barely affected, but the creeks cooled down a few degrees. Bass were scattered, but some were beginning to lock down on beds. I caught 5 bass under 2 lbs. They bit Basskwondo 5" Salty Samurai Sticks in watermelon and Zoom Baby Brush Hogs in watermelon candy. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
4/14/09- Main Lake Temp: 57 by afternoon, Backs of Creeks reached into the low 70's today, 6' visibility. The spawn is really picking up. Males are beginning to lock down on beds and the females are moving up. Bass were in typical spawning locations and the females were hanging in slightly deeper weeds/brush. Spawning bass were caught on 5" watermelon (junebug after sunset) Basskwondo Salty Samurai Sticks, baby brush hogs in watermelon candy or green pumpkin, Basskwondo 4" Salty Samurai Tubes and Basskwondo 6" Lethal Lizards. The deep winter pattern was still in effect, but slower than the warmer water bite. Toward evening, spinnerbaits, lipless cranks and swimbaits caught a few. I mostly fished for prespawn bass in staging and caught 14 bass from noon to dark. The largest being a female weighing 5 lbs 9 oz. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
4/22/09 Surface Temp: 62, 6' visibility (4-1' visibility in SW creek), Bass were scattered and the bite was great all over the lake. Some bass have spawned, but more are on bed. I expect more and more bass to spawn in the next week or so. We caught numbers of bass on watermelonseed Basskwondo Salty Samurai Sticks switching to junebug as the sun got lower. Several three pounders and a couple five pounders were taken today. Winds were very cooperative for sight fishing bedded bass, but most of the fish were caught fancasting over potential spawning areas and nearby brushpiles. -Ben Merritt www.basskwondo.com
Lake Jap Beaver, OK
3/12/09- Surface Temp: 57-58 degrees, 1-2' visibility, shallow stumps along creek channel pattern, two best fish 3lbs and 6lbs. The lures used to flip stumps were Zoom baby brush hogs in green pumpkin and green pumpkin 4" Salty Samurai Tubes. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
3/21/09- Surface Temp: 60 degrees, 1-2' visibility, shallow stumps near deep water pattern, big fish 5lb 12oz. on Basskwondo 6" Lethal Lizard in green pumpkin. The bass are preparing to spawn but just aren't quite there yet. I did not see any beds, but the 5-12 was about to pop. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
4/28/09- Surface Temp: 70 across the lake, 6" visibility, bass were cruising extremely shallow next to the shoreline due to the unusually low visibility caused by recent rains. The water level has risen considerably, but the muddy water made for a slow bite. A few bass were caught with the largest being 2 lbs 8 oz. Basskwondo 6" Lethal Lizards in junebug were most productive today. It was very overcast until the afternoon when the sun came out. -Ben Merritt www.basskwondo.com
Lake Quanah Parker, OK
March '09- Early March Surface Temp: 55 degrees, 1-2' visibility, Zoom baby brush hog in watermelon candy caught a couple bass, drop-shots and suspending jerkbaits caught a few others. All bass were under 2lbs. -Ben Merritt http://www.basskwondo.com/
