If you were a professional bass fishermen who got to fish all over the country, all year long, what would you do when you had a few days to just go fishing for fun?
If you were Monroe’s Brett Preuett, you’d come home and head to Caney Lake to try and catch a 10-pounder.
Preuett’s caught 10-pound-plus bass there twice in recent years and multiple bass over 8 pounds.
“This time of year, the big largemouth on Caney are either on the beds or moving to the beds, and it’s an exciting time to fish,” the touring pro said. “You can look for fish up in the grass beds in 6 to 8 feet of water, or you can find them staging on the points.
“Those are the two best bets. Exactly where they will be depends on the weather that week, but those are the basics.”
The grass at Caney has made a comeback the past several years and, with it, big largemouth are being caught on a more-regular basis.
It’s the best thing that has happened to the lake in a decade, Preuett said.
“If the fish are still staging or have been moved back off the bedding areas because of a cold front, that’s no problem,” he explained. “Look off the numerous points in Caney. The best spots are where the creek channels turn close to a point, or where the creek channel runs close to a hump.”
When the fish are there, Preuett likes to use big football jigs in black-and-blue or green pumpkin.
He also uses big swim baits in shad colors.
If the fish are shallower in the grass, Preuett turns to a red or crawfish-color Rat-L-Trap on sunny days or a white or chartreuse spinnerbait on cloudy days.
If your bait gets into the grass, rip it out to trigger reaction strikes, especially with big bass.
Creature baits are also good, using a large weight to get the lure down through the vegetation.
There is a third option for Caney spawners, too, one that many fishermen think is just for later in the year.
There are lot of boat docks extending into 8 to 12 feet of water, and Preuett said fish will move under these structures on bright, sunny days.
“It’s great to get home to Caney,” he said. “It’s close ,and for the number of big fish it will produce this month it’s hard to beat.”
