There’s no question where veteran bass angler David Cavell will spend much of his time on the water in February.
The 50-year-old Prairieville bass angler knows first-hand where good-to- great bass fishing can be this time of year, weather and water conditions permitting. One of the most accomplished Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation anglers in Louisiana has proved time and again it can be red-hot late January through March.
“False River’s actually been the best fishery in the area the last couple years,” Cavell said, noting it’s producing more and bigger bass the past few years.
Last February he caught an 8.36-pound beauty in a major bass tournament at False River, which is beginning to give up “hawgs” like the old days, before siltation covered most of the prime spawning areas on each end of the oxbow lake. When water temperature rises significantly, bass head for the shoreline.
Bank seekers
The spring bite is special again there thanks to the improved habitat conditions on both ends of the lake. Plus, there’s the opportunity to put a double-digit bass in the boat.
“Other than Caney, Bussey and Toledo Bend, the best chance to catch a 10-pounder (in February) is in False River,” Cavell said. “As long as it’s warming up. As long as the water temperature gets over 52 degrees, they want to go straight to the bank. A lot of big ones hang out in 4- to 8-foot of water. On those 75- to 85-degree February days, they want to get up there and get sunshine the way we do. During good warming trends concentrate on the bank out to 6-foot.”
Cavell, who finished fourth last year with 885 points to make the Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation State Team and qualify for this spring’s B.A.S.S. Nation National Qualifier, is speaking from experience. He pre-fishes and fishes bass tournaments there as much as 10 to 15 times late January through March.
Several factors
Several reasons for the welcome turnaround at the oxbow lake in southeastern Pointe Coupee Parish were touted by Cavell, a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana agent. State and parish efforts reduced runoff by 80 percent and cleared dirt on the flats at both ends to expose the shell bottom and make each a spawning mecca again.
“Other key factors are it’s stable and stays pretty clean and clear,” Cavell said, although both ends can muddy up following a torrential downpour.
Also, he said, anglers have resumed sinking treetops on the flats again to enhance habitat. In its heyday, False River was known for its excellent bass fishing in and around the grass beds, but the vegetation vanished.
Cavell doesn’t rely solely on the flats. In fact, the competent sight fisherman often looks for “something a little different” — piers and other shoreline structures.
“I’m going to do a combination of both things, flats and piers at both ends of the river,” he said.
His go-to baits are 3/8 or ½-ounce Delta Shad Delta Lures Thunder Jigs, ½-ounce Delta Lures Spinnerbaits in the same color and shad-colored Black Label square bill crankbaits. The double-bladed model spinnerbait, he said, has “phenomenal” results when worked around treetops on the south end.
When it’s time to drop soft plastics, it’s hard to beat the sprayed grass or Cali Love Missile Baits Baby D Stroyer, he said. He loves to drag a Carolina-rigged soft plastic along the shell beds and feel the tick, tick, tick, then a thump.
