Lake Santa Fe

Panfish can be found around docks and cypress trees scattered around the lake. Target those fish using crickets, earthworms, and grass shrimp. By this time, black crappie should be finished spawning, but can be targeted offshore by trolling or drifting jigs or minnows. Try to cover as much water as possible. A good fishfinder will help in locating offshore structure and suspended fish. Experiment by fishing different water depths, lure depths, lure colors and boat speeds and use that information to duplicate your success in other areas of the lake. Crappie anglers should try probing the deepest areas of the lake as well (20-30 foot depths). A good place to begin your deep-water fishing is on any one of the marked FWC fish attractors on the lake. Anglers have traditionally done well while fishing right near the bottom with jigs or minnows after they find the depth contours preferred by crappie on that particular day. The post-spawn period and warming temperatures should increase largemouth bass feeding activity. Bass anglers should target bass in nearshore maidencane beds, under docks, around cypress trees, and offshore structure. Soft plastics or topwater baits around these areas should draw strikes. Anglers should try slow-trolling live golden shiners parallel to the outer grass edges or when targeting schooling bass offshore. Look for birds diving or surface commotion to find bass offshore. Approach these feeding schools with stealth, and you should be able to catch multiple fish before the action stops. Effective lures for schooling bass include shad or minnow imitators including spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and plugs. Numerous trophy bass have been caught this year. Precipitation is predicted to be above normal this spring, which may increase water levels and improve access to shoreline habitat.