February is the time of year that bass fishing really begins to kick off.

Over the next few months almost every bass in the lake will move into water that is 7 feet deep or less.  The sows will be full of eggs, causing them to weigh more.  This is one of the prime times to catch a lunker.

There are several methods that are successful this time of year. The various cold fronts, moon phases, water temperatures, and water levels will all come into play when it comes to catching springtime bass.

Below are a few methods and baits that have worked for me in the past:

1. Texas rigged plastic lizards
This is the time of year that bass seem to hate lizards or salamanders. They must see them as a threat.

When a bass is on a bed, she will not tolerate the presence of these creatures.  Simply rig a lizard Texas style and fish it 5 feet or less of water.  Throw it out and slowly hop it off of the bottom until you feel a gentle tug, thump, or see the line move, then reel down to feel pressure and set the hook.

2. Weightless Senko or creature bait
These are rigged weedless and fished in shallow water as well.  There is something about the free falling, slowly sinking bait that often triggers a strike.  Watermelon red is a favorite color of mine, and I have caught some Minter’s fishing these around brush and in grass.

3. Jig with a trailer
This is simply a 1/2 or greater rubber jig with a crawfish type trailer.  This bait does will while being flipped into heavy cover.

With all of the recent flooding at our local reservoirs, rest assure big bass will be in the flooded trees.  Willow trees, sweet gum trees, and buck brush will all have bass in and around them.  Flip your jig into the heaviest of cover and hang on.

This is a fun way to catch big bass.  Make sure to use a heavy action pole and 65-pound braid to pull the giants out.

4. Rattle trap in Rayburn Red
A rattle trap ripped through the hydrilla or fished just outside of the cover is often a heat way to catch bass stacked up and staging in the pre-spawn. Focus on the drains leading to the back of the coves, as well as any underwater humps or ditches near shallow spawning areas.

5. Carolina rigged soft plastics
This is a tried and true standard for many bass anglers.  This will often catch fish when nothing else will. It can be fished deep or shallow. Here again, focusing on drains and creeks near bedding areas can be great, as can points and underwater grass.

Each of these tactics can be great this time of year, but none will work every day so be flexible.  If one method doesn’t work, be prepared to try something else.

For more advice on how to fish these various methods, check out the Internet. YouTube has countless videos available that will teach you all that you need to know.

May God bless you and I hope you catch a big one!

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Brian Johnson, originally of Port Neches, is pastor of First Baptist Church of Winnie, owner of DuckDogTrainer.com and outdoors writer for The News.