We did have some pretty weather during February even though it did rain the first of the month and also at the end of the month.

It being winter, we do need the rain to help us later on during the year when it is so very hot. Most winters are not as cold as the one has been, but most time the month of February is cooler than this one has been also. We just jumped right out of winter into the latter part of spring in February. Not a person that you can talk to will tell you that they expected this. We should have had more cool weather during February. Maybe we will have a little more weather akin to winter during March, at least the first part that is still considered the winter season.

The rivers and the lake have been in right good shape lately even though we haven’t had enough rain to really stain the water. Today I traveled up 27 to Columbus, Ga., and the river was very low there in the town limits. If that keeps up it will affect our water situation down here and we will be low. Even with all that, I do believe that we will get some more rain at the end of the winter and through spring to get us back in good shape going into the late spring and summer months. If we don’t we are going to experience some very low water conditions that could prove dangerous in navigating in the lake, especially in the stumps and trees of Spring Creek and making the way into the creek.

The last weekend of February was an excellent time to go to the lake or area ponds Fish were biting. I guess there may have been a place or two that fish did not bite, but for the most part all you had to do was go to a spot that you had caught fish during this time of year and just get ready. Some spots give up more fish than do others, but that is the case anytime. The average weight of the fish, regardless of species, was good. Usually the cool water fish do average larger than when the water gets warm. If what we have seen during most of February holds true, the water is certainly going to warm and do so enough to get hot. Usually the cool water will keep fish healthier while hot water causes fish to have sore spots on them. Usually the sore spots are on the skin and not down into the meat. But who knows. I toss back most of the ones I catch and all the ones with sores on them.

February is the month to really load up on the crappie and start to load up on the bass, though that improves as the spring brings warmer weather. Usually bream and shellcracker are a little later and a little later they will bite like there is no tomorrow. But even this month along with the crappie and bass the bream and shellcracker have gotten into the mood to bite and have done so quite actively. But I know that you like catfish and fear not they have been doing their share of stretching lines also. Jackfish are also biting and will continue until it warms up. If a fish is good to eat you will most probably be able to catch a few at this time of year. And probably some that are not so very good to eat.

We mentioned last week about the deep water shellcracker that have been caught and the large size of them. This will not last much longer as soon they will all be coming shallow to bed and the sizes will be mixed together. Most likely the smaller ones will dart to a bait faster that the larger ones or maybe the larger ones let the smaller ones test the food and see if there is a hook in it. They may not be that smart, but they surely understand that they don’t ever see little Joe anymore and that he is gone forever.