Lake Hodges opened for the season on February 7, drawing a big crowd despite low water and murky conditions.

Bass have been sticking close to the shoreline, and some quality fish are already being caught. 4+ pounders have been common, and one angler landed a 10+ pounder last week. Crankbaits and rattletraps have been getting bites, especially when worked close to shore along shallow structure. Jigs have also been producing... green pumpkin and red trailers.

The crappie bite has been quite good for some, and catfish are biting as well. WONews reports one angler landed a 51-pound cat last week.

The lake is extremely low, sitting around 14% capacity, and some channels are barely 4-5 feet deep. While it makes boat navigation tricky, it also exposes more structure, giving anglers a clear view of points, rock piles, and drop-offs that will hold fish later in the season.

The lake is only open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, except for the third Wednesday of the month when it’s closed. Fishing should only improve as water temps rise and fish settle into more predictable patterns.

The bass at Hodges are getting more aggressive as cooler nights drop the water temps. Soft plastic worms are working well in 10-20 feet of water, but anglers are also landing solid 3-4 pounders on square-bill crankbaits, chatterbaits, and jerkbaits in the shallows. With warmer days ahead, water temps should level off, keeping the reaction bite going for another couple of weeks.