Day on the lake: Micah Frazier

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By the time the first of March rolls around, many bass anglers are so eager to hit the lake after a long, cold winter that they vow to go fishing “come hell or high water!” But early season deluges can create a high-water hell when the lake level jumps up overnight, flooding shorelines, coves and creek arms with cold, chocolate-colored runoff. What’s a bassin’ man to do? To get some answers, put on your rainsuit and hop aboard Elite Series pro Micah Frazier’s boat as he attempts to overcome some of bass fishing’s toughest conditions. <p> <b>6:36 a.m.</b> It’s chilly and raining as Frazier and I arrive at Lake G. The launch ramp’s courtesy dock is completely under water. “They’ve had flooding in this region, and the cold front that’s moving in could make things really tough,” Frazier says. He pulls several Abu Garcia baitcasting outfits from storage; they’re all rigged with shallow baits.
By the time the first of March rolls around, many bass anglers are so eager to hit the lake after a long, cold winter that they vow to go fishing “come hell or high water!” But early season deluges can create a high-water hell when the lake level jumps up overnight, flooding shorelines, coves and creek arms with cold, chocolate-colored runoff. What’s a bassin’ man to do? To get some answers, put on your rainsuit and hop aboard Elite Series pro Micah Frazier’s boat as he attempts to overcome some of bass fishing’s toughest conditions.

6:36 a.m. It’s chilly and raining as Frazier and I arrive at Lake G. The launch ramp’s courtesy dock is completely under water. “They’ve had flooding in this region, and the cold front that’s moving in could make things really tough,” Frazier says. He pulls several Abu Garcia baitcasting outfits from storage; they’re all rigged with shallow baits.

<b>7 HOURS LEFT</b><br> <b>7 a.m.</b> We launch the Ranger. Frazier checks the lake temp: 58 degrees. “The bass should be shallow, but when a lake rises quickly, they can scatter into hard-to-reach places — bass have been caught from flooded boat ramp parking lots! The water near the ramp is stained, not muddy, which is good. Moving baits like spinnerbaits and squarebills should work today. I doubt if the fish are spawning yet, but they could be moving up. Regardless, I’ll be fishing shallow; not knowing the lake, spending my time trying to locate deep fish wouldn’t be too wise.” <br> <b>7:12 a.m.</b> Frazier runs a mile uplake to a short tributary arm and makes his first casts of the day to flooded wood cover with a 1/2-ounce chartreuse and white War Eagle spinnerbait with a white Yum Pulse trailer. “During flood conditions, I’ve caught bass both way up in newly inundated cover and on the old waterline. Judging from the flooded docks in this tributary, I’d say the lake’s up at least 2 feet.” <br> <b>7:18 a.m.</b> Frazier switches to a black 3/8-ounce Booyah Squelcher buzzbait. “This water isn’t too cold for a buzzbait, and any fish that hits it now is likely to be big. The Squelcher has an unusual blade shape that makes a really erratic noise.” <br> <b>7:22 a.m.</b> Frazier is working his way toward the back of the creek with the white spinnerbait. “The water is already muddier back here.” <br> <b>7:28 a.m.</b> Frazier pitches a 1/2-ounce black-and-blue War Eagle jig with a matching Yum chunk trailer to a flooded bush. <br> <b>7:31 a.m.</b> A bass flashes on Frazier’s spinnerbait but doesn’t hit it. “First sign of life!” <b>7:35 a.m.</b> It’s raining harder as Frazier pitches the spinnerbait around the freshly flooded extreme upper end of the creek. “Are we having fun yet? This weather sucks!” <b>7:42 a.m.</b> Frazier retrieves a red craw Booyah One Knocker lipless crankbait across a shallow flat. “The side scan on my electronics is showing a bunch of stumps on this flat.” He reels the lure just fast enough to keep it from dragging bottom.
7 HOURS LEFT7 a.m. We launch the Ranger. Frazier checks the lake temp: 58 degrees. “The bass should be shallow, but when a lake rises quickly, they can scatter into hard-to-reach places — bass have been caught from flooded boat ramp parking lots! The water near the ramp is stained, not muddy, which is good. Moving baits like spinnerbaits and squarebills should work today. I doubt if the fish are spawning yet, but they could be moving up. Regardless, I’ll be fishing shallow; not knowing the lake, spending my time trying to locate deep fish wouldn’t be too wise.” 7:12 a.m. Frazier runs a mile uplake to a short tributary arm and makes his first casts of the day to flooded wood cover with a 1/2-ounce chartreuse and white War Eagle spinnerbait with a white Yum Pulse trailer. “During flood conditions, I’ve caught bass both way up in newly inundated cover and on the old waterline. Judging from the flooded docks in this tributary, I’d say the lake’s up at least 2 feet.” 7:18 a.m. Frazier switches to a black 3/8-ounce Booyah Squelcher buzzbait. “This water isn’t too cold for a buzzbait, and any fish that hits it now is likely to be big. The Squelcher has an unusual blade shape that makes a really erratic noise.” 7:22 a.m. Frazier is working his way toward the back of the creek with the white spinnerbait. “The water is already muddier back here.” 7:28 a.m. Frazier pitches a 1/2-ounce black-and-blue War Eagle jig with a matching Yum chunk trailer to a flooded bush. 7:31 a.m. A bass flashes on Frazier’s spinnerbait but doesn’t hit it. “First sign of life!”
7:35 a.m. It’s raining harder as Frazier pitches the spinnerbait around the freshly flooded extreme upper end of the creek. “Are we having fun yet? This weather sucks!”
7:42 a.m. Frazier retrieves a red craw Booyah One Knocker lipless crankbait across a shallow flat. “The side scan on my electronics is showing a bunch of stumps on this flat.” He reels the lure just fast enough to keep it from dragging bottom.
<b>7:44 a.m.</b> Frazier’s rod bows as a big bass slams the lipless crankbait near the boat! He races off the front deck and carefully works the lunker close enough to grab it. Frazier’s first bass of the day is a beautiful 5-pound, 2-ounce largemouth.
7:44 a.m. Frazier’s rod bows as a big bass slams the lipless crankbait near the boat! He races off the front deck and carefully works the lunker close enough to grab it. Frazier’s first bass of the day is a beautiful 5-pound, 2-ounce largemouth.
<b>7:44 a.m.</b> “Wow, what a chunk! Big fish will often hold near stumps when they first move up shallow. Hopefully, this isn’t the only one on this flat.”
7:44 a.m. “Wow, what a chunk! Big fish will often hold near stumps when they first move up shallow. Hopefully, this isn’t the only one on this flat.”
<b>7:46 a.m.</b> Frazier switches to a ­chartreuse/blue back Bandit Rackit squarebill crankbait, grinding it around the stump flat. <br> <b>7:49 a.m.</b> He tries a homemade 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white vibrating jig with a white Pulse trailer on the flat.
7:46 a.m. Frazier switches to a ­chartreuse/blue back Bandit Rackit squarebill crankbait, grinding it around the stump flat. 7:49 a.m. He tries a homemade 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white vibrating jig with a white Pulse trailer on the flat.
<b>6 HOURS LEFT</b><br> <b>8 a.m.</b> Frazier moves to a steep ­tributary bank and casts the spinnerbait, buzzbait and bladed jig around flooded wood cover. <br> <b>8:15 a.m.</b> Frazier casts the One Knocker to the middle of the creek arm. “There’s a hump out there with some scattered stumps on it.” <br> <b>8:22 a.m.</b> He slow rolls a white 1/2-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait across a submerged log at the mouth of the tributary and gets a short strike. <br> <b>8:24 a.m.</b> Back to the buzzbait. No takers on it yet. <br> <b>8:26 a.m.</b> Frazier drops his Power-Poles and pitches the jig into a flooded tree branch. <b>8:34 a.m.</b> Frazier runs to the extreme upper end of the lake, where muddy water is gushing in via a flooded creek. He casts the chartreuse and white spinnerbait around the flooded backwater. “I’d feel better about this spot if the runoff were warmer than the lake water, but it’s all the same temperature.” <br> <b>8:40 a.m.</b> Frazier gets a hellacious strike on the bladed jig, but it turns out to be a 10-pound channel catfish! He releases the cat. “That slimy sucker knocked 3 feet of slack in my line!” <br> <b>8:51 a.m.</b> Frazier is alternating between the bladed jig and lipless crankbait without success. “This water’s totally trashed up here. I don’t like cold, fresh, inflowing mud.” <p> <b>5 HOURS LEFT</b><br> <b>9 a.m.</b> It’s still pouring rain. Frazier has speed trolled 100 yards downlake to a flooded bank with slightly clearer water. He casts the chartreuse and white spinnerbait to a laydown and catches keeper No. 2, 1 pound, 8 ounces. “Like that big fish, this one hit pretty close to the boat. They seem to be following the lure out from cover.” <br> <b>9:16 a.m.</b> Frazier idles to a channel bank to try the chartreuse and white spinnerbait and the bladed jig. “They’ll use a steep bank like this when moving from deep to shallow water.” <br> <b>9:25 a.m.</b> Frazier runs straight across the lake to hit a series of shallow “pockets” (shoreline indentations) with his lure arsenal. “The lake’s rising way back into the woods. The bass could be anywhere.” <br> <b>9:36 a.m.</b> Frazier combs a flooded fence with the white spinnerbait but hauls water. “Come on, bass, you’re supposed to be holding tight to cover!” <br> <b>9:48 a.m.</b> Frazier casts the bladed jig to a flooded duck blind on a shallow point. The rain has let up some, but the wind has picked up and it’s noticeably colder. “I need to put five fish in the boat fast! It’ll get even tougher once that cold front blows through.” <p> <b>4 HOURS LEFT</b><br> <b>10 a.m.</b> A fish taps the white spinnerbait near a submerged tree but doesn’t hook up. <br> <b>10:10 a.m.</b> The rain has stopped. Frazier makes a high-speed run down lake to a small island, where he casts the chartreuse and white spinnerbait to a tangle of flooded branches.
6 HOURS LEFT8 a.m. Frazier moves to a steep ­tributary bank and casts the spinnerbait, buzzbait and bladed jig around flooded wood cover. 8:15 a.m. Frazier casts the One Knocker to the middle of the creek arm. “There’s a hump out there with some scattered stumps on it.” 8:22 a.m. He slow rolls a white 1/2-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait across a submerged log at the mouth of the tributary and gets a short strike. 8:24 a.m. Back to the buzzbait. No takers on it yet. 8:26 a.m. Frazier drops his Power-Poles and pitches the jig into a flooded tree branch.
8:34 a.m. Frazier runs to the extreme upper end of the lake, where muddy water is gushing in via a flooded creek. He casts the chartreuse and white spinnerbait around the flooded backwater. “I’d feel better about this spot if the runoff were warmer than the lake water, but it’s all the same temperature.” 8:40 a.m. Frazier gets a hellacious strike on the bladed jig, but it turns out to be a 10-pound channel catfish! He releases the cat. “That slimy sucker knocked 3 feet of slack in my line!” 8:51 a.m. Frazier is alternating between the bladed jig and lipless crankbait without success. “This water’s totally trashed up here. I don’t like cold, fresh, inflowing mud.”

5 HOURS LEFT9 a.m. It’s still pouring rain. Frazier has speed trolled 100 yards downlake to a flooded bank with slightly clearer water. He casts the chartreuse and white spinnerbait to a laydown and catches keeper No. 2, 1 pound, 8 ounces. “Like that big fish, this one hit pretty close to the boat. They seem to be following the lure out from cover.” 9:16 a.m. Frazier idles to a channel bank to try the chartreuse and white spinnerbait and the bladed jig. “They’ll use a steep bank like this when moving from deep to shallow water.” 9:25 a.m. Frazier runs straight across the lake to hit a series of shallow “pockets” (shoreline indentations) with his lure arsenal. “The lake’s rising way back into the woods. The bass could be anywhere.” 9:36 a.m. Frazier combs a flooded fence with the white spinnerbait but hauls water. “Come on, bass, you’re supposed to be holding tight to cover!” 9:48 a.m. Frazier casts the bladed jig to a flooded duck blind on a shallow point. The rain has let up some, but the wind has picked up and it’s noticeably colder. “I need to put five fish in the boat fast! It’ll get even tougher once that cold front blows through.”

4 HOURS LEFT10 a.m. A fish taps the white spinnerbait near a submerged tree but doesn’t hook up. 10:10 a.m. The rain has stopped. Frazier makes a high-speed run down lake to a small island, where he casts the chartreuse and white spinnerbait to a tangle of flooded branches.

<b>10:12 a.m.</b> Frazier bags his third keeper, 2 pounds, 4 ounces, on the spinnerbait. “It was sitting right at the end of a flooded branch.” <br> <b>10:17 a.m.</b> Frazier moves into a nearby cove and casts the bladed jig around wood cover. What’s his take on the day so far? “With the lake as high as it is, these fish could be anywhere. My safest plan is to just keep covering shallow water with the lures I’ve been using. I’ll definitely re-fish that creek arm where I caught the 5-pounder before my time’s up.”
10:12 a.m. Frazier bags his third keeper, 2 pounds, 4 ounces, on the spinnerbait. “It was sitting right at the end of a flooded branch.” 10:17 a.m. Frazier moves into a nearby cove and casts the bladed jig around wood cover. What’s his take on the day so far? “With the lake as high as it is, these fish could be anywhere. My safest plan is to just keep covering shallow water with the lures I’ve been using. I’ll definitely re-fish that creek arm where I caught the 5-pounder before my time’s up.”
<b>10:25 a.m.</b> Frazier catches his fourth keeper, 1 pound, 5 ounces, on the bladed jig. “This guy hit way off the bank.” <br> <b>10:32 a.m.</b> Frazier runs the buzzbait across a series of laydown trees. <br> <b>10:44 a.m.</b> He pitches the jig to a submerged log. <br> <b>10:48 a.m.</b> Frazier casts the bladed jig around another flooded island. <br> <b>10:55 a.m.</b> Frazier makes a short hop back to the island where he caught his third keeper and fishes the opposite side with the bladed jig. <p> <b>3 HOURS LEFT</b><br> <b>11:03 a.m.</b> A bass taps the bladed jig. “Small fish.” <br> <b>11:13 a.m.</b> Frazier idles into another nearby cove and quickly hits several docks with the bladed jig. “Some guys love to fish docks. I’m not one of them.” <br> <b>11:20 a.m.</b> Frazier casts the bladed jig to a rock bank. “You’d think they’d be on these rocks, but there’s absolutely no pattern to these fish. It’s one here and one there. Fast-rising water can destabilize everything.”
10:25 a.m. Frazier catches his fourth keeper, 1 pound, 5 ounces, on the bladed jig. “This guy hit way off the bank.” 10:32 a.m. Frazier runs the buzzbait across a series of laydown trees. 10:44 a.m. He pitches the jig to a submerged log. 10:48 a.m. Frazier casts the bladed jig around another flooded island. 10:55 a.m. Frazier makes a short hop back to the island where he caught his third keeper and fishes the opposite side with the bladed jig.

3 HOURS LEFT11:03 a.m. A bass taps the bladed jig. “Small fish.” 11:13 a.m. Frazier idles into another nearby cove and quickly hits several docks with the bladed jig. “Some guys love to fish docks. I’m not one of them.” 11:20 a.m. Frazier casts the bladed jig to a rock bank. “You’d think they’d be on these rocks, but there’s absolutely no pattern to these fish. It’s one here and one there. Fast-rising water can destabilize everything.”

<b>11:36 a.m.</b> Frazier runs to a steep channel bank and chunks the white spinnerbait around a flooded dock. <p> <b>2 HOURS LEFT</b><br> <b>Noon.</b> Frazier has run back uplake to the creek arm where he caught his 5-2. He combs the flat where he hooked the lunker with the lipless crankbait. <br> <b>12:08 p.m.</b> He drops his Power-Poles and drags the jig across the flat. <br> <b>12:14 p.m.</b> The sun momentarily pops through the thick cloud cover. “That sun feels great, but it’s not going to warm things up today.” He tries the squarebill on the flat, but the structure refuses to give up another fish. <br> <b>12:26 p.m.</b> Frazier moves to a clay point at the mouth of the cove and catches his fifth keeper, 2 pounds, 1 ounce, on a chartreuse/blue back Bandit 200 crankbait. “Like I said, there’s no pattern to these fish!” <br> <b>12:47 p.m.</b> The point doesn’t pay off with any more bass, so Frazier runs to another creek arm, where he tries the lipless crankbait and bladed jig. The air temp is dropping rapidly. <br> <b>12:50 p.m.</b> A black cloud looms overhead and it’s raining again as Frazier combs a flooded bank with the bladed jig. <p> <b>1 HOUR LEFT</b><br> <b>1 p.m.</b> Frazier runs a 1/2-mile downlake to a submerged rockpile, which he cranks with the Bandit 200. “They obviously haven’t read that Bassmaster article that said bass should be on rock in 57-degree water.” <br> <b>1:13 p.m.</b> Frazier runs farther downlake to a flooded cove and probes a jumble of laydown wood with the buzzbait, 3/8-ounce spinnerbait and bladed jig. “This should be a prime spawning spot if the water ever stabilizes.” <br> <b>1:18 p.m.</b> Frazier combs the back of the cove with the lipless crank. “There are some huge stumps back here but no bass.” <br> <b>1:21 p.m.</b> Frazier heads out of the cove along the opposite bank while casting the bladed jig to flooded bushes. <br> <b>1:27 p.m.</b> The skies are clearing as Frazier cranks the bladed jig across the point at the cove’s mouth.
11:36 a.m. Frazier runs to a steep channel bank and chunks the white spinnerbait around a flooded dock.

2 HOURS LEFTNoon. Frazier has run back uplake to the creek arm where he caught his 5-2. He combs the flat where he hooked the lunker with the lipless crankbait. 12:08 p.m. He drops his Power-Poles and drags the jig across the flat. 12:14 p.m. The sun momentarily pops through the thick cloud cover. “That sun feels great, but it’s not going to warm things up today.” He tries the squarebill on the flat, but the structure refuses to give up another fish. 12:26 p.m. Frazier moves to a clay point at the mouth of the cove and catches his fifth keeper, 2 pounds, 1 ounce, on a chartreuse/blue back Bandit 200 crankbait. “Like I said, there’s no pattern to these fish!” 12:47 p.m. The point doesn’t pay off with any more bass, so Frazier runs to another creek arm, where he tries the lipless crankbait and bladed jig. The air temp is dropping rapidly. 12:50 p.m. A black cloud looms overhead and it’s raining again as Frazier combs a flooded bank with the bladed jig.

1 HOUR LEFT1 p.m. Frazier runs a 1/2-mile downlake to a submerged rockpile, which he cranks with the Bandit 200. “They obviously haven’t read that Bassmaster article that said bass should be on rock in 57-degree water.” 1:13 p.m. Frazier runs farther downlake to a flooded cove and probes a jumble of laydown wood with the buzzbait, 3/8-ounce spinnerbait and bladed jig. “This should be a prime spawning spot if the water ever stabilizes.” 1:18 p.m. Frazier combs the back of the cove with the lipless crank. “There are some huge stumps back here but no bass.” 1:21 p.m. Frazier heads out of the cove along the opposite bank while casting the bladed jig to flooded bushes. 1:27 p.m. The skies are clearing as Frazier cranks the bladed jig across the point at the cove’s mouth.

<b>1:33 p.m.</b> Frazier rockets to Lake G’s dam, where he cranks the Bandit 200 around riprap. A snake pokes its head out from between two rocks. “Yikes, when the snakes start showing up, it’s time for me to leave!” <br> <b>1:42 p.m.</b> The dam proves unproductive. Frazier casts the bladed jig around a secondary point and catches a small yellow bass (panfish). <br> <b>2 p.m.</b> Back to the boat ramp. High water has made for a slow bite on Lake G, but Frazier has managed to catch a five-bass limit weighing a respectable 12 pounds, 4 ounces. <p> <b>THE DAY IN PERSPECTIVE</b><br> “That 5-2 I caught first thing this morning is looking giant right about now!” Frazier told Bassmaster. “The fast-rising flood water has destabilized this lake, and the cold front that moved in this afternoon will likely keep the fish knocked out of commission for several days. If I were to fish here tomorrow, I’d expect the water in the upper end to be even muddier than it was today, so I might try hitting some points in the slightly clearer lower end with a deep-diving crankbait or jig.” <p> <b>WHERE AND WHEN MICAH FRAZIER CAUGHT HIS FIVE KEEPER BASS</b><br> 5 pounds, 2 ounces; shallow flat; red craw Booyah One Knocker lipless crankbait; 7:44 a.m.<br> 1 pound, 8 ounces; 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white War Eagle spinnerbait; main-lake bank with flooded wood cover; 9 a.m. <br> 2 pounds, 4 ounces; same lure as No. 2; flooded tree branch; 10:12 a.m. <br> 1 pound, 5 ounces; 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white homemade bladed jig with white Yum Pulse trailer; open water in cove; 10:25 a.m. <br> 2 pounds, 1 ounce; chartreuse/blue back Bandit 200 crankbait; point at mouth of tributary arm; 12:26 p.m. <br> TOTAL: 12 POUNDS, 4 OUNCES
1:33 p.m. Frazier rockets to Lake G’s dam, where he cranks the Bandit 200 around riprap. A snake pokes its head out from between two rocks. “Yikes, when the snakes start showing up, it’s time for me to leave!” 1:42 p.m. The dam proves unproductive. Frazier casts the bladed jig around a secondary point and catches a small yellow bass (panfish). 2 p.m. Back to the boat ramp. High water has made for a slow bite on Lake G, but Frazier has managed to catch a five-bass limit weighing a respectable 12 pounds, 4 ounces.

THE DAY IN PERSPECTIVE
“That 5-2 I caught first thing this morning is looking giant right about now!” Frazier told Bassmaster. “The fast-rising flood water has destabilized this lake, and the cold front that moved in this afternoon will likely keep the fish knocked out of commission for several days. If I were to fish here tomorrow, I’d expect the water in the upper end to be even muddier than it was today, so I might try hitting some points in the slightly clearer lower end with a deep-diving crankbait or jig.”

WHERE AND WHEN MICAH FRAZIER CAUGHT HIS FIVE KEEPER BASS
5 pounds, 2 ounces; shallow flat; red craw Booyah One Knocker lipless crankbait; 7:44 a.m.
1 pound, 8 ounces; 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white War Eagle spinnerbait; main-lake bank with flooded wood cover; 9 a.m.
2 pounds, 4 ounces; same lure as No. 2; flooded tree branch; 10:12 a.m.
1 pound, 5 ounces; 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white homemade bladed jig with white Yum Pulse trailer; open water in cove; 10:25 a.m.
2 pounds, 1 ounce; chartreuse/blue back Bandit 200 crankbait; point at mouth of tributary arm; 12:26 p.m.
TOTAL: 12 POUNDS, 4 OUNCES