Early sight-fishing with Cook

The March moon can mean only one thing: Bass are sure to be on the beds somewhere, and that’s exactly how Day 1 leader Drew Cook caught his monster bag weighing nearly 32 pounds yesterday. Can he repeat that sight-fishing success today? Follow along to see how his morning fared.

Cook blasted off the main lake about 7:45 a.m., heading for his starting spot in a clear pocket that was far from a secret among Elite anglers.

Cook eased into position on a shallow spawning flat with water that was beautifully clear and prime for sight-fishing. Photo by Craig Lamb

Photo by Craig Lamb

The Elite angler quickly began working a bed tucked into the lilies.

A push pole allowed Cook to ease closer to the bed to get a better look.

Likewise, stepping onto his electronics mounts provided more height and a better vantage point.

Then it was a matter of agitating the bass into biting. That proved to be more difficult early than Cook expected. “The female was by itself, so it should have been (a snap),” he said. “I don’t know why it wouldn’t bite.”

Cook moved to another bed that provided the same challenge, so he soon was easing back into position and pitching a bait to the first bed.

This time, the buck ate fairly quickly and Cook was soon flipping it into the boat.

That put his first bass of the day, a 2-6, into his livewell.

Cook put his bait right back in the bed, hoping the female would decide to play.

It didn’t take long for Cook to set the hook, and the fight was on to put his first big bass of the day in the boat.

That bass weighed in at 7 pounds on the nose, and called for a little celebration for BASS Live.

Cook then repositioned to another bed farther back into the cove, where he had seen a good fish earlier.

It was like a light switch had been flipped, with this bass also willing to quickly grab Cook’s bait. The bass added another 4 pounds to Cook’s Day 2 bag. Just like that, the angler had a nice foundation of about 14 pounds.

After looking through the cove for other bedding bass, Cook decided to move over one cove to a bed he marked on Day 1. “I’m going to go over to that bed I saw the 6-pounder on yesterday,” he said.

The 6-pounder was gone, but Cook located a bed with a decent fish on which he set up as spectators watched.

And soon a 3-pounder was swinging over the gunnel, making his fourth fish in the livewell.