The major transition period for largemouth bass and sac-a-lait is from winter to spring. This transition period is taking place right now.

The bass and perch hang around deep structure most of the winter depending on the water temperature and the lake you are fishing.

Deep water on some lakes could be as shallow as 10 feet while deep water on other area lakes could be as deep as 25 feet or even 35 feet.

This transition period is called the pre-spawn. Pre spawn can be great, and it can also be a tough time to catch fish.

If you can catch a weekend with low barometric pressure, clouds and warming water, which occurs just ahead of, or during, the passage of a cold front, and the fish will be very active and shallow.

If you happen to be on the water just after a cold front passes when the air pressure rises the fish are not as active but still catchable. You just have to slow your presentation down.

We had a “false” pre-spawn during the last week of January.

Surface water temperatures rose to an unseasonable high of 60 to 61 degrees. This spurred some fish activity in the shallows mostly from male bass and male white perch.

As we moved into February, cold fronts along with a lot of rain lowered the water temperature. This kept the female bass and perch from moving up.

Of course, there are many exceptions to the facts you read in the fishing magazines. There are always fish in shallow water and for the most part there are always fish in deep water.

It’s the catchable fish we target and for the next several months fishing thin water will be the key to having a great day and winning a bass tournament if you are a tournament angler.

Lake Bruin continues to be the top producer this month of largemouth bass with Lake St. John coming in a close second. Lake Concordia’s bass should move into the north flats, shallow pockets and coves any day now.

Lake Concordia had a low water problem since early spring of last year. It is full now, but it is running out fast. Hopefully the outflow will stop at a decent level, and we’ll have a good spawn on Concordia.

Lake St. John’s level is a foot above normal, and it’s flowing out too, but they usually shut the weir off before it gets too low.

Hopefully the rains will continue, and we can get through the spawn with a good water level.

Lake Bruin’s water level is perfect. They repaired the weir gates and all is well on Lake Bruin.

A lot of heavy weight bass are coming off Bruin. That’s where we were Thursday fishing with the Hawg Hunters Bass Club.

I will have the results from all the club events in next week’s column.

I know of five different clubs that fished Saturday. Only one club canceled due to rain in the forecast.

Rain makes it a bit tough on the fishermen that don’t have the right rain gear, but it sure makes it easier to catch a lot of fish and some big fish.

A pretty day is not the best time to catch bass and perch. This coming weekend we’ll be running the Legend Boat booth in the world’s largest tackle and boat show, the BASSMASTERS Classic Show in Shreveport.

The last time the Classic came to the Red River more than 130,000 people visited the show. It’s a great show.

You can see all the latest and greatest in tackle and boats and watch the weigh in as the world’s top bass pros compete for the $100,000 first prize.

If you’re coming to the show stop by and visit us.