Page 48 - ODUMar-Apr2019

Bottom composition isn't critical, he notes. "It doesn't matter whether it's mud, gravel or boulders," he

says. "Depth is most important, and that it's a prominent point."

Light conditions are likewise key. "Sunny skies and calm seas won't cut it," Keefe cautions. "This is
totally a low-light, heavy overcast or windy-weather pattern. Such conditions cause trout to move
surprisingly shallow. Even trophy lake trout will cruise into a few feet of water to grab an easy meal."

The top of the point is where the action's at. Keefe casts a midsize minnowbait like a Berkley Cutter 110
into the strike zone and fishes it with an erratic retrieve.

"A combination of twitches, pauses and pulls usually trips their trigger," he says. "Experiment to
determine the right cadence. But in general, keep it slow if the water temperature is less than 40
degrees, and speed things up once it's over 50."

Cove Mouths

As the sun rises on a clear day, trout slide out of the shallows. Keefe turns his attention to deeper
hangouts, like 15- to 30-foot depths in front of small bays and coves.

"Bottom content isn't important here, either, except that trout tend to
scatter on mud bottoms, and in really rocky areas they look for flat gravel
patches to lay on," he says. "They're like us in that regard, because most
people would rather have a soft mattress than a bed of nails."

Trout may be in resting mode, but they still bite. Keefe casts swimbaits like a
Berkley Jerk Shad or Power Minnow rigged on a 1/8- to ¼-ounce jighead.
"Cast out, let the jig fall to bottom, then experiment with different retrieves
until you get bit," he says. "Dragging, hopping and swimming all have their moments, and the fish will
let you know the best approach for the conditions at hand."

While casting, he keeps an eye on his Lowrance sonar. "If I mark a fish, it will often bite if I can get a jig

down to it in a hurry," he says.

Inlets
Incoming tributaries are fonts of life in the spring. "Trout and baitfish move into them to spawn," says
Keefe. "Other trout move in to feed on the eggs, and large trout like trophy
lakers come in to eat other fish. You basically have the whole food chain in
there."

When targeting eater-size rainbows, Keefe rigs a worm or artificial Power Bait
on a small jig or split-shot rig and drifts it through the shallows with the
current, either in the creek or where the inflow enters the lake. "If you want
suckers, try anchoring a worm in place with a heavier sinker," he suggests.
"Suckers won't chase a drifting bait."

For larger trout, he backs out into the lake and casts deeper water.