Suspended particles in water absorb and radiate solar heat, making dark waters warm faster. In addition, warm southern winds usually blow toward the northern shorelines of lakes. Therefore, largemouth bass generally begin spawning first in the northern half of Greers Ferry Lake each spring. As the season progresses, the spawning season moves southward to the deeper, clearer waters. The spawn generally ends in Peter Creek at the southern end of the lake near the dam at Heber Springs. Even in a particular area, bass don’t all spawn at the same time.

“In April, the lake has some spawning bass, some post-spawn and some pre-spawn bass,” Cauley explained. “Some fish will be deep and some will be shallow. Fish hit a little bit of everything. On the northern end, I fish with Rat-L Traps, jerkbaits, jigs or Carolina rigs in the spring. Bass also hit topwaters, crankbaits and spinnerbaits.”

For spring largemouths, fish in Five Fingers, Devil’s Fork and Salt creeks or in any of the lower creeks including Vick’s Creek, Big Peter and Little Peter Creek. Also, throw a few lures into any main lake pocket on the south end of the lake south of The Narrows.

In the spring, bass use these creek channels for navigation just as people use highways. They move up the channels to the spawning flats and then use them to return to deeper water. Depending upon the season, people can intercept the fish as they stage before spawning or return to the depths after the spawn ends.

“In the spring, people need to keep up with the bass as they transition from different areas and patterns,” said Mike Wurm, professional bass angler from Hot Springs. “It’s almost a day-to-day situation. Bass go between the spawning flats and deep cover. Fish the transition areas where the water goes from deep to shallow. When bass start leaving the spawning areas, creek channel bends are a good place to intercept them. In the spring, the ends of the bends where the channel goes into the bend and out of the bend are always more productive than the middle of the bend.”

Although the lake contains some stumps and standing timber, rocks form the dominant largemouth cover. People often fish rock piles off the ends of points, especially where a point juts into a creek channel with good access to both deep and shallow water.

“Any point with shallow sloping water on one side that drops rapidly into deep water on the other side, is a high percentage point,” Dance said. “Fish instinctively use channels to migrate to feeding areas and spawning areas. A channel point combines an underwater highway that draws fish and an extended point that offers fish access to deep or shallow water.”

Sometimes, fish hold on the shallow side of a point. At other times, bass prefer the deep water, perhaps 20 to 30 feet. Cauley recommends starting shallow in the spring and then working out toward deeper water. Often, people make the mistake of only fishing a point from the deep side, throwing toward shallow water. Pulled back toward the boat floating in deep water, lures only pass through the strike zone briefly. However, if people position their boats close to points, throw toward the deeper slopes and work baits back toward the shallows, they might find better action as their lures remain in the strike zone longer.

“Establishing the right depth is the key to fishing points,” Dance said. “People could fish the best lures in the world, but if they fish in the wrong place, they won’t catch anything. A bad lure fished at the right depth will catch some fish. When I approach a point, I use a series of fan casts to establish a depth. A point with a fast drop is always going to be the most productive point.”