Quality will be key on Columbus Pool
COLUMBUS, Miss. — To win any tournament, an angler needs quality bites. That will be especially true for Sunday’s Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Mississippi Division event on the Columbus Pool of the Mississippi River. Because catching quantity should be no problem, but finding kickers might be a test.
What to expect
As is the case with just about any river, water level dictates everything. And the water level on the Columbus Pool has certainly been throwing things out of whack, both recently and in years past.
From 2019-2021 the pool saw massive flooding. That made for three straight years of poor spawns, and while the past few years have been better in that regard, there’s still a significant gap in the quality of the fish.
“We have a ton of fish in that 10- to 13-inch range right now,” said former Bass Pro Tour pro Mitch Crane. “So, everyone is going to get bit a lot in this event. It’s just can you catch keepers, because that’s not a guarantee.”
Crane said it won’t just be catching keepers that will be key but patterning the fish in the 2.5-pound range. If an angler can do that, it’ll be about getting one good bite.
“You’ll need one big bite, and you’ll need to land it,” Crane said. “The problem is, it may be random where a pro gets it.”
That brings us to the recent water levels, which Crane said have been a roller coaster this spring and early summer.
While the fish are firmly postspawn and wanting to transition to summer patterns, recent high water has had them hanging shallower than normal in vegetation like they would in the spring. But as soon as the water gets back to normal levels, it’ll be back out to the main river on points, current breaks and wood cover. And it can happen fast.
“You’ll have to watch the levels a lot, because a pro may do well early in shallow vegetation but then have to move out to the main river later in the day,” Crane said. “They’ll have to adapt a lot, and there won’t be much margin for error.”
Baits to bring
Anytime Crane ventures out on the Columbus Pool, he almost always has the same three or four lures on his deck.
“A topwater like a buzzbait or frog, and then a swim jig and a vibrating jig,” Crane said.
Those should be the staples for this event, too. But if the water is back at normal levels, he expects a shaky head to play a lot, as well as another tool.
“I think a crankbait will be a big player – running it into things and banging it off wood to get those reaction bites,” Crane said.
What will it take?
Temperamental water levels make this event hard to predict for weights in Crane’s opinion.
If the water comes up even farther into the vegetation, he could easily see someone bring in 15 to 16 pounds for the win. But if it’s at normal pool, he figures 13 pounds will be strong, with 14 taking the win.
“It all depends on the levels right now and watching them,” Crane said. “And then getting that one big bite and making it count.”
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