# 2018 Big bass tourney Lake Conroe this Fri-Sat-Sun



## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

Who's fishing this weekend??? I will be fishing with my cousin for the first time in a long time! The BigBassTour interviewed Keith Combs earlier last week and below is his thoughts on how to fish. I feel like his mind would be changed a bit after the cold rains, overcast skies this week, and a front coming Thurs night or Fri morning. Temp at the dam is 56.1 this morning. I feel like most fish are still pre-spawn just looking at water temps the past couple weeks (but have not tested myself). What are your thoughts???

-----Think Shallow for BBT Success at Conroe
By Pete Robbins

The upcoming Lake Conroe stop of the 2018 Big Bass Tour has big shoes to fill. The seasonâ€™s first event, on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida, produced three fish over 10 pounds, including a 10.80 pound giant. But even if the tour hadnâ€™t made its way to the Sunshine State first, Texas would have to live up to its own great example â€“ last yearâ€™s Conroe event produced four fish over 10 pounds, as Wayne Whiteheadâ€™s 10.53 edged out Colby Weberâ€™s 10.52 by less than the weight of a single shad.

The weather is predicted to be warm in the days leading up to this yearâ€™s three day tournament, and while the temperatures in the 70s will be accompanied by overcast conditions, Texas pro Keith Combs said that wonâ€™t in any way stem the massive movement of big Conroe bass to the shallows.

â€œTheyâ€™ll be spawning,â€ he said. â€œAnd if not, theyâ€™ll be very, very close to where theyâ€™re going to spawn. A guy needs to think shallow.â€ With three TTBC wins and an Elite Series victory in Texas, along with multiple other trophies earned in the Lone Star State, heâ€™s a big bass specialist and has the mentality to hunt big fish rather than seek out numbers. Thatâ€™s important, because last year it took a 5 pound or better fish to claim a check in all but four of the hourly competitions, and in one hour it took a 5.89 pounder to get paid.

Combs is known best for his deep water prowess, so the fact that heâ€™d be looking in the skinny water is a telling fact, and he noted that â€œthey will get in the dirt on Conroe.â€ Even when structure fishing, on rocks or roadbeds, heâ€™d look in the 4 to 6 foot range rather than deeper.

â€œIt has been a pretty cold winter for southeast Texas, but that broke off about a month ago,â€ he explained. â€œThere have been a couple of fronts but those fish want to spawn.â€

At just over 20,000 acres, Conroe is not a big lake, and Combs said it has â€œbig fish from one end to the other,â€ but heâ€™d focus on the upper end of it, just because it has more of the spawning habitat that he prefers. He expects that section of Conroe to be crowded, as will the backs of the major downlake and midlake creeks with ample wood cover. â€œItâ€™s easy to pick out the stuff that is going to produce,â€ he said, but that wouldnâ€™t deter him from fishing in a crowd. Instead, heâ€™d just make an effort to slow down and dissect the best pieces of cover and key ambush points. 

Heâ€™d head out with three main categories of lures on the deck of his boat, ready to pick off big fish whether they were still en route to their spawning grounds or had already arrived.

The first would be a citrus shad Strike King KVD 2.5 square bill crankbait. Heâ€™d fish that on rocks like bridge pilings and on the edges of road beds.

The second would be a Carolina rigged green pumpkin or junebug Strike King Game Hawg. Heâ€™d throw that on flat points leading up into the spawning grounds.

Finally, heâ€™d tie on a green pumpkin Magnum Caffeine Shad, rigged weightless, to deadstick around visible brush like willows in 2 to 4 feet of water. 

Those three choices would help him dial in the bite, although he said itâ€™s possible that an angler could also do well fishing a craw colored Red Eye Shad in the middle of pockets and around Conroeâ€™s many docks.

The key, he said, may not be any single bait as much as keeping your back to the main lake, constantly facing the bank.

â€œThere will be some big ones caught,â€ he said. â€œThink shallow.â€


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## Ducktracker (Aug 1, 2011)

Canâ€™t help you but Good luck and have fun. Give us a report on how you do.


Good fishing to all!


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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

Thanks Ducktracker! I will sure give y'all a report next week!


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Good luck Tpool
But WOW that puts a lot of boats on the lake. What launch will they be using.
I will try not to get run over!


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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

Gofish2day said:


> Good luck Tpool
> But WOW that puts a lot of boats on the lake. What launch will they be using.
> I will try not to get run over!


Thanks Gofish2day! All ramps are open to launch for the tournament, and can get to a spot at any time, but first cast is at safe light (prob around 6:30am) and last cast at 3pm. Weigh-in is at Papa's on the Lake. So will be a busy lake Fri, Sat, and Sun!!! I am only fishing 2 days (Fri and Sat)..

Thanks,
T-BONE
(tpool)


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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

Well, we bombed today on the money fish... We caught 10 bass (not bad on quantity), but we only weighed a 3.85lb fish... Not big enough to get a check... However, it took a 5lb'er to get into 10th place money every hour but one! A lot of big fish hit the scales. An 11.32 leads the tournament! We will change it all up tomorrow and look for a handful of bites with big baits only! Will let you know how we do! 

T-Bone
(tpool)


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## Ducktracker (Aug 1, 2011)

Good luck! Get the big one


Good fishing to all!


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

10 Bass on Conroe is doing well.


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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

Thanks guys... Saturday we threw all giant baits until noon, then went small because of the boat pressure. Only caught 4 all day, with none bigger than 2.5lbs... Oh well! Conroe DID produce 6 fish over 10lbs, with the winner at 11.92lbs! It took a 9.48lb fish to crack the top 10! Maybe next year!!!!


T-BONE
(tpool)


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## Ducktracker (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks for Report you will get em next time


Good fishing to all!


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## JrBass (Mar 11, 2013)

We fished I think every kind of structure we could and didnâ€™t produce anything over 3lbs. Iâ€™m assuming they were deeper...


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## katjim00 (Jan 8, 2009)

A guy I know stuck one just over 9.5 pounds. It was a money fish.


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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

I hear you JrBass! We DID spend a total of 3hrs in 2 days deep - still nothing. The one thing we didn't do is fish ultra shallow (water temps ranged from 60 to 65 degrees... was too cold in my mind, but I think a lot of the big ones came from that very water!)... Dang katjim00 - nice fish your buddy caught! Did he say she was spawning or not?

Thanks,
T-BONE
(tpool)


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## SD Hawkins (Jan 2, 2008)

We have a club tourney there this weekend, hope we find some of those. 16in min on conroe right


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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

Yes SD! Good luck! Let us know how you do!!


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## Wedge (Apr 29, 2005)

*Money fish*

My partner weighed a 7.59 for an hourly third on Friday. We fished hard for ten fish. I couldn't Sat and Sun but he did. No money either day.


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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

Awesome Wedge! Did the big girl come from the shallows?

T-BONE
(tpool)


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## katjim00 (Jan 8, 2009)

tpool said:


> Dang katjim00 - nice fish your buddy caught! Did he say she was spawning or not?
> 
> Thanks,
> T-BONE
> (tpool)


Nope but he is a douche so that is why he is a guy I know not a friend I know


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## sewelljx (Jul 27, 2015)

katjim00 said:


> Nope but he is a douche so that is why he is a guy I know not a friend I know


Loling

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## tpool (Aug 21, 2005)

katjim00 said:


> Nope but he is a douche so that is why he is a guy I know not a friend I know


Hahahahaha!

I never mind sharing cover, structure, depth AFTER tournament is over...


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