The unpredictable water levels in Cecil Harden are a problem for many anglers. Lemley has heard the complaints about the tough fishing due to the high water that has flooded the lake during the last couple of years; but, in his opinion, high water is a good thing. After all, high water will ultimately contribute to good bass recruitment and the survival of bass fry. The bass will spawn far up into the coves when the water is deep and the flooded vegetation provides both food and spawn for the young bass. As the water recedes, good numbers of smaller bass will join the larger fish in the main reservoir.

There are some big fish in the reservoir and they can be found, said Lemley. The 16-inch minimum length limit supports the good sizes of fish and anglers' preference for catch-and-release virtually guarantees an excellent fishery.

Bass locations in Cecil Harden depend on the water level in the early spring. Bass will nest over soft, sandy substrate and fan out a nest in just a few feet of water in coves or in other shallow water with appropriate lake bottom. If the lake is flooded, the locations will be different than when it's low.

The best advice is to check shallow water along the shoreline rather than looking at specific locations since the bass will adjust to conditions. The spawning bass will follow the depth changes. If you can find the right combination of depth, lake bottom and out-of-the-current conditions, you'll up the odds of finding the lunkers.

Look in the shallows along shoreline cover, in the backs of bays and in areas with some protection from wave and wind action. Spring hotspots are back in the coves, around stumps, boat docks and fallen shoreline trees, on shallow points and near the boat ramps.

Spawning bass will use the bay where county Route 1010E crosses the lake west of U.S. Route 36. The bay is long and thin with water approaching 20 feet deep, but it has shallows that are protected from the wind and wave action during stable water levels. The bass spawn usually begins in late April, lasts throughout May and sometimes into early June.

Post-spawn largemouths begin staging on the dropoffs outside of the coves. They'll hold here for a while to recover from the rigors of reproduction before spreading back out into the lake and will start relating to traditional bass habitat.

As the water continues to warm, bass will start to frequent dropoffs and deeper structure. The bigger bass will be in these offshore areas during the daytime and then move toward shore to chase the lake's abundant panfish. For fast action but smaller size bass, go to the riprap near the Route 36 bridge.

Small Rapalas and in-line spinners along the rocks will take plenty of the smaller bass. In the early morning and late evening hours, try larger crayfish imitations to pick up a few of the bigger fish.

Lemley is knowledgeable when it comes to the hot baits.

"I've had luck on deep-diving crankbaits and decent-sized jigs tipped with a 3- or 4-inch curlytail," Lemley said.

There are some areas that are generally hotspots for largemouths right now, lake conditions permitting. A stumpfield in the 12-foot line on the Trotmans Branch side of Cecil Harden is a bass magnet. The stumps extend across the lake on the northwestern side. Another hotspot is the row of gravel pit outcroppings off old SR 36. Bass will hold in these spots in late spring after leaving the bays and backwaters where they've spawned. Christmas trees were sunk some time ago near the boat ramps and remnants are still drawing panfish and the occasional hungry bass.