When faced with lethargic, transitioning post-spawn bass, SPRO pro John Crews turns to a crankbait for the majority of his fish catching needs. That was quite a battle, but I won as the bass dove under the boat and I am trying to catch up to the fish … the bass weighed just short of five pounds. Action lures such as crankbaits and spinnerbaits produce most of the time, but when the water temperature lingers below 60 degrees and during cold-front situations later in the spring, bass prefer slower presentations. Set the hook! This makes the spring Bass fishing season the most exciting time to wet a line. After a wait, make a long cast parallel to the drop off or the point, and crank that baby back as fast as you can crank it!!! All rights reserved. When you see a bass on the nest, throw the stickbait past the fish and drag it to the nest. It’s exciting just thinking about getting back out in the boat to hook that big Bass that we missed last year. Traditionally, the Bass season started around late May and continued until October. Get ya’ a baby bass crankbait. Fishing for bass with topwater lures is my personal favorite method of attack. Slowly crank the weighted crankbait along the bottom so it bangs into rocks and kicks up silt, similar to a crawfish scurrying along the bottom. Share: Previous Largemouth Bass Night Fishing. I cranked as hard as I could several casts, and then the bait stopped and the fish dove straight down with the bait. Remember: the colder the water, the longer the pause. Spring bass fishing has to be the most anticipated season of all. This tactic also works well when bedding bass ignore your tube bait or jig. The thinner, the better to reduce line resistance against the water. If you put an imposing bait like the stickbait in front of the fish or right over the bed, even if the bass swims up and grabs it, the fish can’t spit it out quickly because it gets a hold of three sets of treble hooks. I was excited that the first fish weighed so much. I work it aggressively for 10-15 seconds then I dead stick it for 20-30 and then repeat. One thing is certain: They ain’t bitin’!!! Spring bass fishing is coming to a close in some areas of the country, but in others it is just now heating up. LOL.). It is the perfect season for it until late June, when the temperatures soar and the shad hatch is peaking out. Action lures such as crankbaits and spinnerbaits produce most of the time, but when the water temperature lingers below 60 degrees and during cold-front situations later in the spring, bass prefer slower presentations. She was heavy enough that the guys fishing on the shore heard the splash and looked up, and those guys were 100 yards away. Regardless of any notions the angler may hold, the fact is that the majority of the bass population, on a given body of water, will be found deeper during the cold months than any other season. I caught another in about five minutes that weighed less than four pounds … then one about three. I had hopes of a giant lunker that were slipping fast. No Problem! Late spring bass are worn out from spawning, searching for new homes in deeper water and anglers aren’t ready to give up on their hot spring fishing spots. How Mike McClelland Turns Cold Water Fish Into a Hot Bite! My partner barely twitched the chugger so it made small spits of water on the surface rather than the chugging or plopping noise the lure usually makes. The best Smallmouth Bass fishing is in Spring. If you have a bass that is really protective of the nest, a lot of times they will take a small bait like a tube or finesse worm, suck it in and blow it out before you can set the hook. In the spring and fall, bass fishing is better in the late afternoon. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! The imposing profile of a stickbait makes the lure appear more threatening to bass guarding a spawning bed. Learn How to Battle Florida Cold Fronts. Then … she rose upwards and broke water. A key to catching spawning bass on a suspending stickbait is to get the lure to stay in the strike zone. Work jerkbaits for late winter bass fishing with a super slow twitch, twitch, and pause cadence around docks, bluff walls, drains, and weed lines. Umbrella Rigs Only enigmas have no solutions. Oh yeah … and then they change directions as they take the lure, your reel handle just stops. During our outing, bass were suspended under boat docks in pockets along spawning banks. Anglers who enjoy fishing for bass in farm ponds in late spring or early summer should try spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, topwater buzzbaits and plastic worms. In smaller impoundments, they will hang over drop offs along creek channels. Both lakes have a good population of smallmouth, but it seems like over the years Kentucky has the better population. Weighting the crankbait with adhesive lead strips or tape will help keep the crankbait close to the bottom even when the lure is paused for a couple of seconds after banging it off rocks. In order to knowledgeably expect and recognize the progressive transition of Winter into Spring and responses of the bass, we must start with the late Winter period. Without a doubt, Largemouth Bass are America’s favorite fish – shortly followed by Smallmouth . A cold front that drops the water temperature five or six degrees causes bass to move away from the bank where the crankbait becomes the most effective lure again for these fish. It’s also the easiest time to land Smallmouth – especially for those anglers who hibernate during the winter. Definitely not large. One thing they do is go into an inactive period. Spawning Bass Tips! It is effective for spawning bass because the lure’s shape imitates a predator fish better than a tube bait does. To get you started off this fishing season the right way, here are three tips to locating and catching early spring bass. Jason is one of the top anglers on the KBF Tournament Series Trail and the top overall points earner over the past three years. I looked down, and the line was slicing through the water well ahead of my retrieve. A nice 6-ft. baitcasting rig will work perfectly. When fishing late winter and on into spring, this is a bait that I’ve consistently caught big fish on. It’s not quite late winter or early spring yet but there are some things you can do right now to get ready and take advantage of some of the best flipping and pitching bass fishing has to offer when it does roll around. For an angler looking to catch a lot of big bass quickly, following the shad and sunfish spawns is a great place to start. I positioned my boat parallel to a creek channel -- the edge of the channel was covered in milfoil, but all that aside, a perfect ambush hiding place for a few bass. to be the threshold for the arrival of Bass in the Spring. Do these things and your catch will really increase next year. The fish were getting ready to spawn, but the cool, cloudy weather that day discouraged any move to the bank. Spring smallmouth bass fishing is best when the river is running between 5 and 8½ feet. late spring bass fishing Bass Fishing . This season is when lakes are at their crest for bass angling, particularly for apprentices and easygoing fishers since bass are dissipated all over the place and effectively sustaining. These fish do the same things over and over, year after year, and usually at the same location on a given lake. I have never understood why bass hit fast moving lipless crankbaits when the water is cold – but they do. Along with water temperature, spring largemouth location is driven by spawning behavior, so fishin… in the spring of this year, bass anglers could see hordes of really big, largemouth bass as they increasingly invade the lake’s weedy shorelines and take up residence around any available aquatic weeds, wood cover and rock cover. Mark Jefferys, operator of the fishing Web site The Bass Zone -- www.basszone.com -- can attest to the phenomenal smallmouth fishing on Arbuckle: On one spring outing, Jefferys caught five smallmouths that weighed a total of 24 pounds! Almost-vertical drop offs are favorite haunts for these bass. The first time I tried this, I was not exactly without some doubt, but I will try anything once. Spring fishing is equal-opportunity time for all bass anglers. If you are fishing chunk rocks, run the crankbait at a steady pace along the rocks. In the spring time, smallmouth are more active than any other time of year. Fish late in the day in early spring when the main part of a lake or pond is still cold. With one down, I went after another. If the bass continues to ignore the lure, trigger a strike by shaking your rod to make the lure tremble like a frightened baitfish. In late spring, a pumpkinseed color crawworm is often a great producer. All pages © 2012 – 2020 BPS Direct, L.L.C. One of my favorite times of the year to fish on the top water is in the middle of the spring. Largemouth bass are creatures of habit. The Bomber Baby Bass flew up in the air, and a huge largemouth bass came out of the water … and fell back in the lake. After about 10 casts, move about 20 feet and start over with the long casts and the fast retrieve. test monofilament. It produces good numbers of fish, good sized fish, and the strikes are more exciting than any other method. So here is a trick that my old buddy Homer Circle (the former senior editor for Sports Afield) taught me. Even nowadays, 5 bass weighing 20 pounds, may not even get you in the top 5 in most major spring time bass tournaments held weekly on Weiss Lake! During the spawn, a suspending stickbait is another hard-plastic lure that will catch bass. Position your boat parallel to the channel or the point and just sit for a few minutes so the bass hanging around will acclimate to your presence. During this season, bass are feeding heavily at every depth and attack a variety of lures as the water warms. Muddy Water? Try it soon. Points are probably the most common, especially on large reservoirs. With a full moon late March (and late April too!) Late-spring Bass Fishing Late-spring bass angling is marginally not quite the same as angling in the genuine heart of summer, so it’s critical to address this a bit. Another bait that catches bass, especially when the fishing gets tough, is a jerkbait. Not too small, and not too large. But all problems have a solution. Then I made a long cast and ripped the crankbait a few yards, and then the line went limp. Rather than continually throwing at the visible fish, twitch the chugger slowly around any nearby cover to trigger strikes from bigger bass hiding in those targets. This is when most anglers are coming out of their winter hibernation, getting out on the water for the first time. He considered 10C. If you have options where to fish for bass, try shallow lakes and ponds first as the season progresses. Some anglers who regularly fish stained water lakes are restricted to fishing warmer days since bass seem to be turned off in these waters on cold, cloudy days. Either way, they are hard to detect. Let’s say like a Bomber 3A. Surface water warms up several degrees on a sunny day, and maybe more so in the back reaches where there’s a bay, inlet, marsh, or wetland. Whether you’re fishing docks, grass beds, stumps or laydowns, … Do this over and over. 2. That bass weighed at least 10-12 pounds. However, early spring weather is unpredictable, and as the water temperature in the shallows fluctuates from day to day, bass will move back and forth between shallow and deep water. During the late spring and summer, the bite in the early morning hours following a full moon night can be very slow as bass who were feeding all night are now stuffed. For bass fishermen, early spring is the most wonderful time of the year. Most bass tournaments held during the spring season on Weiss lake (the first lake on the Coosa River System), are usually topped off with several bass brought in weighing in the 7-10 pound range. They just finished spawning, so I guess this is a time to regroup, clear the head and make a plan for the upcoming hot summer months. The darker skies made bass more aggressive in the clear water but were still leery about certain offerings. Whether it’s for their appetite – often snatching ducklings, snakes, and other fish – fighting prowess, or airborne acrobatics to throw off the hook, anglers will never refuse a good Bass fight. Water temperatures – and sometimes the weather – begin to warm up and fish get on the move. While soft plastics or jigs work well in these situations, you can still catch bass on hard plastic lures throughout all phases of spring weather and water conditions. We call it the “post-spawn blues.” Normally, they will suspend off points or over submerged structure such as humps, islands, brush piles and points. Spring marks the beginning of better conditions for both fish and anglers. Targets: Creature baits can catch fish around any type of shallow cover throughout the spring; they’re a great way to cover water quickly because rest assured—bass will bite them if you put it around them. Jerkbaits have a baitfish profile, erratic action, and they suspend – which is a key for triggering bites from cold water bass. Didn’t get to catch the bass or keep the bass, but I did get to see the fish. Then let the lure hover over the bed to force the nesting fish into attacking the intruder. In this video Jason Broach shares his insights on fishing hollow body frogs for bass fishing in late spring and into summer. The water temperature was about 57 degrees and I could see bass dart out from under docks to look at my soft plastic jerkbaits but the fish would reject my offerings. VIDEO: Thanks to catch & release practice, Bass fishing in Wales is thriving once again. The winter to spring transition can be one of the most exciting times for bass fishing. Be the first to rate this post. Use some 12-lb. Calm water was another key because it helped the bass locate the slow-moving lure on the surface. 9. And sometimes, that is enough. Your retrieve should vary depending on the rocks you are targeting. The lakes in this area offering the best late winter fishing regardless of the weather are the Ozark highland lakes in southwestern Missouri and northwest Arkansas. However, lately, the spinner bait is starting to be productive again. Heading South to Fish? I mean burn the water with that crankbait. No votes so far! After ice-out in late winter or early spring, bass begin moving from deeper areas where they spent the winter toward rapidly warming shallow waters. The strike is hard to detect, for the bass often swims right up behind the bait and takes it that way, or the bass will swim along with the bait and then turn on it and dive down with the lure. And that’s a fact, Jack. Remember the bait is moving really fast and the bass catches up to it and dives with it. Keep this up until you get a strike … and you will get a strike!! Despite the cool water, my friend tied on a topwater chugger and immediately started catching bass. GRAND LAKE Smallmouth Bass Spring Patterns. That meant there was a good chance I was sitting over a large number of big bass. The weighted crankbait technique works best when bass are staging on main lake chunk rock banks during the prespawn. If you add some additional color contrast such as blue or chartreuse pincers, you can sometimes even increase its productiveness. Spring fishing is equal-opportunity time for all bass anglers. So my partner prevented spooking larger bass by making long casts. For the slowest presentation when spring fishing in water below 60 degrees you can drag a jig and plastic chunk or craw along the bottom, but you can also keep in contact with the bottom retrieving a medium-diving crankbait in crawfish colors at a steady pace. Lipless Crankbaits. When using a drop shot in the late winter/early spring I like to use a small Fluke style plastic to mimic a struggling shad. This time of year is probably your best bet to find that big smallmouth you have been looking at catching. The pumpkinseed color is very close to a soft-shell crayfish and they often have a … I know it hurts, baby … but this is the solution to the problem. The ice finally melts off the lakes and rivers in the north. You could fish that bait all day long and catch bass all day long on it. The crankbait pattern usually lasts until the water temperature climbs to 60 degrees, but it can still be effective in certain situations once the water warms. I tried to set the hook but there was too much slack in the line from the bass swimming with the bait. Fishing First Aid: What You Need To Know And What You Need To Bring, How To Find Winter Largemouth Bass In Open Water, Mystery Tackle Pro Box Unboxing (Multi-Species January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Elite Unboxing (January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Unboxing (January 2021). Home: Cookson, OklahomaFamily: (wife) Chris, (kids) Jamie & SherriHobbies: Fishing & HuntingBoat: Tracker 190 & Tracker 175, Favorite Technique: Spinnerbaits, Top water, JigsFishing Strength: Shallow water, Spinnerbaits, JigsFavorite Lake:…. Smallmouth Bass move from deep water into water between 2 to 10 feet deep where they’ll feed on spawning crawfish. Drink some energy drink … you’ll need it. (And my right arm is much stronger for it now! Fishing Bait Tip for Winter Crappie Points, Quality Deer the Buck to Doe Ratio - Hunting Tip, Dawn-to-Dusk Summer Smallmouth Bass Strategies. In fact, this true big-bass expert has caught numerous largemouths weighing 10 pounds or better there. However if the area has occasional rock piles, stop the lure when it hits those rocks. During this season, bass are feeding heavily at every depth and attack a variety of lures as the water warms. If there's some stain to the water, a deep running crawfish pattern crankbait rooted along the bottom is strong now; bass feed heavily on crawfish emerging from hibernation during the late winter/early spring transition period. But new and better techniques and new baits have caused many bass fishermen to quit using the spinner bait. Big five pounders … nothing but a few or maybe a dozen will hover over a drop off and just hang there, doing just about nothing. I throw nothing but a suspending jerkbait that dives anywhere from 2 to 5 feet. The keys to his technique were fishing the topwater lure in clear water and retrieving the chugger slowly without making it splash. And the best thing of all is they huddle up according to size. Several years ago, I learned a prespawn topwater tactic while fishing with a friend at Lake of the Ozarks. Bass fishing can be great both in the morning and in the afternoon. The Bomber Baby Bass flew up in the air, and a huge largemouth bass came out of the water … and fell back in the lake. MLF Big 5 Pro Circuit angler SPENCER SHUFFIELD joins the Bass 365 crew to share his pro tips and secrets on how he find bass in late winter and the best techniques and lures for you to catch more bass this winter to spring … It has never failed me yet. Thereafter this ripping the crankbait was a standard technique for me in post-spawn conditions. From mid-April through much of June on Lake Fork and similar Southern lakes, bass relate to spawning shad and sunfish (bluegill, red ears, etc.). Cold Water? Here are three techniques you can try to catch bass from top to bottom on action lures during the prespawn and spawning stages of spring fishing. When to Catch Big Bass on the Umpqua River Harrington starts his spring smallmouth fishing in March, typically when the water temperature rises to 45 to 47 degrees, when the large female bass move into spawning areas. She was heavy enough that the guys fishing on the shore heard the splash and looked up, and those guys were 100 yards away. Trout are ready for stocking, bass are ready for spawning, and salmon are ready to return home. I was thrilled. Spinner baits once were the number-one bait to catch big bass here at Guntersville. Bass will follow ditches, depth contours, tapering points and fallen trees on sloping banks toward shallower water. The late Clive Gammon insisted that the key to the arrival of Bass in numbers was water temperature. One key to catching pond bass is keeping noise and motion to a minimum as you move around the pond to different fishing spots. 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