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FISHING TIPS
Great Spot's For Spring Bass
One of the most frequently asked questions thrown my way during spring guiding is "when do bass first become active in the spring?"
My standard answer for people who live in the northern states is that bass become active as soon as the ice melts. In the south, it's as soon as the water temperatures become consistent in the mid to upper 40s. I've caught many big bass in lakes and ponds with ice still on the water.
Bass want to get shallow and they want to eat. People who wait until April and May to start fishing are missing some great action and the chance at a really giant bass. A lot of 8-pound fish and bigger are caught in water temperatures less than 50 degrees.
Bass stage sooner than many people realize as they typically can spawn in cooler water, often going through the spawn weeks before the big waves of smaller fish move up. It's also surprising to many anglers how active these early fish can be. Dragging jigs and bottom dredgers at a snail’s pace in deep water is not the answer to big cold-water spring bass. These bass are after shallow baitfish, and my favorite baitfish imitator for these springtime cold-water periods is anything that resembles these baitfish
In the spring, from ice out and through water temps in the 40s, I like to fish the breaklines where big bass are staged for the spawn. Areas that go from 4 to 8-feet deep are prime target areas for me during late winter and early spring. Points, humps, ledges or breaklines with old grass or wood cover such as stumps or lay-downs are excellent areas to start. You don't have to fish deep to find big bass this time of year, just make sure there is a breakline close to deeper water.
Secondary points, shallow points in creeks and pockets and shallow main lake ledges and humps hold a lot of active early bass.
With water temperatures in the 40s, bass are often on the edges of humps, points or banks, and the slow, steady retrieve is very productive. I'll make long throws and keep the rod tip low so the bait stays just above the bottom, lifting the rod tip only if the bait begins to make contact with the bottom or the cover I'm fishing.
As the water warms into the 50s, I begin fishing the tops of the humps and ledges and I begin moving further back into the creeks where the bass will do the bedding.
So, if you're suffering from cabin fever, remember that for bass, spring starts earlier than you might think. Get to your favorite fishing hole and take the edge off. Throw your lure on the edges of those spawning grounds, and just be ready, because that first bite of the year could be the one you've been dreaming of all winter.
