Catching Bass In The Spring

The time period between football season and spring fishing has finally come to a close. It’s been a long month and a half, full of organizing tackle, re stringing reels, and twiddling thumbs. However, the season for bass fishing is upon us. So, pull out your old sweat stained hat, bust out your reels, fill up that outboard and drag out the old  dinghy boat because it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

To a normal person there are only four seasons in a year, but to a bass fisherman there are six. Summer, fall, winter, pre spawn, spawn and post spawn. Each portion of spring requires a different strategy needed to catch fish. Below we’re going to break down how to catch largemouth bass in all three parts of spring.

Water Temperature

Keep an eye on the water temperature because this is going to let you know exactly when the pre spawn, spawn, and post spawn have begun. Once the water hits that 45 degree mark you can guarantee that the fish are starting to shake off their winter dormancy and are eating more aggressively. This is the beginning of the pre spawn, and this time period can easily be some of the best fishing of the entire year. The bass are still a little slow during this time frame so keep your retrieves slow. The best lures to throw this time of the year are the lipless crankbait, jerkbait, and a weightless senko.

When the water hits the 55-degree mark, you’re going to start seeing more and more fish on their beds protecting their eggs. Fishing during this time period has been somewhat of a controversial topic over the past few years. However, if you do pull a fish off its bed, as long as the fish is released near where they were spawning then they will return back to where you caught it. Jigs, soft plastics and spinner baits work best this time of year.

For the first couple weeks after the spawn the fish will not be eating much. They’re spending most of their days recuperating, but the dinner bell rings hard and fast when they’re done resting. Once this time period is over, throw some topwater lures and try throwing jerkbait and jigs around floating docks and other cover.

Location

Break out your trolling motor and look for spots on your depth finder that are in coves and near points and break lines. You’re bound to find a few bass in here. When they’re spawning, be on the lookout for shallow creeks that have deep water nearby. They prefer to stay near deep water so that they can be near food.

Don’t be upset if these locations are not producing any fish. This time of year the bass are constantly moving. If they are not in any of these locations just set your  electric trolling motor on low and cruise around the water by throwing lures that cover a lot of ground quickly such as a crankbait. Give it about five casts per spot before moving on. If you do catch one, then you can slow it down and really work the spot.

Conclusion

Remember to fish slower during the pre-spawn, and as the water temperature starts to increase so should your retrieve. A crankbait can be used just as effectively in the pre spawn as the post spawn, you just have to slow it down. You’ll be using your trolling motor battery a lot during spawn and during the post spawn so make sure to bring a set of paddles or an extra battery just in case.