Spring is supposed to have been here for nearly two weeks now, but in many parts of the country it sure doesn’t feel like it quite yet. Not to worry, however; bass season has arrived and you can still pull a few bucketmouths from the water, despite the cooler temperatures. Today we’ll take a look at a few tips that will aid you in your search for bass during the first few weeks of Spring.
As always, a big part of the fishing process is locating the fish. Seasonal changes can make fish behavior somewhat predictable, but you can’t overlook its sometimes erratic and random nature, too. In early Spring, It’s possible that bass may be scattered most anywhere throughout a lake. However, a good place to begin your search is along the northern shoreline, where the sun beats the longest each day. Those isolated backwaters of a lake’s northern shores tend to warm faster, which means the fish there will be more active.
When it comes to lures, you’ll want to slow things down a little bit early in the season. Focus on small soft plastic baits that don’t have a lot of built-in action and you’ll increase your odds of success. Try an early season lure like a ¼-oz white single spin. If that doesn’t work produce, switch to panfish baits like small jigs and inline spinners. Tubes and jigs (either with a grub or jig-and-pig) will work well, too.
To accomplish this, you can throw small jerkbaits. Reel them to depth, then work them with a stop-and-go technique. Often times during the first few weeks of Spring, stopping your lure and allowing it to sit will draw strikes where other lures won’t.
Locating fish will be your first step in early Spring, which can be difficult since bass won’t be as active as they are later in the season. The tips outlined today will give you a good jumping off point, though, and hopefully help you use the best lures for the situation.
