Tips for Spring Bass Fishing
Spring bass fishing is one of the best ways to land a monster bass. Spring time brings the fish from deeper and colder water closer to the surface and therefore closer to your lures. During the spring, bass begin to the spawning process, and to be successful at landing those really big fish, you should be aware of some springtime techniques for presenting lures and the locations where the fish will be.
The longer days and warmer weather of spring causes the spawning instinct in bass to awaken. These fish will then move in numbers from their deeper water winter homes to the shallows. Once there they will look for mates and deposit eggs. The warmer weather that causes the fish to move into shallower waters also makes the fish hungry and more aggressive for food. Overall, this makes catching big bass easier. During springtime, use what you know about bass spawning to estimate where fish will be at certain times of the day and what they may be eating. By understanding their spawning actions, you will be more likely to put your lure where the action is.
Most experienced anglers know that spring bass fishing means fishing close to the shore and in shallow water. Since these fish are moving from deep water, attempt to find locations on the water where shallow water occurs near deeper water. This can mean places where there is a sharp drop off, such as points or breaks, coves, or where a creek or stream enters the body of water. Shallow water located at these points between the deeper water and the shore is where spring time bass will be located. Air temperature is also important as it affects the water temperature. When the air is cool, bass will most likely stay in slightly deeper sections of these shallower waters, usually about 15 feet or less. During warmer weather they may move even shallower, to 5 feet or so. For best results you will want to move through several different locations quickly, but don’t forget to effectively work each area. If you locate a decent fish or a school of bass, stay in that location and work it carefully. Springtime bass move about, so each day is about working as much possible cover as possible until you locate the fish.
Choosing the proper lure for spring bass fishing will depend on the depth of the water and personal choice. Good fishermen know that in order to find out what is working on bass on that particular day, it may be necessary to try many different combinations of lures and baits. For colder days, when the bass are most likely in deeper water, jerk baits and deep running lipped crank baits will work well. In shallow water switch to lipless crank baits that swim shallow and blast through weeds. The use of crank baits and jerk baits during your search for fish is very useful as they cover a lot of water in a short period of time. In very shallow water or once you have located feeding fish, there are other lures that you may choose to use. Soft jerk baits, spinners and jig and crawl lures are all useful for working areas covered with fish. These are especially true if you locate staging females. Use these lure types in different speeds and patterns while covering the intended habitat slowly, and you will most likely get fish to take. Working the area slowly will help you to find the right combination of lure and action. Another trick successful fishermen use in spring time is the use of larger lures. By understanding bass behavior in the spring and knowing where in the water to look, you may be able to hook into some really large springtime bass.