Spring Bass Fishing Spots: What to Look for
Any knowledgeable angler will tell you: study the fish to be able to catch it.
Bass have spent most of the winter days foraging the deep waters. As the spring kicks in, they’ll start moving to spots that are rapidly warming up. They are eager to spawn and will look for shallows, especially spots with structure.
This means you should look for fallen trees, grass, rocks, water lilies – anything that can serve as a cover for the hungry fish. It can sometimes be hard to spot these places, but with the right electronics or a bit of research, you can find a real prize.
Illustration of a lake showing the best places to check on spring Bass fishing trips, including lily pads, grass, logs, and the water edge.
Make sure to look around the grass and trees – trophy fish can congregate there!
However, Bass are always on the run and can get unpredictable, especially if the weather is finicky too. One day you can reel in a keeper. Come to the same spot the next day, and you get skunked. You need to be patient and experiment with the fishery. The fish are there in the water, alright, it just takes a bit of practice to spot them. As a rule of thumb, fish with faster lures and patterns on warm spring days and swap these for slower moving baits on colder days.
Come Rain or Shine: Best Weather for Bassing
When fishing for pre-spawn Bass, the weather can really help you out. On cloudy days, Bass will swim around the lake. You’ll have better chances of catching them as they explore the shallower parts as well.
Another element that plays to your advantage is rain. Bass tend to be more aggressive when it’s raining and leave their cover to feed, so grab a good pair of boots and go stand in the rain. Spring showers also make it more difficult for Bass to spot you through the water surface splattered with drops.
Speaking of the weather, don’t shy away from the breeze. The wind will spur baitfish to congregate around plankton and Bass won’t skip a meal. On windy days, the fish will move to shallower parts. You may find it tricky to navigate the boat on a day like this, but on the plus side, the water movements caused by the wind will make it harder for the Bass to spot your boat.
Early Spring Bass Fishing
The early spring can be a hit and miss, especially if the snow and ice continue well into April. Bass are sensitive to temperature changes and will stay alert in order to find the spawning grounds.
However, the cold front will still keep them near the depths – they won’t risk venturing into cold shallows. What Bass do in that case is to look for deep waters near shorelines where they can find secluded spots such as rock and weeds.
Once the weather improves, Bass will head to the shallows. They will still swim around to avoid sudden drops in water temperature, so you’ll need to fish different depths. One advantage here is that not all Bass spawn at the same time, so you can target females waiting for the males to set up spawning beds. A rule of thumb is to look for bushes, trees, and shoreline pockets.
Spring Bass Fishing Lures
When it comes to lures, there’s no cookie-cutter solution. With Bass, you need to get to know the water and prepare well for your trip. Pack a variety of lures as you’ll probably need to vary your tactics to stand a chance. You can also talk to local anglers and see what type or lures gets the job done. Factor in the weather and the season (pre-spawn, spawning). But before you do all that, let’s have a look at the most common lures used in getting spring Bass.
Spinnerbaits
What are spinnerbaits for? Creating vibrations and noise that will make the Bass think that prey is near. Bass rely heavily on their sense of hearing, so you’ll want to create some noise, more so if you’re fishing calm waters with little to no wind.
Luckily, spinnerbaits are a pretty versatile lure. The metal blades attached to them come in different shapes and sizes. Some anglers also trim the skirt of the lure so that it doesn’t get tangled and wound up.
On a calm day, you can retreat the lure more slowly, but when there’s wind, make sure to start reeling in the second your lure is in the water. You need to make a splash and the blades’ shiny appearance will entice the fish. Yo-yoing (pulling the lure up and then dropping it) should also produce a good effect and get the Bass going.
Jerkbaits
If you want to winch up a pre-spawning Bass, you need to work jerkbaits. They’re a common weapons of choice for a good reason. Bass monitor the water temperature closely, making sure to stay in warm parts. You’ll need jerkbaits to work both the clean shallow waters and grassy patches.
Be sure to try out various jerkbait presentations. The rhythm can be key to enticing Bass, and if you’re fishing during a cold front, you’ll want the pause between jerks to be longer. Also, keeping slack in the line is essential to successful jerk movements. If you’re fishing on a breezy day, use long casts and bigger lures that will attract bigger fish.
Jigs
For anglers who don’t mind taking things slow, working jigs to imitate Crawfish can produce some real magic. Pre-spawn fish will be moving from deeper waters to spawning grounds, so the key is to jig slowly and near the bottom. If the weather allows it, you can just drag the bait over the bottom and slowly retrieve it.
When looking for Bass in more secluded water and grass laydowns, you’ll want to thread your jig trailer to the jig body until it’s leveled with the hook point. Make sure that your jig trailer is free of excessive appendages so that you can easily cast and retrieve it from sheltered waters.
In case of open and deep waters, you can go ahead and chunk the jig trailer. Use soft-plastic crawfish with large flappers and appendages. Chunking the trailer lets your jig have a bigger profile and a lot more movement. In grassy spots, this is going to get you some real beasts.
Also, mind the color – it’s important to pay attention to the weather, the amount of light outside, and turbidity of the fishery. Brownish hues will work in stained water, while greenish colors work like a charm in clean waters.
