Arguably spring is the best time to go bass fishing. For the most part, the bass are predictable, hungry, aggressive, and ready to spawn. Whether you are fishing in a tournament or just getting out for a relaxing day, these spring bass tips will help you have a productive day out on the water.
The key to spring bass fishing is knowing the patterns of the bass, and at which stage the bass are currently in. The timing will be different depending on the climate you are in. Bass in the south will spawn before the bass in colder northern regions.
How to catch pre-spawn bass
Once the ice breaks and water temperatures start climbing bass go into the pre-spawn. Water temperatures during the PreSpawn are normally under 55 degrees. Bass start feeding aggressively to get ready for the spawn where they feed less and become very territorial.
At this stage, bass are not usually sitting in the area where they will spawn, but will normally be close. During the pre-spawn stage, you will have 2 types of bass, the resident bass, and the transitional bass.
Resident bass will normally stay at or near their spawning area all year, and can easily be targeted. Keys to look for are cover and baitfish. Resident bass will be feeding aggressively on the baitfish that are by the area they will be spawning. Resident bass normally will not venture out to find food or cover. These bass tend to be in the back of cutouts, bays, and other protected areas.
Transitional bass will be moving in and out from deeper water to feed during the pre-spawn. To target these bass you want to find a structure that goes from deep water to shallow water such as breaks, channels, or other key drop-offs where the fish can go from deep to shallow easily. Having a fish finder with maps that you can highlight depths make simple work when trying to find these structures.
During this time you have minnows and crawfish spawning so using patterns that match or mimic the forage for your lake is usually a good pattern to start with.
How to catch bass during the spawn
Once the water temperatures start to climb between 55 degrees and 65 degrees the bass will start to spawn. During this time they will move onto their beds and stop eating for around 2 weeks, and become very territorial.
When bass spawn they look for shallow protected flats normally under 6 feet of water. When looking for these flats it is important to make sure they also have cover such as logs, rocks, weed beds, etc. It is also better if there is a channel running to it for easy quick access for bass to get to.
Once you have found a potential spawning flat look into the water and try to locate bright circled patches on the bottom. The male bass will use their tails to fan away rocks and debris which create these lighter-colored areas.
Since bass have stopped eating to spawn you must try to get aggression strikes. During these times it is usually not hard if you have located the beds.
How to catch post-spawn bass
After the spawn has ended you will find that the resident bass will stick to the area and the transitional bass will start to move back into deeper water. The bass will start to feed aggressively again at this point due to the lack of eating during the spawn.
Soon after the bass have finished spawning bluegill will start their spawn. Which the bass will start to feed on. Locating baitfish and structure is important during the post-spawn. Paying attention to weather patterns and water conditions is important to help locate the bass and determine which stage of the spawn the bass are currently in.
Water Conditions
Along with the outside temperature water conditions play an important role in locating bass water in spring. Temperatures, clarity, and movement play important roles.
As stated previously the first indication of what stage bass are during spawning season is temperature. Below 55 degrees normally indicates pre-spawn, and 55 degrees to 65 degrees normally indicate the bass are starting to spawn. Bass will go into post-spawn normally 2 weeks after they start to spawn. If water temps are above 65 degrees it is a good indicator that the bass are in post-spawn, but may enter post-spawn earlier.
Water clarity is important because of the predatory nature of bass. In clear water, bass will typically go into cover and not move far from it. In murky water, bass will move further out from cover because there’s more concealment for them to ambush prey.
Wind plays a factor in where baitfish will school. Normally baitfish will follow the algae and other small aquatic plants that they eat. The movement of the water will push the food source closer to shore, so the shoreline the wind is hitting is a good starting point.
You can read more about how bass reacts to weather in the article we wrote here!
Best lures to use in spring
In the pre and post-spawn stages, bass are feeding aggressively. Using crankbaits, jigs, spinners, and other faster presentations is a good starting point.
During the spawn, bass are no longer feeding and are protecting their beds. This is the best time to get a reaction strike. Using lipless cranks, square bills, jerk baits, and jigs work well for getting a reaction strike. The key here is to bang baits into rocks, wood, and other cover. Use jigs to kick up silt on the bottom of the lake to simulate a crawfish moving along the bottom Use jerk baits to make erratic movements in the water to anger the bass into biting.
The best patterns to use are craws, bluegill, shiners, and other bait fish that match your local forage. Do not be afraid to downsize or upsize your lures and hooks if you are not getting any action. Also sometimes switching to a slower finesse style of fishing may help if you are not getting a bite. The key is if it is not working don’t force it, if it’s working leave it alone.
Final Words
Bass fishing in the spring is the best time of year. Bass are predictable for the most part and are always looking for certain conditions for laying their eggs. Knowing the contour and forage of your lake is the best tool for spring fishing. After that, it is just paying attention to the conditions of the water. Let the lake tell you where the bass are and what stage of the spawn they are in. After that, it is just using the right lures and techniques to land that trophy bass.
