This is not your typical spring. Here in the Midwest, we had a warmer than normal winter and then spring came early. I think that’s pretty much true for most of the country except for maybe southern Florida. But then things turned a little cold. We’ve had below-normal temperatures off and on for almost a month now.
That’s moved the fish around. With water temperatures anywhere between the low 50s and the low 60s, most of our bass are still in the prespawn stage. They might move up on the full moon this month — it’s on the 22nd— but that’s no guarantee. The longer days will help, but cold water will still be an issue. Different waters will have different situations. You’ll need to check out your local lake or river to see what’s happening.
These are the conditions that tell me it’s time to grab my flat sided balsa crankbaits. I like the tight, more subtle wiggle that they have as compared to a traditional square bill that sometimes overpowers bass. PH Custom Lures makes one called a Skinny P that performs really well.
Despite what I just said, there are times when a little wider wobble is needed. I don’t really know why that is, but I suspect that it has something to do with how close the fish are to their spawn. When they do want something a little more aggressive I go with an ima Shaker.
Regardless of which bait I go with, my first color choice is always something with a little red or orange on it. That seems to be the trigger color early on. If that doesn’t get me the action I think I should be getting I’ll switch to a shad finish.
As a general rule I’d say you should try balsa first. If that doesn’t work, go with something a little more aggressive.
They both run in the 4-6 foot range. That’s a perfect depth for this time of the year. I fish areas where the deepest water around fades into shallow flats and shoreline strips, places that look like a big female beast would want to spawn. A typical spot would be where a creek channel ends in the back of a creek or where a channel pushes up against a mud or sand bank.
I like to crawl my bait along, through whatever cover is on the bottom. In most cases that’ll be wood of some kind and maybe a little grass. The easiest way to do that is to snap the bait down as soon as it hits the water and then, when it’s as deep as it’s going to go, wind it slowly back. A slow presentation is critical. This is not the time of year to rip your crankbait.
My tackle choice for this kind of fishing starts with a CastAway Skeleton V2 Cranking Rod (SKV70MC). It has a medium action with a moderately fast tip. It’ll handle the lighter baits we’re talking about. I mount a Lew’s BB1 5:1 reel on it and spool up with 12-pound-test HI-SEAS Fluorocarbon.
This is the time of year when you must adapt to local conditions. I hope the technique I’ve described helps you do that.