Spring Bass Tactics

After a long cold winter, especially here in the Midwest, those sunny warm days brings out anglers of all ages. The spring can be a very rewarding time of the year to catch not only good numbers of bass, but a trophy one as well. In the same breath it can also be a very frustrating time with the constant fluctuation in air and water temps. Weather conditions more than any other season can play a vital role in the behavior of bass. I talk about taking advantage of bite windows and the best baits to up your odds at trade shows and local clubs. For more current information, you can find my weekly reports in the Chicago Sun-Times Outdoor column as well as on my Husker Outdoors page on Facebook and Instagram. So let’s roll up the sleeves and dive into how weather truly dictates how bass behave in the spring.

Once the ice comes off the lakes in late winter to early spring, there’s really no need to get out early to fish that morning bite. Sleep in or better yet grab a hardy breakfast like I do. On sunny days, let the rays warm up the water temps. Some of the best bite windows on these types of days will be the early to midafternoon hours. Water temps this time of year can be only in the 40’s, but a subtle rise in those water temps can trigger a bite window. The first place to target is the north shorelines as the angle on the sun in late March and early April will warm those shorelines quicker. Combine these conditions with a Southwest wind and you have the makings for an excellent afternoon. 

What style baits should one use? You really can’t go wrong with a lipless crankbait as the tight wiggle and ability to cover water makes that bait a great choice. Rayburn red or fire craw are excellent choices when it comes to selecting a color. The Piscifun Torrent with a gear ratio of 7:1:1 paired with a 7”0’ medium action rod is the setup I prefer to go with. This is strictly a reaction strike, so working the bait just over the tops of emerging weeds, while ripping the bait occasionally off the weeds, will draw some vicious strikes from these cold-water bass. On days with overcast cold front conditions, a jig and craw trailer can excel. The slower presentation of dragging that jig along the bottom can temp the most reluctant bass. The setup I prefer is the Piscifun Torrent II in the 8:1:1 gear ratio paired with a 7”6’ medium heavy rod when working this presentation. When water temps rise into the mid to upper 50’s, a 110 jerk bait is a great option to target roaming bass. Let the bass tell you what cadence to work that bait, as it can change day to day or even hour to hour. If you have access, don’t overlook warm water discharges this time of year as they can be very productive. Baitfish are drawn to these areas, so a spinnerbait can be a good option to throw when bass are aggressively feeding.

This can be one of the more perplexing times of the year. Many factors go into when bass will start staging for the spawn. Water temps play a large role, but so does the calendar and moon phase. Days of above average temperatures and rise in water temps can draw bass up shallow. Known spawning flats are areas to start targeting. Pay attention to those winds when there are days strung together with the same wind direction. Active bass will stack up along those shorelines. Baitfish and bluegills will be up in those areas as well. A great option to cover water is a bladed jig.

The Piscifun Torrent in the 5:3:1 gear ratio paired with a 7”1” medium fast action rod is my go-to setup. Why the lower gear ratio? I prefer not to work that bladed jig too fast as to impede the natural action of the bait. Pulling that bait through weeds or monetarily pausing the jig and letting it flutter can get reaction strikes from the less aggressive bass. Then that dreaded spring cold front comes in and pushes those fish back out. Now what? Well, as I mentioned earlier, sleep in or go grab a hearty breakfast. The afternoon bite windows tend to be more productive this time of year. Going back to a jig and craw trailer or lipless crankbait are good options. Working baits along the drop off to those known spawning flats are good areas to target. When the temperatures return to the average highs for a stretch and those water temps begin to rise into the mid 60’s, bass will be ready to start staging. A great option is to downsize your presentation by pitching a 3/16 oz. jig tipped with either a craw or TRD trailer on 10lb braided line with a fluorocarbon leader. The Piscifun AlumiX 2000 paired with a 7”3’ fast action rod is my choice for this presentation. When selecting my braid, I prefer to go with high vis as line watching really plays a big part in being successful. The bite can to very subtle as bass like to just pick up the bait and then drop it.

While the spawn is set around water temps and moon phase, not all bass spawn at the same time. They will be staggered for a two-week period typically. So how do we handle targeting those post spawners? Keep in mind that the females will be recuperating while the males guard the bed. Working a crankbait along the drop-offs of spawning flats is a great option that will also cover plenty of water. 

This where the Piscifun Torrent in the 5:3:1 gear ratio comes back into play. I pair it with a 7”0’ medium fast action rod to slow roll that crank bait. These bass are not super aggressive, so I want to give them time to decide to eat that bait. If there are no takers, then I will switch to a jig with a craw trailer and slowly pick apart an area that contains isolated wood, rock, or weeds. Again, I like the Piscifun Torrent II in the 8:1:1 gear ratio paired with a 7”6’ medium heavy rod when working this presentation. Once the bass have recuperated from the spawn and slowly start thinking about going into summer patterns, the buzz bait gets the call. This is an excellent choice when water temps start rising into the upper 60’s to lower 70’s. This bait can cover an extensive amount of water when looking for active bass. The Piscifun Torrent with a gear ratio of 7:1:1 paired with a 7”1’ fast action rod is the setup prefer to go with. Spooling up with braided line and a fluke style minnow bait allows that bait to quickly get on plane.

Hopefully these tactics and locations I have shared will help put the puzzle together that we call spring bass fishing. However, don’t be afraid to experiment with changing lures, colors, or trailers as those subtle tweaks can make all the difference when getting spring bass to strike. Tight lines and see you on the water.