Early spring heralds the arrival of hungry pre-spawn bass and the arrival of cold water. It’s possible that you won’t even require a lot of tackle because all you really want is to keep things simple. In your tackle box, you should always have the following five types of bait available:
Plastics
Simple and small plastic baits are what you’re looking for. On the water, the baits should have a simple darting and gliding action to attract fish. You wouldn’t want any appendages that were floppy. Combine simple and small plastics with a 3/16-ounce jighead for the best results. Make them skim along the bottom of the pool fairly quickly.
The plastic should sink to the ground as quickly as possible and should be light enough to not become weighed down by the grass. Using chartreuse to color the tails can give you a slight advantage, though you may prefer to stick with more natural colors if you prefer.
Plastics are best fished with spinning tackle and 6- to 8-pound fluorocarbon line when the weather is warm. With light bait, a medium-action rod will allow you to cast further distances while also allowing you to release more line during the hook setting procedure.
Jigs
Jigs, which are designed to provide consistency in bass fishing, perform well in cold water. Jigs are unique in that they can be used in a variety of situations. Whether they’re dragged slowly off a break line 20 feet away or pitched comfortably towards lily pad stems, they provide a comfortable experience.
A jig is perfectly suited for catching crawfish or bluegill because it has the same profile as the fish.
In order for the jig to dive slowly into the cold water, you must set a time limit. A 38 ounce upskirt jig is the most effective for this type of action. Choose a chunky trailer that is not overly frisky in appearance.
Stick with jigs that are natural in color. Browns, greens, and possibly black/blue jigs would be the best choices in dirty water. A few orange strands paired with a green pumpkin trailer would be a nice finishing touch. Bass frequently feed on small bluegills, so you may want to imitate them by dyeing the jig tips in chartreuse to match the color of the small fish food you’re attempting to catch.
Jerk baits
A suspending jerk bait can be used to catch smallmouth bass in the spring when the water is warm. You might even be successful in catching largemouth bass. A jerkbait that is realistically moving can be aided by the wind. The wind stirs up the surface of the water enough to fool the fish into thinking they are biting into the real thing, even during the pause, because they would not be able to get a good look at the bait before biting it completely.
The wind also aids in the fishing process because it appears to position the jerk bait in a more predictable manner, causing the fish to congregate and compete for the lure’s attention.
When you bring a jerk bait fish to your fishing boat, it is highly noticeable that there are bound to be other fish swimming around with them, waiting for you to release the bait into the water.
Because there is no suitable cadence required to fish such lures, you have the option of being quite flexible in the number of jerk baits you use between pauses and pause lengths. This allows you to be quite creative with your jerk bait selection. Match the color to the food that the bass are eating.
On dark and cloudy days, a jerkbait with a matte finish might be the best choice. In other cases, keep an eye on the bait at all times while it is being retrieved. If the cadence or color of the bait is not correct, the fish will simply follow the bait and not strike it at all. By removing the jerk bait split rings and replacing them with a snap, you can make color changes as needed. Isn’t it simple and quick?
Blade baits
A blade bait, despite the fact that it is merely a piece of metal, has the potential to be extremely effective. A blade bait can be fished in a short amount of time. When compared to other baits that perform well higher in the water column, it is more effective at attracting fish that prefer to hang out on the bottom.
You can begin with a blade bait by performing a simple lift-up motion until the blade appears to be vibrating, followed by a simple drop-back motion to the bottom. The majority of fish bites occur during the bait fall. It would be wise to start with a blade that weighs 38 ounces and is finished in either silver or gold. Replace the hooks with high-quality treble hooks or split rings to complete the look.
Lipless crankbaits
A lipless crankbait that rips through the weeds can be unbeatable once the fish move shallow, as it provides a quick and efficient method of covering a large amount of water. Cut the bait free with a braided line, which will allow you to glide through the grass with ease.
It is critical to use a rod with a slow action in order to prevent the fish’s mouth from ripping the bait out and pulling it out of the fish’s mouth while you are fishing.
Begin by rigging a red lipless crankbait and working your way up from there. Crankbaits are not all created equal, and this is true even in terms of their sound. Other times, a well-worn-in sound will entice fish to come closer. Occasionally, you may want to experiment with a variety of different baits in order to find the one that best suits your preferences.