TOP 10 TIPS & TRICKS FOR FISHING SPAWNING BASS!

Adventure Awaits

Tip #1 - St. Patrick's day through Easter you should be preparing to catch big spawning fish in most parts of the country!

• I like to say that Jesus has risen and the bass are rising with Him! It’s time to dust off the boat, get the oil changed and make sure there’s fresh gas. All your licenses and boat registrations are good to go.

Tip #2 - Around March 20 through April 1 the pressure change in the atmosphere provides really good morning and evening windows for biting fish!

• Every spring as the earth moves closer to the sun and transitions out of its Winter weather cycles there are significant pressure changes that take place. Typically around that late march early april time frame. Be paying attention to your barometric pressure forecast and hit a morning or evening when it’s heavily changing and you’ll most likely be in biting fish every time!

Tip #3 - The water temp determines the here and now for bass and spawning fish! If they aren’t biting on the North end of the lake, go South! 

• A lot of people don’t know this but the South end of your lake will typically heat up sooner due to the sun cycles throughout each day. On average it takes roughly an extra week for the North end of your lake to reach the same spawning temps of the south end. So if you're hammering the shallows in the North with no luck either move a little deeper or head south!

Tip #4 - Fishing the full moon! You probably won’t see any werewolves come out, but you just might catch some monster bass!

• If you can plan to fish the evening of the full moon, or the morning just after. You might be in for some of the best fishing of your life! It’s no secret that fishing the full moon can bring some ol’ south nostalgia to your bass boat in the spring, but if you don’t get out there and actually fish it all it might be to you is just a legend.

Tip #5 - You're going to have to fish shallow to find spawning and pre-spawning bass. Although obvious to some, maybe not to others. 

• Truth is there’s no right or wrong way to fish. If you're having fun and not tearing stuff up, and fishing legally. Well, fish however you want, but if you're fishing for spawning bass and you’ve got the other metrics down. Don’t spend too much time fishing for bass that aren't up in the shallows spawning and eating aggressively. During the spawn most fish will be bank side hustling for territory, food, and other resources. 

Tip #6 - Reaction bites are king during spawn. No super slow finesse fishing like its peak summer heat or winter cold!

• Have you ever wanted to see crazy bites on some crazy lures? Well, now's the time, tie on a big jig, through a swimbait, and put on a chatter bait. Anything that gets that fish riled up! Remember these fish are literally fitting everyday for resources to make their spawn the most successful, so throwing a bait that plays to their aggressiveness will almost always land you some super fun and interesting fitting fish!

Tip #7 - Sexy shad may not sound flattering to you and I, but to bass White and Chartreuse colors on your lure make you stand out!

• Brands like Strike King made it popular, but using color tactics to make your lure stand out among the crowd has been a thing since fishing emerged. Today some of the most successful bold color combinations are white and red, white and chartreuse, stand alone white, and stand alone pink. Don’t count out regular colors like green pumpkin though and other natural colors! 

Tip #8 - Finesse fish for those pesky lockjaw bass that just won’t bite.

• If you're dealing with fish that won’t bite and you don’t want to leave them. You can try things like downsizing hook and lure size, using fluorocarbon instead of monofilament or braid, you can also try using more natural looking colors that don’t pop as much, and you can also use slimmer soft plastics that have a more unique silhouette. 

Tip #9 - Use baits / lures with more vibration and movement in the water when the fish has to rely on those senses heavier.

• Muddy southern water bass will often bite better during feeding times if you use a bait that silhouettes well against the murky water and has a wounded bait like motion / vibration. I actually like jerkbaits or chatterbaits during a setting like this. Other great and unique baits for this situation would be spinner baits and even large aggressive action soft plastics.

Tip #10 - Fish to your strengths! don’t stress yourself out learning too much all in one fishing trip.

• It’s always good to branch out and fish a new technique or style that will stretch the angler you are and grow your fishing knowledge. However, if you're not careful and you don’t express patience you can quickly find yourself getting frustrated over nuances that usually wouldn’t bother you otherwise. Remember your fishing and relaxing to enjoy God’s creation!