As the water temperature rises this spring bass will start to feed heavily in anticipation of the upcoming spawn. This can be one of the most exciting times to be on the water and can lead to a new personal best bass. There are a few baits that stand out to be the shinning stars this time of year. Let’s dive into the 4 baits and how to fish them.
- 1. The first bait I like to throw in cold weather is a jerkbait. I like to fish them slow with lots of pauses in between jerks. The reason being, that is when the fish will strike. I mainly use megabass jerkbaits but they can be rather costly. I have found that many other company’s make great jerkbaits for half the price. Presentation is key with jerkbaits.
- 2. I usually follow up with a searching bait. In cold weather the best searching bait I have found is a Blade bait. I have no preference on brand, but I think the color silver is important. I will cast these out as far as I can and fish them back to me moving them vertically in the water column. I will then cast back out and bounce them off the bottom. I will cast out and let the bait fall to the bottom then crack it back toward me, then I will let it slowly sink back down. These baits mimic dying shad which bass feed heavily on.
- 3. The Keitech swimbait can be a phenomenal bait all season long, so much so that I have a dedicated rod and reel on my boat just for this style of fishing. I dont believe all swimbaits are created equal and that there is something special about Keitech swimbaits. I like to rig my swimbaits with a biteme tackle jig head. I usually use smaller size swimbaits in colder water. The way I fish them is a long cast out and let it sink to the bottom. I then drag it slowy back to me. I pay attention to what the bait comes in contact with on the way back. This is another slow presentaion that can lead to some big bass.
- 4. The last bait is a chatterbait or bladed jig. There is only one company I trust when it comes to chatterbaits and that is 9K elite lures. There chatterbugs are great to fish year round. I like to pair them with a worm or some type of chunk bait. I keep them small when the water is cold. I fish these alot like a blade bait casting out and fishing them back to me vertically in the water colum. I then will cast back out and bounce it off the bottom cracking the tip of my rod as soon as I feel it stop.
With all the above presentations bass may not strike like in warmer water. It may feel like you snagged something, or your line might just load up so be ready. One other thing to keep in mind slow is important this time of year as fish are looking for an easy meal. They don’t want to have to chase something down as they are still sluggish from the winter. When it comes to tackle and line, I am slowly transitioning my rods over to Gloomis rods. They are superior to any other rods I have used on the market. I am going to be pairing them with a mix of Shimano and SIxgill reels. I will definitely be doing more post on both of these as fishing ramps up for the year. I will mainly be using powerpro line this year on all my rod and reel setups. As April ramps up so will with fishing and I can’t wait. Just typing this makes me wish I was on the boat.
