early spring bates

[carl]

I post this every year and never get any answers. Our water is 42degress. I hit a small bass on the surface, and it didn't even move. So, obviously we're still in the winter mode. When the water warms to the prespawn, what lures/baits do you guys use? Carl

[johnnie crain outdoors]

Carl, in early spring pre-spawn, I like a jig and eel in black fished in about 10 feet of water, then I go shallower with a 1/2 ounce white spinnerbait-number 5 silver blade-single. If rocks are present I opt for a medium diving crankbait in crawfish green or brown. I try to keep a fairly slow retrieve, the bass really aren't used to chasing bait fish yet so slow is one of the keys to success. I've also found in clear water that a #5 in-line spinner with purple hair is another good choice fished parallel to bluffs and points. Good luck, hope you get more feedback. JOhnnie

[Table Rock Guide]

Carl, when the water is in the 40-50 degree range, I like to work a stickbait, slow I mean very slow, twiches every 45-60 seconds. Colors I would look at black with silver sides for cloudy days and bright/clown colors for blue bird days.

On Lakes with alot of rock banks craw colored wiggle warts, brown/orange dark green/orange something with a wide wobble slow and bounce it off the bottom and the rocks.

And last but not least a good small Jig 1/8 ounce and craw trailer that matches the jig. Black/Blue, Brown/green pumpkin basic colors work fine, work the jig slow at first craw it along the bottom slow...

Main key to cold water is to work your bait slow, give the fish a chance to strike it..

Good Fishing

[peteryan]

This year, I have been really successful with the new smaller X-Rap (XR8) in water below 40. On February 10th or so, I pulled three bass over four punds out of a local net throwing the X-Rap. I used five to fifteen second pauses followed by short (6"-12") sweeps of the rod- no realy "jerking." These baits have a great action anythime. I have also thrown a few jigs, & alot of people have success with them, but for now I am throwing the XR8 & probably will be for the next three weeks or so.

[MMT]

Carl, now that I'm in Florida, I hear a ton of bed fishing buzz. When I was in NY, it was a no-no to even think about that. I have heard guys use a bait called a bullhead minnow, stoneroller or Caladonia minnow. It is a perty bottom dweller that snacks on bass eggs. Apparently they hammer it even better than a lizard. I came up with one and my results have been very good

[carl]

Was out yesterday and zero. I found a ton of fish in various spots stacked on drop offs. Went with mainly jerk baits, canks (I really like those Poe baits, Johnnie), and small jigs. Talked to two guys at the ramp, one caught a 3 on a suspending rogue, the other a 5.5 on a brown tube. Brown has always been a good color in these parts, but I'd never guess a tube this early. Well the boats ready, later. Carl PS. Craig I'm gonna have to watch out for you. Every time I go to your site my bank account shinks.

[RNE]

On Eufaula, the early go-to bait is a Suspending Jerk, either a Rogue in Black Back Silver, Orange Belly, Clown and on rare days, Gold sides. Husky Jerks come in a close second, same color. But they have to suspend , not sink or float! I'll run a sinkfull of water at about the same temp as the lake and go through my collection checking each one, balancing those that do not suspend with stick-on lead dots.

Back-up baits are Fat Free Shad suspending, basicaly the same color patterns.

When the water temp gets to about 50, small cranks in orange craw patterns work well at times.

Tubes, 4 - 5 inch with small rattles, fished weightless, black neon (black with red gltter) work well enough to have one tied on.

One of my best baits for those windy cloudy days just before a front is a solid black spinnerbait with florescent orange blades. It's just downright deadly slow when slow-rolled off thick structure 5 -8 foot deep in creek channel secondary points. It's so productive under the right conditions I'm not sure it's sportsmanlike.

Last, but by far not least is a 100 series Little bandit in white (pearl) Splatter Black back, slow cranked around solid structure, and deeper boat docks close to spawning areas. I mean slow! just enough to run it about two or three feet deep and make it wiggle. The bite is odd for a crank, a lot of the time the line just goes sideways, like a tube bite. Most of the time it just gets heavy. Bad thing about using it, I lose an awful lot of fish, it doesn't hook up well. Adding larger hooks screws up the action enough to turn the fish off.

For the most part soft plastic simply do not produce well here when the temp's below 55.

That's my three and a half cents. Richard.

[johnnie crain outdoors]

Oh Nooooo-I thought I was the only guy that would throw a black spinnerbait with orange blades!! It certainly is a deadly bait at times. I think the bass thinks it's red wing black bird too close to the water??

Craig, that sure is an ugly bait Bet it produces though. Looks deadly.