So Wisconsin changed its bass season to have a catch/release from April 1st until middle May. I have never focused on bass this early in the year. Our lake as a good population of largies and the ice went off yesterday so I’m hoping to be on the water this weekend. Looking for any suggestions for baits and presentations.
Thanks!
I can’t say I have much experience fishing bass right at ice out either. Never had the opportunity. However I’m thinking it’ll be much like late fall fishing. Deep weedlines, off shore structure. I’m going next weekend and will be targeting those spots with finesse jigs, small swimbaits, and lipless cranks. Also if it’s sunny I’ll be going to the warmest shallow spot on the lake and targeting shallow cover. Good luck! I’m just excited we finally will get to fish for bass this early!
I do a couple early season bass trips in neighboring states each year and if you want my 2 cents worth, you’re best off waiting until water temps are at least upper 40’s, preferably 50+. You may catch a few strays colder than that but they are relatively rare. Usually when it’s that cold they are still deep and just coming out of wintering holes and are scattered. As the water warms into the mid-upper 40’s they start moving to mid-depth flats approx 8-14 fow, and by the 50’s they are getting shallow 2-5 fow to make their spawning beds.
Water temps in the upper 40’s until the spawn starts in the 50’s you should focus on lures that move horizontally because fish are more likely to be scattered and you have to search for them. They won’t be bunched up in schools so you need to keep moving until you find the depth they are at… and keep covering lots of water at that depth. Best lure by far for this search method IMO is a jerk bait with long pauses. Second best are tight wobble crankbaits like a Rippin Rap, Wiggle Wart, 6th Sense Curve 55.
Spawn typically starts around the first full moon after water temps reach the upper 50’s and goes for approx 2-3 weeks until water temps are typically low-mid 60’s. Starting at the spawn and afterwards then switch to more vertical presentations – wacky worm, Neko, drop-shot, Ned, etc.
I was just going to say…watch for the 50 degree mark. That seems to be the critical low point in which bass, more specifically largemouth, are active.
Similar to Ripjiggen, I made it out this afternoon looking for crappies. Found standing weeds around a mid-lake cattail island. No crappie, but caught a 3lb bass up tight to the old reeds on a white beetle spin in 2 fow. Water was 42-43deg. Panfish I did find were in 12-14’.
Thanks for all the helpful comments!
that’s some nice info. once the St Croix goes down I hope to utilize some of that
I found a video on youtube, they were fishing Madison WI lakes last weekend throwing jerk baits and swim jigs doing much better on the swim jigs. Just need the weather to hold out and hopefully we can put some hawgs in the boat!
Jig and a minnow under a bobber-little them watch that thing jiggle in place for a few minutes.
I found a video on youtube, they were fishing Madison WI lakes last weekend throwing jerk baits and swim jigs doing much better on the swim jigs. Just need the weather to hold out and hopefully we can put some hawgs in the boat!
Another option to consider in the really cold spring water is a Spy Bait.
As the fish are coming out of the deeps and before they start to bed, you can find them suspended and/or following bait balls in mid-depths. A lot of times jerk baits work great for this but sometimes the erratic action in really cold water doesn’t work.
A Spy Bait is a countdown method to whatever depth you’re seeing the fish on your graph – and then it’s a super slow retrieve but has buzzing propellers that get attention without being “in their face” like a jerk bait can be sometimes.
This smallie was caught on a Spy Bait last April in 48 degree water when nothing else worked.
I still prefer a jerk bait in most situations, but when there’s 25 fow and the fish are suspended over half way down, a Spy Bait will get down more efficiently at those depths.
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<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>scottaheller wrote:</div>
I found a video on youtube, they were fishing Madison WI lakes last weekend throwing jerk baits and swim jigs doing much better on the swim jigs. Just need the weather to hold out and hopefully we can put some hawgs in the boat!Another option to consider in the really cold spring water is a Spy Bait.
As the fish are coming out of the deeps and before they start to bed, you can find them suspended and/or following bait balls in mid-depths. A lot of times jerk baits work great for this but sometimes the erratic action in really cold water doesn’t work.
A Spy Bait is a countdown method to whatever depth you’re seeing the fish on your graph – and then it’s a super slow retrieve but has buzzing propellers that get attention without being “in their face” like a jerk bait can be sometimes.
This smallie was caught on a Spy Bait last April in 48 degree water when nothing else worked.
I still prefer a jerk bait in most situations, but when there’s 25 fow and the fish are suspended over half way down, a Spy Bait will get down more efficiently at those depths.
I have tried my hardest to get the spybait game working but man is it hard/frustrating to fish. Which brand are you using Frydog? I’ve been using the Duo Realis mostly but also have the Storm (I think) version as well. Also can’t figure out if I like using it with a baitcaster or spinning gear better.
I also saw some early spring bass videos with people have good success with swimjigs. That’s one tactic I’m going to be making a conscious effort to use more.
I just started experimenting with Spy Baits last year, but want to do more this year.
Yeah, can be lower return on lures like this but I think they’re designed to be used when fish are harder to catch – highly pressured, scattered, suspended, etc. Last year I started throwing them when the jerk bite slowed down so my expectations weren’t to catch a lot of fish anyway.
This year trying to be more proactive and if I side image a lake and find them suspended anyway to start with it instead of mop up with it. I do like the fact you can target variable depths better than a jerk bait.
I’m a baitcast guy and think it works just fine this way. It’s just a cast and slow retrieve so I don’t think spinning is a necessity. Key is lighter line though so I think it helps to go finesse baitcasting when the line/lures are small. I’m using a Phenix Feather 7-1 MLF, Daiwa Alpha SV, and 7 lb Sunline Sniper FC.
I have been experimenting with 3 spy baits:
•Arashi 08
•Berkley Spinbait 70
•Duo Realis 90
In the spring I go smaller with the Arashi or Berkley… I used the larger Duo 90 last year in late summer over a sunken island with suspended fish around the perimeter (only caught one fish and it was a small crappie about the same length as the lure!).
Let me know if you stay with it and have any luck this year.. Not a lot of 007 types up here in the north..
I still prefer a jerk bait in most situations, but when there’s 25 fow and the fish are suspended over half way down, a Spy Bait will get down more efficiently at those depths.
Aren’t there some deeper diving jerk baits now? I think rapala has a 12 foot ripstop and there might be a couple others that I’m not aware of.
Those suspended fish are a tough nut to crack. I can often see the arches on the sonar so I know they are there, but getting one to bite is difficult. Its like chasing a moving target.
It took me a long time to get turned on to using jerk baits. I had several in my tackle box and I gave them a try here or there, but with no success. I couldn’t even get a pike to take one. Then one day I started catching some fish on them. I’ve gradually learned how to adjust the cadence of it so that its more effective to the point where now I’ll even use them in the middle of summer for largies instead of solely using them for smallmouth in cold water.
Agree, it’s all about adjusting the cadence to water temps, time of year. And they don’t always work, but most times they do and are still my #1 cold water lure.
I got turned on to spybaiting in 2018 (I think) when a couple Elite Series guys cleaned up with them on Mille Lacs and St Claire when everyone else struggled.
I love using jerkbaits in the spring. They are really effective for me. Running them over points with tall weeds absolutely slays for the first two weeks of the season for me. I use the Strike King KVD Jerk. Suspends well out of the box and is super erratic. Keeping the line slack is key to getting the most out of a jerkbait.
As for the deeps, I’ve got some KVD Deep Jerks but I can’t get the feel for them. I have a hard time feeling what the lure is doing and can’t get confident in whether it’s getting deep enough.
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