Focus on Aggressive Bass During the Early Spring

As winter’s icy grip loosens from our favorite lakes, rivers and reservoirs, largemouth bass respond in predictable ways that make them more accessible to anglers and more reliable guests in the livewell. Steady increases in both water temperature and daylight hours trigger changes to bass metabolism and preferred locations as fish transition from relative lethargy to aggressive feeding postures.

Across their range, winter bass seek thermal stability by collecting in deep water, where temperatures remain relatively stable even in the face of cold fronts that deliver wind, rain and snow. Bass are certainly catchable from the depths throughout the winter months—as any Northern angler chasing bass through the ice will attest—even though water temperatures in the 30s to low 40s suppress bass metabolism and the urgency to feed with regularity.

As winter fades to spring, bass movements will be governed by preparation for the annual spawning rituals. These typically begin as surface temperatures warm into the mid 50s and as the photoperiod—the number of hours during which daylight penetrates the depths—steadily increases from annual lows. Not only will bass move toward and begin to collect in the shallows where they will eventually build beds and spawn, but their overall feeding attitude will become more aggressive as well, providing anglers with consistent opportunities throughout the spring as waters warm.

LOCATE COLD-WATER BASS

While the general direction of bass movement in the early spring is from deep to shallow, this transition does not occur overnight, and it tends to be quite sensitive to local weather conditions. To locate bass consistently throughout the spring, it is useful to recognize typical stopping or holding points where bass may collect as the water warms and days get longer, or where the fish may fall back to when strong spring storms make life in the shallows less appealing.

In a typical Southern reservoir, bass will move from deep water along the main river channel into the back ends of shallow creek arms where they will eventually spawn. Along the way, the first collection areas are often the primary points at the opening of the creek arms, followed by secondary points between the main channel and the creeks themselves. Hard-bottomed points with scattered rock are particularly important, as those bottom features will absorb heat from the sun during the day and release it into the water at night, helping to stabilize local water temperatures. Rocks are also a key foraging location as crawfish awaken from their wintertime slumber and re-enter the food web.

Backwater ponds are key destinations for bass that roam both large and smaller rivers. These areas are often spared from strong spring flows that make main channel areas less desirable from the bass’ perspective. In addition, more shallow cover, often in the form of fallen wood or brush, becomes accessible as water levels increase from spring rains. Any neck-down areas that separate the ponds from the main river, such as small channels, bridges or culverts, become key stopping points for bass as they move toward their eventual spawning locations.

In natural lakes, remnant weed edges in deep water are the first places to hunt for cold-water bass. Here, bass find both cover and forage, and these areas are also key locations for fish that are driven from shallow water by spring storms. As water temperatures continue to rise, look for bass in the season’s first green vegetation that crops up in 4 to 6 feet of water. With shallow cover options limited, small pockets of green weeds can be absolute bass bonanzas at this time of year.

TRIGGER THE BITE

I sort my cold-water bass presentations into one of two categories. Coverage presentations locate fish and trigger aggressive feeders, while finesse offerings tempt more lethargic bass. Have appropriate rods rigged for both aboard your boat in early spring.

The suspending jerkbait is a classic coverage technique for cold-water bassin’. With a wide range of diving depths available, jerkbaits allow anglers to target fish along the entirety of their deep-to-shallow transition. Recognize that the majority of jerkbait strikes occur during pauses in your retrieve cadence, and those pauses should be long in duration when water temperatures remain low.

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Square-billed crankbaits are effective coverage options when bass are cruising hard-bottomed points or when the fish are associated with rocks. Grind the lures down into the substrate to kick up an appealing trail of suspended sediment that mimics the debris kicked up by a spooked crawfish. Deflecting the square-bill off rocks or fallen timber is a reliable strike trigger.

A personal favorite coverage offering is a vibrating jig. Dress a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait with a slender soft-plastic trailer, and retrieve it adjacent to and through shallow cover at a speed just fast enough to activate the blade. Work pauses into the retrieve to probe deeper water and to trigger strikes from following bass.

Two finesse presentations belong on every cold-water angler’s deck: a weightless wacky worm and a Ned rig. Bass will often show a preference for slowly falling horizontal presentations, like the wacky rig, versus vertically falling lures, such as the Ned rig. Slow and subtle movements are the keys to successfully presenting either finesse offering.

A new fishing season is at our doorstep. Follow largemouth bass as they move from deep to shallow, tailoring your presentations to suit the location and the mood of the fish, to enjoy consistent early spring fishing.

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• This article was featured in the February 2024 issue of Game & Fish Magazine. Click here to subscribe.