Bass Fishing in Early Spring

There are many factors that play into where the bass are going to be come early spring. If you study the behavior of bass, you will have a better chance of catching the legendary hog worth telling the tale for your lifetime. We will help you understand bass behavior and get you in the right waters at the right time.

First, we need to understand what change the bass are experiencing from the transition from winter to spring. During the winter, the bass stay deep, and they feed erratically. They are lethargic from the cold waters to conserve energy during the winter months. As the waters begin to warm, the bass' metabolism begins to spike, and they need more energy during pre-spawn season to move to the spawning areas and spawn. This is the best time to catch the bass of a lifetime since they are wanting to consume just about anything and attach any species that pose a threat to the future of their spawn. Bass typically begin to move towards the shallows when water temperature reaches around 45-55 degrees (f). These temperatures are debated give or take a few but if the temperature is within this range, you should be safe.

Where do the Bass move to during early spring?

Bass start moving towards the shallows looking for the spawning beds but do not expect them to be in the shallows just yet. They will pool up in schools before the move and slowly make their way to the shallows depending on weather and water temperatures. Once the spring runoff begins to dump into the lakes from the streams and warm rains come, you could us this as a good indicator the bass are about to make their move. The young males will be the first to arrive to the shallows with the large females not far behind. They will start scouting the shallows for areas to make their spawning beds and clear out any threats in the area.

What structures do the Bass congregate at early spring?

Bass love structure. This gives them cover and makes it easier for them to catch their prey or ward off any predators in the area they wish to spawn. Look in the shallows for branches, rocks, reeds, or any other structure above or below water that could create cover. Also look for rock shelves not far off the shallows. Bass will hang out in these rock shelves just off the shallows. This is where the big females will congregate until they are ready for the spawn. Mouths of streams, coves, and peaks are the best places to look. There will not be many bass hanging out where there is strong current. They like the still water because it warms faster.

How deep will they be?

Again, depending on conditions, they may be in the shallows (1ft-10ft) or in the mid waters (10ft-20ft). If you are fishing early morning, I would suggest the mid waters to start. The sun has not quite come up all the way up and warmed the waters so they may hang a little deeper. Try fishing off rock shelves or drops and let your lure sink with a slow reel. When the sun begins to warm the area then move to the shallows. The bass will be looking to soak in the sun and prep their spawning areas. If the heat from the sun becomes too intense the bass will move to keep cool. If you are not having any luck and it is getting hot, look for shady spots in the shallows. If you cannot find a shady spot, try fishing in mid waters again.

Remember, during early spring the bass are constantly moving around looking to satisfy their appetite and find spawning grounds. Just because you had good luck in one spot does not mean that the bass will be there the next day. Look for indications of where they are. Birds have good vision through the water. If you see birds around then there is a good chance that the area is harboring some type of fish.

Happy fishing.