Just in time for Valentine’s Day, seven signs you are in love with prespawn bass fishing!
45° banks + 45° temps = 5 year-old on Christmas
When water temps creep into the mid-40s and begin moving towards 50, bass will start making their move. Look for channel swings in the creek or river on the main lake and follow structure or lanes to main-lake points that have a 45° slope. Bass will move to these banks first and they can move there in numbers.
Similar to the wintertime where you can find the bass stacked on one hump or river bend, pre-spawn is a great time to load up on big females on these banks. Pay special attention to banks that hold rocks. Rocks will heat up and hold heat mid-day through sundown. Fish deep to shallow and deep again. Paralleling the bank as you go. Baits that will get you 8-12 feet deep quickly are our favorites for this pattern.
The Words “Secondary Points” make you all tingly!
As the season progresses, continue to search out banks with the above characteristics. As the water warms, just move further into the creeks and coves. Secondary points are off the main lake and will guide your pre-spawn until water temperatures reach the low 60s.
Fish these points until you arrive at the last one before the bank transitions to pea gravel or flats.
The phrase “The Hawgs are Staging” Makes You Think About Flatsided Crankbaits
When it comes to choosing baits to use in this season, our favorite is a flat-sided crankbait or something close to it. The slim profile of the DT-6 fished on 8-10 pound Berkley Vanish is my absolute favorite. You have to pair this with the perfect rod and reel Combo. A fiber-glass rod with plenty of bend is a must as these big fish will test even the best treble hooks.
My favorite has been anything with David Fritts on it for the last 20 years. The one I currently use has landed my biggest bass over the last 20 years. It is a David Fritts American Rodsmith rod I bought at Academy in 2003.
You are in the top 1% of the 1% who use the phrase: “There ain’t nothing like a good jerk bait bite!”
Our next favorite lure is the jerkbait. Do not sell this lure short for the biggest bite of the prespawn fishing season or the year. Jerk, jerk, pause…jerk, jerk, pause…slack…fight! I get all giddy just thinking about it.
Again, your choice in terminal tackle is critical. I prefer a spinning rod with 15-pound Spiderwire stealth and a 4-foot 8-pound Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon leader. A medium-action rod is the Perfect Combo for this spinning set-up.
If Your Christmas Trees All Get Drown in 8 to 12 Feet of Water You’re in Love PreSpawn Bass Fishing
Prespawn fishermen are notoriously strategic. That means driving around looking for dying Christmas trees on the curb in your neighborhood and buying cinder blocks to hide the evidence. Finding those 45° banks and loading them can mean fantastic early spring bass fishing. WARNING: This strategy can also load the skillet with fat crappie.
Finding a Cove with 5° Higher Water Temps Gets You Fired Up
Bass will first be available to catch in the warmest water. After the first main-lake points start to slow as water temps creep into the upper 50s, pre-spawn bass fishermen can use water temperatures as a guide. Start this part of the season fishing banks on the north side of the lake, cove, or creek. These banks will get the most direct sun at this time of year which means those rocks you are looking for will hold heat better.
If you are lucky enough to find water in the pre-spawn that is 5° warmer. It is worth it to slow down and fish it thoroughly.
You Love Prespawn Bass Fishing If You’re A Bass Fisherman With a Pulse
It can be tough to get the timing right with cold-fronts and weekends, but hitting that magical day on the water is worth the effort. Any bass fisherman knows this is the time to improve your personal best. If you haven’t yet, get out there, find a pattern, and fall in love with prespawn bass fishing. Until next time, tight lines and fin time. We hope to see you out there searching for the PerfectCombofishing.
