Fishing for Ice Out Smallmouth Bass

After a long north country winter, cabin fevered smallmouth bass anglers itch for the day the ice leaves and we can hit the water to connect with then ole brown fish.

Armed with our favorite ice-out baits like:

• hair jigs
• suspending crankbaits
• thin, flat-sided crankbaits (like shad raps)
• Small spoons or jigging minnows

we head out to find transition areas between their deep water wintering homes and the shallow feeding flats and spawning bays and probe those areas with our traditional ice-out lure arsenal.

There is one bait and presentation we sometimes overlooked shortly after the ice cover departs... using a yo-yo retrieve with a lipless crankbait. 

It can be a smallie killer under the right conditions as Doug Stange from InFiseherman demos in the following video...

I often use yo-yo retrieves with lipless cranks for ice-out largies with great success, time to try it on smallies as well!

Springtime Soft Jerkbait Tips

Northern bass anglers eagerly wait for ice-out and bright sunny days to start elevating water temperatures in our favorite honey holes. 

Once on the water, the best area to start searching for thawing bass can be the vegetated bays, coves and cuts on the north side of the lake. Combining the maximum sun exposure these areas receive in the spring with the darker bottoms means faster heating and the warmest water in the lake.

Warmer water draws baitfish which in turn draws bass eager to chow down after the sluggish cold water period. 

What's the perfect bait for probing these weedy bass haunts?

A Texas-rigged, fluke-style soft jerkbait is often the right lure for the hunt!

Take a moment and listen to Kyle of Wired2Fish explain his reasons and approach when fishing these weedy cuts for springtime bass...

Hair Jigs and Smallmouth Bass

One of the oldest baits around doesn't look like much but when fished correctly can be a smallmouth killer even under the toughest of conditions...

Take a simple jighead typically ranging in size from 1/16 to 1/4 oz, tie on some animal or synthetic fur, adorn it with a trailer at times and out pops a piece of smallmouth candy, a simple hair jig...

Take a moment and watch the following video from the folks at InFisherman and see what I mean...

Why Bass Love Soft Plastic Baits

So why do bass love soft plastic baits?

Simply because they mimic many types of bass food and afford the bass angler the widest range of versatility when in comes to presentation...

Take a moment and watch this quick video from the folks at In-Fisherman and Game & Fish to see what I mean!

Favorite Smallmouth Baits and Colors

What are the best baits and bait colors for smallmouth bass?

Some might say it all depends on where you live and the types of smallmouth waters you fish.

Though bait and color selection is always somewhat subjective, there are some bait styles and colors that will catch smallmouth where ever you fish as long as the conditions are right.

Take a moment and hear what fishing legend Al Lindner has to say about his favorite baits and colors when chasing smallies across the U.S.

Though Al names his favorite bait brands, obviously similar baits from other manufacturers should work just as well! 

Give them a try!