Spring Crankbait Selection

As bass begin to make their springtime moves into the shallows from winter havens, finding the location of these fish is a major key to success.  Many bass anglers select lures allowing them to cover water fairly quickly (search baits) as we work to uncover bass migration routes and staging areas.

Crankbaits become a popular choice for spring bass fishing since many different types and sizes are offered by lure manufacturers. This great selection makes it easy to find a version to match the mood of early spring bass.

Of course anytime there are many different types of a bait available from which bass fisherman can chose, there is also significant room for making a less than optimal selection.

This is definitely the case when selecting the proper crankbait for spring bass fishing.

Spring Crankbait Fishing Success Clues …

Here are a five specific pointers to assist in selecting the right crankbait style for early spring bass fishing:

1. Select a crankbait with a minnow (stickbait or jerkbaits) or baitfish (like a Shad Rap & lipless cranks) shape with a tight wiggle and use color patterns matching minnow-type forage present in your lake;
2. Opt for a neutral buoyancy (suspending) bait since bass are still very sluggish;
3. Key on areas with cover (rocks, wood, weeds) on first breakline in four to twelve feet of water and close to deepwater;
4. Pause bait a different times during the retrieve for several seconds to give these somewhat frosty bass time to react;
5. Use different sizes of your tight wiggling crankbait to fish the 0’4′; 6′-8′ and 10′-12′ depth ranges. &
6. Don’t forget your squarebills and wiggle wart/rock crawlers  crankbait types as water temps warm!

Tips on Spring Crankbait Color Selection

Beyond determining the style of crankbaits for spring, color selection can also influence your early season bass fishing success.

Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, John Crews describes some of the factors he considers when selecting the right color pattern…