Bass Movements and Preferred Baits During the Prespawn

The bass prespawn period typically refers to the time from late winter/early spring and leading up to the spawning season.

The exact timing and stages of this period can vary depending on factors such as nature of the water body, its geographic location and weather conditions that year, but generally, it happens in three main stages:

Pre-spawn staging: This stage occurs in the early spring when water temperatures start to rise into the low to mid 40°F range. Bass start to move from their deeper water wintering a holes toward shallow water areas such as flats, points, and creek mouths where they will eventually spawn. During each push towards the shallows, they begin to feed heavily in preparation for the nest building, courting and ultimately the spawn.

Pre-spawn migration: As water temperatures continue to rise from the upper 40s and to the upper 50s, bass start to move across mid-depth points and flats to their final spawning areas. They may move up tributaries, up along deeper points or follow shallow flat breaklines, before moving into adjacent shallows looking for the perfect spot to build their nests. During this stage, bass are very active and will aggressively feed on baitfish and other prey.

Spawn: The spawning stage occurs when water temperatures reach 60-68°F, usually in late March to late May in most regions. Bass build nests in shallow water typically around some type of cover and engage in courtship behavior. Females lay their eggs in the nest while males fertilize them. During this stage, bass are less likely to feed but may become more territorial and aggressive towards intruders.

It's important to note that all bass do not spawn at the same time and that these stages overlap depending on the specific conditions in a given location. Understanding the prespawn period and the behavior of bass during this time is the key to catching more springtime bass.

Top Prespawn Bass Baits

During the prespawn, bass are beginning to move from their winter haunts to shallower water in preparation for spawning. To entice these transitioning bass, it's important to have the right lures in your tackle box. 

Here are some of the top lures for prespawn bass:

Lipless crankbaits: Lipless crankbaits are a versatile option for prespawn bass fishing. They can be fished at different depths and retrieved at various speeds to imitate a range of prey. When the water is still cool, try a slow, steady or yo-yo (lift-drop) retrieve from deep water areas up slope to the shallows. As the water warms up, speed up your retrieve to trigger more aggressive strikes. In all cases, strive to keep the bait around cover such as weed beds, rocks, stumps, and shell beds.

Squarebill Crankbaits: During the mid to late prespawn, squarebill crankbaits are ideal for fishing in shallow water around cover. They have a wide wobble and deflect off of rocks, wood or other hard cover, making them highly effective at triggering strikes from feeding or territorial bass. Squarebills come in a variety of sizes and colors, making it easy to match the local forage and water conditions.

Jigs: In the early part of the prespawn, football jigs are a great option for fishing around crawfishin-holding cover, such as rocks, laydowns or brush piles. They can be fished slowly along the bottom and hopped over obstacles to trigger strikes from bass that are holding tight to cover. During the latter part of the prespawn and through the spawn, swim jigs are often the preferred jig option since it mimics baitfish moving around the shallows or attempting to raid bass beds for eggs or fry.

Jerkbaits: Jerkbaits are a great choice for targeting prespawn bass in clear water. They have a suspending action and can be worked slowly to imitate a wounded baitfish. Jerkbaits are effective when worked with short, sharp twitches and pauses, which can trigger reaction strikes from aggressive bass.

Chatterbaits: A chatterbait consists of a skirted jig head with a metal blade attached to the jig’s line tie.  The blade produces a vibrating action as it moves through the water, which creates a distinctive sound and attracts the attention of the fish. Chatterbaits come in a variety of sizes allowing them to be fished around shallow or deep cover. They are often fished by reeling steadily or with short, sharp jerks to create a pulsing motion to trigger strikes.

Spinnerbaits: Spinnerbaits are a classic bass lure that can be effective in the prespawn period. Look for spinnerbaits with Colorado-style blades that create a lot of vibration in cool, stained water. Experiment with different blade colors, skirt patterns and trailers, as well as retrieve speeds/actions to find the combination that triggers prespawn bass to bite.

When fishing clear water or dealing with finicky bass there are two other lures many prespawn anglers keep rigged and ready to use: the soft stickbait and the Ned rig. Both baits are available in a variety of sizes, colors, and rigging options making them fantastic options when subtle presentations are required.