Fishing Poppers for Spring Bass

Fishing for spring bass with poppers is a popular technique among anglers. Poppers imitate the action of a struggling baitfish on the water's surface, attracting bass to strike.

How to Fish Poppers for Spring Bass

When it comes to fishing poppers for spring bass, there are a few tips that you can keep in mind to increase your chances of success:

Choose the right gear: Depending on the size of the popper, they can be fished on either spinning or casting gear. You’ll want to use a 6.5-7.25-ft medium or medium-heavy power, fast action rod and matching reel with 10-17-lb monofilament line that can handle the weight of your popper.

Look for active fish: Bass tend to be more active in the spring, so look for areas where they may be feeding on baitfish near the surface.

Use a slow retrieve: To make your popper look like a natural meal, use a slow and steady retrieve. Start with short, gentle pulls, and increase the speed as needed.

Vary your presentation: If you’re not getting bites, try changing up your presentation. This could mean using a different retrieve cadence, or trying a different popper color/size.

Watch for strikes: When a bass hits your popper, you’ll see a splash or hear a “pop” sound. Be prepared to set the hook after feeling the weight of the bass on your line.

Popular Popper Brands/Models

There are many different brands and models of poppers on the market. Some of the most popular brands include Rebel, Storm, and Rapala. Some of the most popular models include the Rebel Pop-R, the Storm Arashi Cover Pop, and the Rapala Skitter Pop.

Take a moment and watch as Rapala/Storm pro Seth Feider discusses his preferences for springtime popper fishing and how one particular popping bait is a pretty good walking topwater as well...

Cranking Rivers for Spring Bass

Spring is a great time to fish for bass on rivers. As the weather warms, the Sun rises higher in the sky, and the water starts to heat up, bass become more active, move towards the bank and feed-up before they spawn. 

One of the most effective ways to target spring bass on rivers is by fishing cover near strucutre with crankbaits. 

Here are several tips to help you more bass this spring:

Focus on structure and cover: Bass will often hold near structure such as channel swing banks with cover like rocks, logs, or docks, so focus your cranking efforts in these areas. Crankbaits can be particularly effective since they can be used to bounce off the cover triggering reaction strikes from bass staging in it.

Select the right crankbait: Different styles of crankbaits work best in different depth conditions. For example, shallow-running crankbaits are ideal for cranking shallow water, while medium to deep-diving crankbaits work better for fishing deeper cover.

Match crankbait color to the water color: The color of your crankbait can make a big difference in how many bites you get. If the water is clear, go with natural colors like perch, shad or crawfish. In murky water, try brighter colors like red, chartreuse or orange.

Vary your retrieval speed: Experiment with different speeds of retrieval until you find the one that the bass are most responsive to during that outing. Sometimes, a fast, erratic retrieve will work, while other times a slow, steady retrieve will be more effective.

Pay attention to the current: Rivers are always moving, so it's important to cast your crankbait upstream and retrieve it downstream with the current. Retrieving the crankbait with the current makes your lure look natural triggering more strikes from bass holding around cover.

Take a few moments and watch the following video from the folks at W2F where bass pro Bob Downey provides an on the water demo of his approach for cranking river for spring bass...

Using Football Jigs for Spring Bass

Spring is a fantastic time to fish for bass, and football jigs can be a great bait for catching them. Football jigs imitate crawfish and can be fished in a variety of ways to entice bass into striking. 

Here are seven tips for using football jigs to catch more bass this spring:

Match the jig to the conditions: Choose the weight and color of your jig based on the depth and clarity of the water, and the type of cover you're fishing. When fishing shallow, clearer water or areas with dense cover, start with a lighter (1/4-oz or 3/8-oz) jig and use heavier jigs when fishing deeper water (early prespawn or late post spawn).

Match the color to the water conditions: The color of your football jig should match the color of the water you are fishing in. If the water is murky or stained, go for a darker color like black or brown. If the water is clear, use a lighter color like green or brown.

Use a trailer: Adding a trailer to your football jig can make it look more lifelike and increase your chances of getting a strike. A crawfish or creature bait trailer can work well in the spring.

Use fluorocarbon line: Fluorocarbon line is abrasion resistant and less visible in the water than other types of line, making it a great choice for fishing with jigs.

Fish it slow: Football jigs are best fished slowly, so drag the jig along the bottom and let it bounce off any rocks or other structure and if the bite is slow, try dead-sticking the jig for several seconds during the retrieve. Restarting the retrieve after dead-sticking can often trigger finicky followers into striking. Even though slow retrieves usually work best, don't be afraid to experiment with different retrieves to see what works for the conditions you're fishing.

Pay attention to bass movement: Changes in the spring weather can affect how bass behave and where they're located. During the prespawn and part of the post spawn, many bass will be moving either from or back to deeper water. During these times focus some of your attention on the deep to shallow transition areas for migrating bass. Use upslope retrieves during the prespawn and down-slope retrieves during the post spawn to intercept transitioning bass.

Focus on cover: Football jigs are great for fishing around cover like rocks, logs, and weed beds. Look for areas where bass are likely to be hiding and fish the jig slowly around and through those spots.

By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to catching more bass this spring with football jigs. Remember to stay focused and keep experimenting until you find what works best for you and the conditions you're fishing in.

Fishing Boat Docks for Spring Bass

As the weather begins to warm up and ice out occurs, bass anglers get geared up for some spring bass fishing. One of the most popular and effective ways to catch spring bass is by fishing boat docks. 

Docks provide ideal cover for bass, so understanding how to fish them can greatly increase your chances of catching more and bigger spring bass. 

Here are several tips for fishing boat docks for spring bass:

Look for high-quality docks: Not all docks are created equal. Look for docks with more structural features like multiple levels, ladders, or pilings. These features create more cover and increase the chances of finding bass. Additionally, docks that are in deeper water are more likely to hold bigger fish.

Use finesse baits: In the spring, bass are often not as aggressive as they are during the summer months. This means that using finesse baits like finesse jigs, Ned rigs, shaky heads, or wacky rigs are often highly effective in triggering strikes. These subtle baits allow you to present the bait slowly and methodically, making it more enticing to a lethargic fish holding close to posts and other dock elements.

Approach the dock quietly: Docks can be a haven for shallow bass, but they can also be easily spooked. Approach the dock quietly and slowly to avoid scaring any fish that may be lurking below. Using an electric trolling motor when moving around the dock to help keep the noise to a minimum. Try to avoid slamming you bait into the dock as casting at the dock as well since the sudden noise and vibrations can also spook dock-relating bass.

Spring Smallmouth Bass and Buzzbaits

Here’s a great tip to both help catch more smallmouths this spring and explosive strikes at the same time …

It’s definitely a little slice of springtime smallmouth fishing paradise!

The technique involves fishing buzzbaits for smallmouth bass once the water temp approaches 50 degrees and continues right through the spring season.

The pattern is actually very straight forward and targets staging smallies as they either prepare to invade the shallow spawning areas or are starting to make the transition back to deeper water.

Position the boat along the first major breakline (usually in 8 to 12 feet of water) then fish the buzzbait parallel to the break and stopping to fan-cast the bait over the shallows every so often.

Play with the cadence of the retrieve and find what entices them, the hold onto your rod and enjoy the fight!

When fishing river situations, getting your buzzbait to plane as soon as it hits the water can be key as explained in this  video…

Fishing the Whopper Plopper for Spring Bass

Spring is a great time for fishing and the Whopper Plopper can be a great lure to use as both bass and prey move into the shallows to feed. 

Here are several tips for using the Whopper Plopper and similar plopper-style baits for spring bass fishing:

Choose the right size plopper and gear: It’s often important to choose the right size Whopper Plopper, when fishing for spring bass. The size of the lure should match the size of the bass forage and gear being used during your spring outing. The #60 size Whopper Plopper is usually best fished with light spinning tackle and when bass are eating small forage; the #75 & #90 sizes fished with medium power casting or spinning gear and when bass are targeting mid-sized forage; and the #110 & #130 sizes should be fished on M/H to H power casting gear when bass are on larger forage or you're targeting larger bass. As with all topwater baits, it's usually best to use either monofilament or braided line when fishing plopper-style baits.

Catch More Smallmouth Bass This Spring

Did you ever wonder how to catch more smallmouth bass in the springtime?

I know I have!

Springtime smallmouth bass fishing offers the greatest opportunity to catch both numbers of fish as well as providing the chance at a real trophy …

In order to optimize your chances for both quality and quantities of smallmouth bass in the spring you have to understand the basics of bass migration and bait preferences.

Al Lindner and Dan Surra of Angling Edge TV do a fantastic job of summarizing the key factors you need to learn to increase your spring-time smallmouth bass fishing success in the following video …

Hopefully you made a few notes on how to catch more spring-time smallmouths and you will put more bass in the boat this spring season!

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:

How To Avoid Fishing Beds During The Spawn

A couple of incidences got me thinking about an approach I often use when heading out to my favorite bass haunts throughout the spring season…

Though springtime and bass equate to cruising the shallows in search of fish around spawning flats for many anglers a few of us take a different approach when starting our trips…

Best part of this approach… it avoids putting more pressure on bedding bass!

What’s so different about my approach?

I tend to start each day on the water by focusing on transitional fish with a buzzbait rather than focusing on those up on the flats partaking in the spawning ritual!

This approach was originally developed when fishing several reservoirs of the Rocky Mountain west and has also been used successfully on lakes in the mid-west and up into New England.

Now it’s time for an example…

Looking at the map of Johns Pond on Cape Cod (Mass) provided below, my day starts by heading to the southeast corner of the pond and positioning the boat over the 10 foot contour.

Downsize Baits for More Spring Bass

Fishing for bedding bass provides many anglers their best opportunity to catch a trophy bass. Though spawning bass are usually easy to spot against their fanned-out beds, catching them can often be frustrating …

Most bass fisherman revert to standard bass baits (jigs, worms and sometimes topwaters) when fishing for bedding bass and more recently specialized sinking worms and soft-stickbaits.

Depending on the stage of the spawn, bedding bass can be aggravated into striking or moving “conventional-sized” bass lures.  Much of the time, however, bedding bass will refuse most of the normal-sized morsels dropped into their liar.

When encountering those times when bass are reluctant to strike normal-sized offerings, down-sizing your lure selection increases success for bedding bass!

Three Mini-baits To Cure Bedding Bass Blues …

Over the years, I have found these three bite-sized morsels can turn hesitant spawner into an aggressive defender of their bedding territory …

The eighth-ounce jig and trailer combo …

Try using this down-sized version of the jig ‘n pig favorite of most bass anglers.  With it’s smaller profile and slower fall, this mini-morsel can often trigger strikes causing bass to pounce on it once it enters their lair …

A “Fuzz-E-type” grub on a eighth or sixteenth ounce roundball jig head offers not only the smaller profile and slower fall but the added advantage of being far different than most baits dropped into their beds …

Over a decade ago, the Yamamoto Senko re-ignited the bass angler’s interest in sinking worm-type baits after introducing the four and five inch version of this great bass bait.

Boasting both a slow fall rate and enticing wiggle during decent, the sinking worms on the market today are a staple in every bass fisherman’s arsenal. When bedding bass resist the longer sinking minnow offerings, switching to the shorter, stubbier, three-inch version can be just what the doctor ordered for that bedding trophy bass strike!

Other small baits can work equally well on bed fish including a 3.5" hellgrammite rigged on a Ned-style jig head which was dragged through a bedding fish's domain. This bass just couldn't stand the little hellgie invading its turf!

So remember, sometimes downsizing pays off, not only in numbers of bass but quality fish too!

Pattern Spring Bass to Increase Fishing Success

Heading out to your favorite bass lake for some early spring bass fishing?

Take the time and learn how to pattern the fish and determine exactly where they are positioned in their winter to springtime transition. If you are fortunate enough to fish a lake with populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, one thing is certain … each fish reacts differently to the changing environment and utilizes sections of the lake.

Join Al Lindner of Angling Edge TV on one of his first spring trips to a favorite bass haunts and notice how he and his partner carefully pattern each species to determine exactly where the fish are staging in the following video …

I think you will agree spending the time to carefully note where and how you are catching fish definitely results in increasing your bass fishing success!

Spring Bass Fishing Secrets

Most of us have experienced a very long winter and we’re definitely ready for a little spring bass fishing.

One of my favorite times to hit the water is shortly after ice-out when the water temperatures have risen to about 40 degrees F.

The four baits I usually have rigged on these early spring bass fishing outings include: 

1) a minnow-pattern hair jig, 

2) a lipless crankbait 

3) blade baits & 

4) an inline spinner.

Each of these baits allow me to slowly work my way around transition areas from deep to shallow water with a variety of different retrieves.

This approach let’s me identify the key elements such as proper depth and presentation technique leading to spring fishing success.

Oh … and one of my secrets to working the lipless crankbait; cast the lure from the shallow side on a main lake point into deeper water letting it settle to the bottom on a fairly tight line.  Once the lure makes contact, begin a slow yo-yo retrieve up the point and hold on since this method often yields some of my biggest spring-time bass!

Here are a few more tips for preparing for a successful spring bass fishing trip…

Ten (10) Tips for Spring Bass Fishing

In the spirit of sharing useful insight from other bass anglers, here is a great summary article by Ron Kurucz recently posted on Ezine Articles:

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10 Tips For Spring Bass

By Ron Kurucz

Spring may be the best time of the year to catch largemouth bass, but lots of fishermen don’t make the most of it. Far too many of us tend to fish the same way day after day, randomly casting along shorelines in a hit or miss fashion. If the bass don’t cooperate, we figure they just aren’t feeding and let it go at that. Sure, we manage to catch a few bass, but that’s because even a blind hog will find an acorn occasionally. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to make some changes. This means giving more thought to things like weather, water temperature and the changing patterns bass adapt to as they go through their long spawning cycles. 

The following tactics can get you started on the right track. Use them and you’ll not only catch more bass this spring, but you’ll also have a much better shot at hooking into a lunker.

1. Get Started Early:

One thing that bass have in common with us is that they think about spawning a long time before they get around to it. That means largemouths – and especially the biggest females – often begin making forays into shallows to check out spawning areas weeks, even months, before the first leaves appear on the trees. During this prespawn period, it’s not unusual to make outstanding catches in March and April, even February or earlier from the mid-Atlantic states on south. One key is to fish during warm spells in the early spring, especially if these periods last several days. It doesn’t take a heat wave to launch big bass on a feeding spree. Often daytime highs in the upper 50s will do it. Look for two distinct patterns. If it’s still early in the spring, fish points and deeper shorelines in water four to eight feet deep using spinnerbaits, rattling minnow lures, jig n pigs or diving crankbaits. Bass use these mid-depths as transitional staging areas before they move shallow into the shallows. Don’t neglect the shallows, however. Even early, big bass often move inshore, but a cold snap will quickly force them back to deeper water. When you find bass in shallow areas, they’ll be hungry. Try them with spinnerbaits, rattling lures or shallow diving minnow imitations.

2. Fish the Weather Fronts:

Those warm periods in the spring are frequently followed by bitter, fast moving cold fronts. Knowledgeable bass fishermen learn to look for these patterns because the best fishing is likely to occur on the last warm day before that sharp cold front passes through. Sometimes fishing peaks as the wind begins to rise and the weather deteriorates. Ideally, you’d like to start fishing in your shirt sleeves and finish in a goose down jacket. Slow moving fronts that don’t create sharp and rapid drops in temperature aren’t usually as reliable, but they may still provide decent fishing. After a cold front passes you’ll almost invariably have very poor fishing the first couple of cold, clear days.

3. Keep Track of the Water Temperature:

Fishing Cover For Spring Smallies

Mention spring and sight fishing in the same sentence and most anglers vision targeting spawning smallmouth and largemouth bass around their beds…

Though sight fishing for spawners is a common spring approach, there’s another tactic that can be just as productive throughout the spring season…

Sight fishing visible structure for migrating smallies as they cruise the shallows during their spring rituals as explained by Doug Stange of InFisherman TV in the following video… 

Did you also notice his lure selection when targeting these active smallies?

Two rods rigged with bottom baits and two others tied with different sized jerkbaits for a mid-depth presentation…

One other rod I would have ready to go…

A 6’6″ medium action casting rod rigged with a 1/4 oz. to 3/8 oz. buzzbait…

Definitely an exciting way to take the numerous crusing smallies traversing shallow, cover-laden flats…

Prespawn Crankin' Tips

It's the prespawn period and the bass are chomping on crankbaits.

What's the crankbait of choice?

A flat-sided crankbait like the Rapala Shad Rap right?

Maybe but in most chases a variety of crankbaits covering depths from 2 to 10+ feet is often more effective especially when current is involved.

Take a moment and watch this prespawn crankin' tutorial by Rapala pro Gerald "G-man" Swindle on his approach to crankbait fishing for prespawn bass...

3 Great Springtime Bass Baits

 What do speed worming, punching & prop rippin' have to do with spring fishing?

Some feel these are some of the best baits to use on southern waters as bass move up on the spawning flats.

Take a moment and see what they mean...

Have to wonder if some of those baits/presentations will work in the north country?

Hmmmm :)

Probing the Ditch for Post Front Springtime Bass

Springtime can be a great time to catch lots of decent size bass as they begin there move across the flats in search of their spawning areas. Spring is also a time when lots of weather fronts cross our favorite bassin' lakes sending our prey in search of deeper water.

Man-made ditches, natural drains & creek channels traversing across the flats often provide that deeper water haven front-shocked bass seek.

Finding the key areas along the depression's path and probing those spots with yo-yo'd lipless crankbaits can often mean the difference between a day of just fishing or catching bass.

Take a moment, watch the following video and see what I mean :)

Using Jerkbaits for Springtime Post Front Smallmouth Bass

More often than not springtime cold fronts will send northern largemouth bass into an inactive funk.

Smallmouth bass however tend to be far less effected by post frontal conditions especially when an erratically darting jerkbait comes to an abrupt stop right n front of their face!

Take a moment and see how the folks from W2F use bright colored suspending jerkbaits to trigger post frontal smallmouth bass into attacking...

A few things to remember:

• Don't be afraid to try different color patterns (natural and bright) to see what the bass want
• Pick the right rod
• Remember to make multiple casts at different casting angles

Tips for Fishing the Bank in Spring

Winter is gone & spring is here…

The first major sunny warming trends is underway on your favorite bassin’ honey hole…

Where do you start?

Major/secondary points offering the transition from deeper wintering holes or…

Take a moment, watch the video and listen to what FLW Pro Terry Bolton has to say about fishing the bank in the early spring!

One thing is certain about fishing in the spring, the bass are heading to the shallows to prep for the spawn...

Looks like it might be time to keep those baits close to shore during your first springtime trip this year!

Agreed? :)