Best Baits for Spawning Bass

The bass spawn...

A time when bass anglers can be rewarded with their biggest catch of the year or a time of extreme frustration when trying to decipher how to get the bass to strike.

Though the word spawn my trigger visions of big bass sitting on their beds, in reality many of the bass are still fairly mobile and can often be caught on a variety of presentations. 

Take a moment and listen as bass pro Greg Hackney discusses in this video giving his thoughts on the best bass spawn baits!

Though several of his selections aren't surprising, a few definitely were to me 😎

Subtle Presentation for Post Spawn Bass

Once bass finish spawning, they'll often move to dense shoreline cover to recoup and gear-up for the post spawn feed. Give the wary nature of post spawn bass, even the slightest change in the environment will send them into deep funk and they become very lethargic.

It often takes a slow, subtle presentation to get the attention of funky post spawners and a weedless swimbait with a twist maybe just the trigger need to coax these stubborn fish into striking...

Take a moment and watch how the guys from W2F trigger strikes from funky post spawn bass holding in dense shoreline cover...

Use a Creme Scoundrel for Shallow Bass

Still looking for new approaches to catch shallow bass during the spring?  Here is another technique to help put reluctant bass into the boat!

The method involves using an “oldie but goodie” bass bait that many bedding bass find irresistible … Creme Lure’s Scoundrel plastic worm in their “Live Color” pattern. Creme’s Scoundrel worm has been on the market since 1949 and still produces fish when other baits fail.

As a matter of fact, the “Live Color” Scoundrel was one of the first plastic worms I fished dating back to … well let’s just say more than a couple of years  …

Though I often switched between this worm and Mann’s Jelly Worms, I almost always fished the Scoundrel when fishing for bass in the shallows throughout the spring.

Most of the time, I opted for the 6″ Scoundrel in the “Live Color” pattern rigging it one of five different ways depending on the mood of the bass:

1. A weightless Texas Rig
2. A weightless Wacky Rig
3. Texas Rig with a 1/16 oz. or 1/32 oz. bullet weight
4. A light (1/16 oz. or 1/32 oz.) jighead or
5. A split shot rig.

Once the rig was selected, the two weightless rigs along with the weighted Texas rig were fished slowly, sometimes literally dragging the bait across the shallow flats and the split shot and jighead rigs were usually fished somewhat faster.  

Always remember, experimenting with the retrieve helps identify the presentation preferred by the bass under prevailing conditions.

So the next time you hear out during the spring, be sure you pack a few “Live Color” Creme Scoundrels to help entice those reluctant bedding largemouths …

Time for Big Bass: May’s Moon Phases, Spawn and Astro Tables

It’s the time of year when many fishermen will seek big bass as all members of the bass family move to the banks to spawn around the major moon phases during May.  

The astute bass angler will pay close attention to the major and minor activity periods by studying the alignment of celestial bodies compiled on astro charts or solunar tables for bass fishing.

In the following video, Doug Hannon, ESPN’s Bass Professor, (R.I.P. sir) explains the importance of the moon phases on fish and wildlife activity levels, especially big bass:

Next I have listed several links to solunar-based fishing time sites for your reference …

Bassmaster Fishing Calendars

InFisherman Best Fishing Times

US Primetimes Solunar Charts

Fish & Game Forecast by Yamaha

Good luck and have a great big bass season this year!

Tips for Fishing Finesse Jerkbaits

When the water is chilled and a cold front passes, even the reliable 110 size jerkbait can stop triggering bass into striking. 

It's not that the bass won't hit a jerkbait under those conditions, it just takes a few adjustments to entice chilled bass back into the biting mood.

Take a moment and watch as the guys from W2F explain their tips when fishing jerkbaits for lethargic, post front bass...

So the next time you're faced with chilled, lethargic bass try downsizing the bait, using more natural color patterns, slow the cadence and match the rod combo to the size bait you're throwing!