Fishing Glide Baits for Spring Bass

A glide bait is a type of fishing lure that is designed to imitate the movement of a swimming baitfish. It typically has a long, slender body and a jointed construction that allows it to move in a side-to-side or "gliding" motion when retrieved.

Fishing glide baits effectively requires the right rod and reel combo. A 7-ft plus medium-heavy to heavy baitcasting rod paired with a matching baitcasting reel spooled with 12-20 lb test fluorocarbon line is recommended for fishing with glide baits of various sizes.

To fish a glide bait for bass in the spring, you'll want to focus on areas where bass are likely to be holding, such as near deep to shallow structure breaklines or around shallow cover. Start by casting the lure out and letting it sink to the desired depth, then begin a slow, steady retrieve.

As you retrieve the lure, use a combination of rod twitches and pauses to create an erratic, gliding action that mimics the movement of a wounded baitfish. This can often draw bass out from cover to show their location and even trigger strikes from hungry bass at times.

It's important to note that fishing a glide bait requires practice and patience, as it can take some time to get the right rhythm and timing down to pique a bass' interest. But with a bit of experimentation, you can often find great success using glide baits throughout the spring.

Bass pro Patrick Walter's relies on glide baits to produce some of the biggest bass he catches each spring. Take a moment and listen as Patrick discusses his techniques when fishing glide baits...

If you are new to glide baits and want to check out the different types of gear available for fishing glide and other large swimbaits, click on the following link to see the variety of hard-body swimbait gear available at Omnia Fishing:

Omnia's Hard-body Glide & Swimbait Gear Selection

Tips for Fishing Dense Vegetation

Fishing in heavy vegetation can be challenging but also highly rewarding, so be patient, precise with presentations, and persistent when working dense vegetation. 

By understanding the nuances of weed bed make-up; using the right techniques and equipment; and remaining alert, you increase your chances of landing a potential personal best that may be lurking beneath the vegetative canopy.

Here are some tips to help you catch more and bigger bass from heavy vegetation:

Use heavy tackle: Working baits in and bass out of heavy vegetation can put a lot of strain on your gear, so use a heavy rod and line to pull fish out of the weeds. A 7-foot or longer heavy or extra-heavy rod with 50-65 lb braided line will give you the power and sensitivity needed to handle big bass when fishing thick cover; a 7-foot M/H action rod with 15-25 lb fluorocarbon line works well when fishing weed edges and lanes.

Use weedless lures: Heavy vegetation can quickly tangle and snag your lures, making it difficult to fish effectively. To combat this, use weedless lures like plastic worms, frogs, or spinnerbaits that are designed to be fished in and around vegetation without getting snagged.

Try punching: If the vegetation is particularly thick, you may want to try a punching technique. This involves using a heavy weight and a weedless rigged, thin-profile soft plastic bait to punch through the vegetation and get your lure to the bass below.

Fish the edges: Look for areas where the vegetation meets open water or where there are breaks (indents, lanes, points) in the weed line. Bass often hang out in these areas, waiting for prey to venture out into the open. When fishing edges additional baits like lipless and squarebill crankbaits, walking and prop-type topwaters, and suspending jerkbaits come into play.

Target shady areas: Vegetation provides shade and bass are known to seek refuge in these cooler areas during the hot summer months. Fish these shady pockets with snag-proof baits like jigs and Texas-rigged soft plastics.

Take a moment and watch as bass pro and 2022 Classic Champ Jason Christie offers some great insight into his approach to selecting baits when fishing dense vegetation below:

Locating Early Season Smallmouths

The ice has recently departed on your local smallmouth pond and after a long winter you're itchy to connect with a few of these ole brown fish. 

Question is; where do you start your search to increase the odds at catching your favorite finny prey rather than just fishing for them?

There are several strategies that you can try to locate early spring smallmouth bass in natural lakes with rock and sand grass as cover. 

Here are some to consider:

Look for transition areas along main structures: Smallmouth bass tend to move from deeper water to shallower water as the water temperature rises in the spring. Look for areas where there is a transition from deep to shallow water, such as a drop-off, submerged island or a point. Start fishing near the base of the drop-off and work your way into the shallows.

Focus on warmer water: Smallmouth bass are more active in warmer water, so look for areas where the water is slightly warmer than the surrounding water. This can be caused by the sun shining on a shallow rocky area, near springs, dark bottomed bays or south-facing shorelines.

Look for cover: Smallmouth bass like to hang out near structure, such as rocks, logs, or weed beds. Look for areas with cover associated with structure and fish them thoroughly.

Experiment with baits: In early spring, smallmouth bass may be less active and more finicky. Try using a variety of baits, such as tube jigs, lipless crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits and finesse soft plastic rigs (drop shot and Ned rigs), until you find what works.

Use bait that imitates their prey: Smallmouth bass feed on a variety of prey, including crayfish, minnows, and insects. Try using lures that mimic these prey items, such as jigs, crankbaits, or soft plastics.

Keep moving: If you're not having success in one area, don't be afraid to move to another. Smallmouth bass can be quite mobile, so it may take some trial and error to find where they are feeding.

Want more tips on locating early season smallmouths? 

Take a few minutes and watch as smallmouth bass guru Kevin VamDam discusses several of the factors he considers when searching for early season smallmouths...

Spinnerbait Tips for the Prespawn

Spinnerbaits are a versatile lure that can be used in a variety of conditions and situations, especially during the prespawn. 

By adjusting the size, color, and blade configuration of your spinnerbait, you can tailor your cool water spinnerbait presentation to the specific conditions you'll face this time of year. 

Here are a few reasons why you might choose to use a spinnerbait in this season:

They Trigger Aggressive Bass: In the spring, bass are often more aggressive as they prepare for the spawning season. Spinnerbaits can create a lot of vibration and movement in the water, which can trigger a response from these aggressive fish, especially when paired with a good trailer like a paddletail swimbait.

Dirty Water Abounds: Spring rains can cause the water in lakes and rivers to become murky to muddy. Spinnerbaits with large Colorado blades can create a lot of flash and vibration, making them more visible and enticing to bass in these conditions.

Prespawn Bass Love Cover: During the prespawn, bass start their move into shallow water as they prepare to spawn. Spinnerbaits can be very effective around shallow cover such as logs, rocks, docks, and weed beds, due to their snag resistant design.

Tips for Skipping Large Soft Swimbaits Under Docks

Skipping large soft swimbaits under docks can be a highly effective technique for catching bass. It definitely requires skill earned through practice, patience, and the right equipment to successfully place the swimbait under the dock and entice bass into striking.

Skipping is a technique where you cast the bait low and parallel to the water's surface so that it skips across and travels under the dock past the high percentage spots where the biggest bass tend to reside. This technique mimics disturbed baitfish drawing the attention of bass hiding in the darkest shadows beneath the dock to either bite or follow the bait out and expose their location.

Many angler's consider Megabass' 6" Magdraft soft swimbait as one of the best dock-skipping swimbaits because of its flat sides and magnetic weight that holds the treble hook in place as the bait skips across the surface.

Bass pro Chris Zaldain is considered one of the best soft swimbait anglers on tour and has created the following video describing his system for skipping the Magdraft under docks.

Take a few moments and watch as he provides some great insight and certain nuances to consider when trying this technique.

Enjoy!

There is some really great information in the video, especially his approach of skipping from the shallow to the deep end of the dock.

I think that may work pretty well with a few other baits as well!