Prespawn is in full swing at a local lake and we've spotted many males preparing beds.  They are located in protected coves, with grass in deeper water.  We saw lots of bigger 5lb+ females cruising near the first dropoff, at the weedline or over the weedbed.

 

What lures/techniques would you use to get the bigger females to bite?

 

Water temp was 58-60 degrees, with about 12ft visibility.

 

We tried swimbaits (middle of the column as well as slow rolling), a-rig, dropshot, jigs, etc. but the fish would just swim away. 

Would you go for the reaction bite or throw big, slow moving baits?

 

Let's hear your thoughts!

Locating the area they are cruising in is just half the battle. Now you have to restrain yourself and park your boat as far away as possible. Keep very low and make very long casts to the area you believe they are cruising in. Do not get close enough so that you can see them. Remember, if you can see them, they see you. Most any of your mentioned presentations should work. However, it's pretty hard for those bass to turn their noses up at a 6" or 7" Senko rigged any which way you prefer.

If I see bass crusing, reguardless of the season, I've always had pretty good luck on a drop shot. Like Crestliner said, back way off and cast to them. A weightless senko or a fluke may work also.

Cruisers can be maddening because those females are not hunting food, they are late pre spawner's.

Fortunately there are deeper pre spawner's around that are still on the chew, so go fishing out on the points near the bed sites and along the deeper break lines.

Also fish the areas where you see cruisers very early morning and late afternoon, often the hungry pre spawner's are up and catchable.

Stay with the traditional swimbaits in egg eater profiles like bluegill or crappie, wakebaits, crankbaits, big worms or Senko's, jigs and buzzers very early.

Tom

split shot rig with a live night crawler hooked once through the fattest part of the worm, bass cant resist it...

 

=]

I agree with WRB that peri-spawn cruisers can be particularly difficult. Those fish are not feeding. The fact that you saw males on beds means the spawn is imminent.

I got lucky the other day, and caught the same fish twice (1st and 2nd pic in this thread: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/115187-my-first-bait-caster-rig-results-good-pics-inside/ ). I threw a Shad Swim Fluke with a 1/8oz weight in front right into the bass bed, hooked her once, she got off near land; so i fixed the lure back on the hook, threw it again, and she took it again! this time I rolled her in and took the 2 photos in the thread mentioned. So yea, reactionary strike worked for me :-)