For "shallow" water I'll start with either a swim jig or bladed jig depending on water clarity and clouds. For "deep" water I'll use jerkbaits now. 

 

This is very general, if I have a good reason I'll sometimes start with a trig creature or worm but I find if I'm getting them to react to one of the above I've found either active fish or fish willing to hit a reaction bite. From there I adjust my approach. 

Bladed jig, really not a close second for me around here. For a majority of the year, if I’m after largemouth and trying to cover water, it’s going to be with a bladed jig.

19 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

Thinking of going out, we have had over the weekend a ton of rain but while these small lakes are up they have large over flows and self regulate pretty quickly. Not sure if I should wait till tomorrow or go today since never know how the weather really affects them. Overcast now, wind 10-15, but will be come partly cloudy to sunny this afternoon and the wind will drop.

 

Here is what i am tying on and will have on the deck, spinnerbait, fluke, swim jig, square bill rocco, underspin, fritts 5 biggun amd normal fritz 5 and whacky rig.

 

I think if it were to stay overcast I like the idea of a buzz bait, I may tie one if those on also, lol.

Do it. The best time to go, is whenever you can. 

16 minutes ago, JHoss said:

Do it. The best time to go, is whenever you can. 

I could go any day when the weather cooperates now that I am retired. However if I power fish my body will not let me go on consecutive days, stinks but is what it is. I just never know based in the weather when is best to go. Front came through yesterday and cooled off and will be warmer next few days. 

20 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

I could go any day when the weather cooperates now that I am retired. However if I power fish my body will not let me go on consecutive days, stinks but is what it is. I just never know based in the weather when is best to go. Front came through yesterday and cooled off and will be warmer next few days. 

After a cold front I usually have better luck with slower/smaller/finesse style baits. That's all relative to the water conditions. The river I generally fish is still pretty muddy. 1ft maybe 2ft at the very best for visibility. So in the dirtiest water I'm using smaller baits with a lot of action worked slow. Ie 1/4 blade jigs with a trailer/Indiana blad spinner baits/small square bills all worked slowly. In the cleaner water I'll use a fluke style bait rigged weedless or a curly tail worm trigged weedless. For my flukes and worms I've started using a snell knot. I've been getting way better hook up ratios. Flukes really really depend on the line and hook for depth and action. It's also makes a difference on how you rig the fluke in relation to weather it wants to stay up higher or lower in the water. I would highly recommend watching videos on how to rig them correctly depending on what you want it to do. This time of year can also be a great time to use a donkey rig which is a duel fluke setup.

Spinnerbait or a bladed jig for me.

Welp clouds cleared away and it was a little breezy with bluebird skies...tried all the above that I had listed but only takers were on spinnerbait. Really thought maybe the fluke would have some action and the wacky rig but only three bites on the spinnerbait. I probably should throw the wacky rig more often but man do you really have to slow down to throw it at least un-weighted.

24 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

Welp clouds cleared away and it was a little breezy with bluebird skies...tried all the above that I had listed but only takers were on spinnerbait. Really thought maybe the fluke would have some action and the wacky rig but only three bites on the spinnerbait. I probably should throw the wacky rig more often but man do you really have to slow down to throw it at least un-weighted.

Absolutely not, and outside of targeting a specific sight fish, or a very specific location that I know they're spawning at but can't see them, I fish it fast.    

 

I skip cast it very tight to cover, docks, weedlines, overhangs, laydowns, etc........count to about 3 or 4 seconds.........lift the rod once or twice..........wait another couple of seconds............reel it right back in.    Rinse and repeat, making cast after cast just like that.   The cast and its location are doing most of the work instead of your retrieve.  You are wanting this thing to land within a few feet of place you think is good spawning habitat.   Fish will bite it the majority of the time on the initial fall or that first few feet you drag it to.   

 

The moment you see those bucks flood the bank is when I start throwing it, and I don't stop until at least 4-6weeks have gone by or once you no longer see those fry guarders in the post spawn.      

 

The key is that you are fishing it in areas that are huge percentage spawning grounds.    If you get around fish that are in some phase of the spawn, the whacky rig is just magical.  

 

ETA:   I try to skip cast every cast because I don't want to spook those fish on/near a bed.   If I cast past an area I want to target I'll cast normally though.   Just something to think about. 

19 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Absolutely not, and outside of targeting a specific sight fish, or a very specific location that I know they're spawning at but can't see them, I fish it fast.    

 

I skip cast it very tight to cover, docks, weedlines, overhangs, laydowns, etc........count to about 3 or 4 seconds.........lift the rod once or twice..........wait another couple of seconds............reel it right back in.    Rinse and repeat, making cast after cast just like that.   The cast and its location are doing most of the work instead of your retrieve.  You are wanting this thing to land within a few feet of place you think is good spawning habitat.   Fish will bite it the majority of the time on the initial fall or that first few feet you drag it to.   

 

The moment you see those bucks flood the bank is when I start throwing it, and I don't stop until at least 4-6weeks have gone by or once you no longer see those fry guarders in the post spawn.      

 

The key is that you are fishing it in areas that are huge percentage spawning grounds.    If you get around fish that are in some phase of the spawn, the whacky rig is just magical.  

 

ETA:   I try to skip cast every cast because I don't want to spook those fish on/near a bed.   If I cast past an area I want to target I'll cast normally though.   Just something to think about. 

Yeah my skip casting ability not so good, lol. I assume you are using a baitcaster? I have it on my medium moderate and still not great to through since its pretty light.

 

Yeah I think I am just early, water temps are around 60-62 but we have had roller coaster spring and its just been really slow to warm up. I see what I think are beds getting made but the fish just haven't moved up that I can tell. If they had I would be catching more fish, at least smaller fish. I am catching one here or there, I just think we need warmer weather which we are supposed to get this week.

 

The bigger lake is chocolate milk, we have had so much rain that it really has stained up so I keep fishing the smaller lake which while more stained that normal its still way better. Plan is to go back out wed and maybe thursday since we have yet more rain coming in on friday/sat...sigh.

Naw, I fish them exclusively on a 7" Medium Fast spinning setup, and anybody can skip cast a whacky rig within 5 mins of trying.   Obviously after some time doing it you'll improve, but you'll be able to do it very quickly.    To me it's one of the most fun ways to catch them, skipping that thing under a dock, or overhang.....makes you feel like KVD for a second 😁

 

You're right about the stage of the fish with regard to those water temps in my experience.   Some fish will always spawn early, but the majority seem to wait until the mid 60s.    I think moving baits are the play from the march up from 55d through the low 60s, but I generally start out the days once it reaches 60 trying out things like the whacky rig and pegged/t-rigged Dbombs.        The reality is that this time of year, you can leave one day, and come back the next day to paired up fish on the beds.     For me it really pays off to go as many days as possible in the spring because of how dynamic and fast things are changing.   

 

Keep at it, you're fishing a tough part of the country, maybe the toughest.   It's a lot easier for a guy in Alabama to catch Bass than it is a guy in MO.    All this time on the water and frustration will serve you very well once you find a place in Alabama. 

9 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Naw, I fish them exclusively on a 7" Medium Fast spinning setup, and anybody can skip cast a whacky rig within 5 mins of trying.   Obviously after some time doing it you'll improve, but you'll be able to do it very quickly.    To me it's one of the most fun ways to catch them, skipping that thing under a dock, or overhang.....makes you feel like KVD for a second 😁

 

You're right about the stage of the fish with regard to those water temps in my experience.   Some fish will always spawn early, but the majority seem to wait until the mid 60s.    I think moving baits are the play from the march up from 55d through the low 60s, but I generally start out the days once it reaches 60 trying out things like the whacky rig and pegged/t-rigged Dbombs.        The reality is that this time of year, you can leave one day, and come back the next day to paired up fish on the beds.     For me it really pays off to go as many days as possible in the spring because of how dynamic and fast things are changing.   

 

Keep at it, you're fishing a tough part of the country, maybe the toughest.   It's a lot easier for a guy in Alabama to catch Bass than it is a guy in MO.    All this time on the water and frustration will serve you very well once you find a place in Alabama. 

Yeah thats what I was thinking after throwing it on my baitcaster, it can throw light stuff but just would have been easier on spinning setup...I have a bunch of both but was to lazy to move it over today but will move it over.

 

I'd go everyday if my worn out body would let me...The problem with the t-rigged stuff is all the crappy algae everywhere but I guess I should be throwing something like that. I don't have dbombs but have something pretty close.

 

Yeah still talking and looking, there are decent size fish in these lakes just need to figure things out and doesnt help that we have had 10inches of rain etc...I would normally be fishing the larger lake and seems to have better fish but its so stained that I think would be more tough that the smaller lake.

 

6 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

 The reality is that this time of year, you can leave one day, and come back the next day to paired up fish on the beds.     For me it really pays off to go as many days as possible in the spring because of how dynamic and fast things are changing.   

 

That has been biggest thing I have learned since I retired late last year, and now fish (nearly) every day. 

   Once surface temps hit maybe 42*, no consecutive days are ever the same...usually drastically different. 

  I'm not talking jig vs trig in four foot deep brush piles.  I mean deep on main lake points one day and 8 inches of water the next, and back to suspending over deep channel the third.  It has been really eye-opening.   

   Makes you think, especially when you read sometimes, or watch some 'pro' tell you how to catch them pre-spawn.  They are all correct....unless they are all wrong that day.

Ponds and shallow small lakes:

1/8 and 1/4 oz. 

12 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I skip cast it very tight to cover, docks, weedlines, overhangs, laydowns, etc........count to about 3 or 4 seconds.........lift the rod once or twice..........wait another couple of seconds............reel it right back in.    Rinse and repeat, making cast after cast just like that. 

Identical to how I fish it as well. I never work it back to the boat. Target cast, let it sink for a bit, pop it, reel in. 

Chatterbaitssss

This little dude, 1/8-3/16oz underspins, are fast becoming a favorite of mine for not just bass but multi-species fishing. It caught or hooked largemouth bass, peacock bass, mayan cichlid, and bullseye snakehead on a short Easter weekend visit. The snakeheads were not landed because I only brought a med-light rod, and they're doggone powerful!

2 hours ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Chatterbaitssss

I know everyone loves them but i've yet to catch a fish on them...I do have one tied on and will continue to throw it out there.

1 hour ago, Bass Rutten said:

This little dude, 1/8-3/16oz underspins, are fast becoming a favorite of mine for not just bass but multi-species fishing. It caught or hooked largemouth bass, peacock bass, mayan cichlid, and bullseye snakehead on a short Easter weekend visit. The snakeheads were not landed because I only brought a med-light rod, and they're doggone powerful!

I actually have one tied on and meant to throw it yesterday but never did...thats my problem I have to many things and I catch a fish on one thing and it tends to stay in my hands longer than it should.

7 hours ago, Bass Rutten said:

This little dude, 1/8-3/16oz underspins, are fast becoming a favorite of mine for not just bass but multi-species fishing. It caught or hooked largemouth bass, peacock bass, mayan cichlid, and bullseye snakehead on a short Easter weekend visit. The snakeheads were not landed because I only brought a med-light rod, and they're doggone powerful!

Sounds like you were in my neck of the woods based on the species you caught. What swimbait is that and what color is it? It looks just like the small baitfish we have here.

2 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

Sounds like you were in my neck of the woods based on the species you caught. What swimbait is that and what color is it? It looks just like the small baitfish we have here.

That's a storm largo shad in bluegill, they have some outstanding colors, also did well with a 3.25"strike king rage swimmer/ayu. I live in central Florida but was visiting a friend in Del Ray Beach who lives right on a canal connected to lake ida. Next time I'm there I'll be targeting snakehead, still have yet to catch one, the lone rod I brought this time was too light, I didn't stand a chance, it got down into the eelgrass and broke me off.

If the conditions are right, definitely going with the spinnerbait.

I actually don’t understand the topic.  If they are not biting that particular “Search” bait, that leads you to think fish are not there?    If they bite, it’s now “the bait”?

 

it’s a speed thing?   

17 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I actually don’t understand the topic.  If they are not biting that particular “Search” bait, that leads you to think fish are not there?    If they bite, it’s now “the bait”?

 

it’s a speed thing?   

I would classify a search bait as the powerfishing bait that you have the most confidence in and can cover water with that is considered a high percentage bait.. It doesn't necessarily have to catch them. I use a weightless fluke as my "search bait" most of the time and I will get alot of follows. If I start getting a bunch of follows and turn aways at the boat in an area then I know fish are there and will slow down and try to figure out what they will bite. Catching with a search bait is great, but not essential to finding the fish. 

Rattle trap 

On 4/22/2025 at 5:18 AM, Choporoz said:

Once surface temps hit maybe 42*, no consecutive days are ever the same...usually drastically different. 

  I'm not talking jig vs trig in four foot deep brush piles.  I mean deep on main lake points one day and 8 inches of water the next, and back to suspending over deep channel the third.  It has been really eye-opening.   

 

I agree 100%. Bass are constantly moving. I don't fish everyday, but I do fish back-to-back days and everyday, even launching on the same water, I have to find the bass again. Some anglers believe that bass are "simple creatures" and whereas that might be true, they live in complex systems.

 

31 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

I agree 100%. Bass are constantly moving. I don't fish everyday, but I do fish back-to-back days and everyday, even launching on the same water, I have to find the bass again. Some anglers believe that bass are "simple creatures" and whereas that might be true, they live in complex systems.

 

Trying to decide do I fish the smaller less stained lake or the bigger heavier stained lake today....the bigger lake is still really stained, hmmm.