6 Lures for Catching Spawning Bass

All right. Let's talk about six lures for spawning bass that almost always work. Let's start off with buzzbaits. Now buzzbaits, I picked this one in the beginning because it seems a little unusual. Most people don't think about buzzbaits when they think about spawning bass. But the reality is you can locate beds, particularly if the water is dingy or muddy and you have a hard time sight fishing or seeing the beds, a buzzbait works really well because it brings up the bass. They come out and chase it. They show themselves. So, cover, big flats that have stumps, that have scattered boulders, patches of weeds, those type of things, even around docks, throwing a buzzbait around, a bass, that if you get it over his bed, particularly smallmouth, they'll come up and annihilate it. But even some bass that aren't that aggressive will come up and show themselves so you have an idea of where that bed is so then you can go back with another bait that we're going to talk about in a second.

The key thing with fishing buzzbaits for spawning bass is that you have to bring it real slow. We're used to casting it out, winding it back really quick, but during this time of the year you want to bring it back as slow as you can while still buzzing the surface. So, I like to use a Cavitron Buzzbait made by Megastrike, 1/2 ounce. It has a bigger blade. It allows you to just slowly churn it across the surface. It's one of my favorite for buzzbaits, but it works really well during the spawn period because it goes slow. And a bait that moves slowly over a bed is more aggravating to a spawning bass than something that wings right on by. It's there and it's gone. It's not seen as much as a threat. So, a slower-moving buzzbait is the trick.

The next bait is a jig. Yeah. You know, a jig is used all year round for a variety of purposes and it works very well during the spawn as well. Thing about a jig during this time of the year is that you don't want a trailer on it. Typically we always do that, but right now you don't. And the reason being is that what you do is you cast it out past the bed and you kind of hop it back towards the bed and then let it land in the bed and sit. And that bass that's guarding that bed, he can't stand it, especially if he's in the middle of building a bed. He wants it clean and clear of stuff and he can't stand it. He's going to pick it up and move it off the bed. And if you've got a trailer on it, they're going to pick it up by the trailer. The bass are notorious for doing this. They'll pick up the trailer, the part that doesn't have a hook in it, and they'll just cart it off the bed and drop it. Well, when you see that and you set the hook, what you do is you just rip the trailer in half and you come back with a ripped trailer. So, don't put the trailer on it.

Second is use a white jig. It's easier for you to see. It doesn't really matter the color at this point because the bass, it's an object that's something they don't want there. They're going to move it regardless of color. So white, you can see it better. White or chartreuse. You could go to a green pumpkin, that's more of a pumpkin seed, a sunfish style type color that looks like something that's trying to raid a nest. So, you can use that too. But I like to use white, it's easier to see. So, you know, 1/2 ounce or even 1/4 ounce actually. Yeah, I'd say 1/4 ounce. And the reason being is I don't like to drag a jig through the eggs if they've already been laid. You can damage the nest. You can, you know, ruin some eggs if you use a heavy jig. So, a real light jig and try to avoid those eggs if possible. You don't need to get it right on there, so be careful about that. So, 1/4 ounce jig is lighter and won't do as much damage.

The next lure is a wacky rigged Senko, you know, or a stickbait-style bait. Just rig it weightless, no weight at all. Cast it out past the bed and kind of swim it back and then kill it and let it just flutter down over the bed, real nice, slow type of fall. Usually when that happens, an aggressive bass will come up and take it before it even hits the bed. But even then, just let it sit down there and sit on it and rest for a little bit because if that happens, usually the bass is a bit wary. They've probably been caught a few times. They're a little leery of anything foreign coming into their area, so, they don't bite it right away. So, let it sit and let the bass settle back down. Usually swirling around, swimming, let them calm down, hang out, wait them out. Sometimes you've got to sit there for 5 or 10 minutes. But you wait a while and then give it a little twitch and they'll go, "Whoa, what's that?" And he'll fin down to it and you give it a little pop and a lot of times that's all it is, boom, grab it. You just got to give them time to kind of forget that it's there and usually that elicits a strike. Wacky rig also works really well if you're throwing that buzzbait earlier and a bass comes up, shows himself, but doesn't strike, you can follow up with that wacky rig worm and a lot of times they'll pop that. So, keep that in mind.

The next bait is a Rage Bug, you know, a beaver-style bait. I really like these during this time of year because they have a bluegill profile to them, you know, or a sunfish profile to them, which is a nest raider. And the bass are obviously protecting their beds and they're going to annihilate that. So, it works really well this time of year. I just rig it Texas-rigged on a, you know, 1/4 ounce sinker, nothing really any heavier than that. But guys, be careful. The tendency a lot of people do with this bait is they throw it right on top of the nest and let it fall. Well, you know, a bass is sitting there in 1 foot of water to 3 feet of water, and something plunks down on their head, boom, they're gone. They're going to take off. So, don't drop it right on top of their heads. Cast past it, reel it up and kind of swim it up to that bed and then kill it and let it flutter down. Or sometimes you've got to cast past it. A lot of times this will happen too, in clear water especially. You cast past it 3, 4, 5 feet and still, that bass will scatter, just the sound of that bait hitting the water. This is why I pitch to it. I try to get a softer entry, but even then that spooks the bass. Let it flutter down, fall. Let it rest a little bit and wait for that bass to come back and then slowly bring it back, reel it up and bring it back a little bit. Drag it towards that nest. And a lot of times, you know, you pause, long pauses, and then when you get it towards that nest, it catches the eye of the bass and sometimes he'll hit it before it even gets to the nest. So, pay attention to that. Sometimes if you bring it back quick, the bass comes to it, you bring it back, they follow it, then reel it fast. A lot of times that triggers a bite. They'll come chase it and hit it. So, just kind of experiment with those retrieves, but that bluegill style, that shape of bait works really well.

Now, the next bait is an old standby and that is a plastic lizard, you know, or a brush hog. Lizard-style bait has worked for decades on spawning bass because it resembles a nest raider like a salamander. If you've been around since the '70s, fishing since the '70s or '80s, actually all they had were salamanders and everybody used that during the springtime. Lizards work a little more effectively. They're a little bit thinner profile. They have a little more action on their arms and legs, but it's not a requirement. If you have salamander imitating baits, those work just as well. A 5 to 6-inch size works really well. Texas-rig it, 1/4 ounce, and you fish it very similar to the previous bait. Very similar style, it's just a different look, different feel. A lot of times, it elicits more strikes because it's a little bit longer and again, looks more like a lizard. So, give that a go.

And now finally, the last bait is a tube bait. Guys have been catching a lot of fish on these lately, especially when they're on beds because they're very effective. They both mimic a bait fish and a crawdad, which is also a nest raider. So, it really keys in on that protective instinct that the bass have. The key with these is to use a large enough hook where it goes all the way to the back of the bait because bass have a tendency to pick it up by the rear tentacles and not grab it by the hook. So, you got to get as much of a bite of a hook in there to be able to hopefully get them if they take a bite of it. Rig it on a real light jig head like a 1/8-ounce jig head. I like to use Texas-rig, but open hook works as well. It just depends if you've got snags or anything around there when you can get hung up. You got to make an audible when you take a look and see what's available, but an open hook works really well. Again, I like to use a really light or bright color because then I can see it better, so, white or chartreuse. Again, with all these baits actually, same thing, real bright, white colors and chartreuse colors enables you to see it better. If the bass is not hitting that, for example, this is too obnoxious of a color, they're too wary of it, then can go to something like a green pumpkin and that will get you a bite.

But with those six baits, you ought to have a lot of fun this year catching a lot of fish on beds or spawning around beds. Just be sure to catch and release. Don't keep them. Let them finish doing their thing and let them spawn so that you can have a lot more bass for decades to come. Hope that helps. For more tips and tricks like this, visit bassresource.com.