Best Lures for Spring Bass Fishing

Believe it or not, angling for largemouth bass is, by far, the favorite amongst freshwater fishermen or women.

Knowing what bait and freshwater lures to choose for use in the spring or pre-spawning, may just give you the edge and may just land you a prize winning largemouth bass.

With this in mind you have to consider many aspects before making your choice, for example:

• Weather conditions.
• Light conditions.
• Water temperature
• Water clarity.
• Location.
• Local preferred delicacies of the largemouth bass.

You can probably already ascertain why anglers get, some what, easily confounded and bewildered when it comes to making the correct choice of baits and lures for fishing for largemouth bass during the spring season.

Having said all that, by adhering to some general basic principles when making your bait and lure choice, that will be best for freshwater fishing for bass, will assist you in receiving a greater number of strikes for more of the time. By following these basic rules you will soon get to know what works best and under what conditions for the early spring fishing season.

I love fishing for largemouth bass in the spring mainly because I am a fair weather fisherman and I am not fond of the cold winter weather. Another reason is that the fish become more active to feed as they prepare for spawning. For me, I find that using a Jig with pork frogs or chunks sometimes known as "jig 'n pig" in fishing circles. I have also found that using actual pork meat rather than plastic imitation yields better results. As the largemouth bass is not so fussy in the spring I don't think it will stop to inspect the jig head for the presence of eyes and as it will, most likely, attack from the rear their view will be of the jig skirt. Personally I think that the shape of the jig and its weight are more significant than its visual appearance or color also I feel that by using a partly rounded jig head will assist in the reduction of weed and reed snagging.

Bass Lure Color

The most efficient color combination, I have found, is a black and blue jig coupled with a metallic flake trailer or a green/pumpkin trailer. These combinations when using two color artificial jig crawlers or trailers are ideal for almost all bass fishing expeditions and also try using a scented artificial trailer as, I have found, that this promotes a more serious strike and also persuades the largemouth bass to grip the bait for greater periods of time.

Bass Jigging

You will find that using a jig weight range of 1/4 and 3/8 ounce will be suitable for your needs for most conditions also regarding hooks use a medium gauge wire size 1/4 - 4 depending, of course, on your planned catch size.

For flipping and pitching, virtually all fresh water anglers use the jig and pig, however, when fishing in deeper water I have found jigs just as good. It is always worth remembering that the majority of your hits will most likely occur immediately after the jig enters the water and starts its dive. You may find that, particularly early in the spring when the water is still very cold and the fish lethargic and sluggish, that you will have to allow the jig to remain on the water bed for fifteen seconds or so then jiggle it along the bottom a smidgen preceding retrieval and re-casting.

Bass Fishing with Artificial Crawfish

Another bait that is ideal, and one of the largemouth bass's preferred meals, is artificial crawfish, they love this particularly early in the season. Try to do a good impression of the crawfish's movement by allowing the lure to settle on the water bed and then just jiggle it along the bottom to kick up some silt. This will fool the largemouth bass in to thinking that your bait is a crawfish exiting its winter residence. If you want to be really crafty you could use a "rattler", this will kid the bass into thinking they can hear the sound of the crawfish pinchers'. By using these methods you should be able to entice even the most obstinate of largemouth bass.

Bass Fishing with Spinners

Another great idea for catching largemouth bass, in the spring, is to use spinnerbaits. Ok, so I know that generally spinners baits are used because they imitate bait fish like shad, for example. However, If you use a large spinner, dress it and use it properly it will replicated the movements of a panicking crawfish. When using this imitation crawfish spinnerbait technique the best areas to fish are locations with weed beds or areas cluttered with timber such as back waters and creeks.

Crankbait Bass Fishing

A lipless rattling crankbait is another nifty lure to use in the spring over the flats. Using these in the shallow freshwater flats will attract some good sized largemouth bass as they will mistake your lure for a crawfish that is getting the hell out of there! Just remember to assist the natural strike reaction of the fish by pausing and ripping your lure.

As in all fishing you will find the best methods of catching that prized largemouth bass are gained by experimentation with different lures and techniques for a given set of conditions.

That's about it for this article I hope you have found it useful in your quest to land some good sized spring largemouth bass.