Early season smallmouth baits

The lure also works in the smaller highland lakes east of i75 that hold good populations of smallmouth or spotted bass. Prespawn largemouth and smallmouth will often stage in rocky slopes or flats in relatively deep water 2030 feet. Now that we have lost an hour of sleep and the days are getting longer, its time to get after some early spring smallmouth bass. He relies on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits and jigs and tubes. Salted soft plastics are best for smallmouth bass early in the year. Heres our lineup for the best smallmouth bass fishing lures ever made. Bass season opens the last saturday in april in michigan and runs thru december 31. This of course is directly related to water temperature. River water temperatures can change quickly depending on weather and it can be difficult to know from one day to the next how the bass will behave. Also on this day an early bass harvest season begins north and east of u. Murrays heavy black hellgrammite size 4 shenks white streamer.

Five best early season smallmouth bass flies murrays fly. When fishing it, you need to retrieve and lift at the same time. Tube jigs are a match made in heaven for smallmouths. Feider shares many of his favorite smallmouth bass baits and how to fish them for each stage of the season, early fall including seths goto tough bite bait poor boys erie darter, late fall including tightlining finesse swimbaits and jigging blade baits, winter including the rapala jiggin rap ice jig. Baits in the 3 to 4 34inch range are routine fish catchers in the waters he fishes. Five tactics for early season smallmouth the ultimate bass.

Seasonal patterns for smallmouth bass fishing on lake st. The best approach is to keep it simple and focus on key color patterns that work consistently across a variety of conditions. Ice however, usually starts to form at launch sites by late november, so fishing in december is limited. It may not be too appealing to fish at night in the early spring with the temps still a bit low but this is a good time to catch bass this season. You can also drop shot flukes, particularly if you are fishing over deeper 10 to 15foot locations offshore.

The stubborn digging below the boat and airborne acrobatics simply make these fish so much fun to target and catch. Typically, a couple of reaction baits like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, or lipless crankbaits will suffice. Another bait that catches early season smallmouth bass wherever they swim is the traditional leadheaded jig and twistertailed grub combo. Work these baits ever so slowly, giving the bass ample time to rise up and strike. Brush off the cold and brush up your skills christopher smith feb 17, 20 0 as february fades and we move toward spring, many anglers come out of hibernation and get trigger happy to be back on the water. After a winter of low activity, smallmouth bass in rivers tend to become more active with every increase in. Wisconsin bass fishing guide top smallmouth bass baits. Jan 30, 2019 big smallmouth bass lurk in ozark streams. Here are six examples of good smallmouth bass lures and how to fish them. Garrett paquettes three favorite early season smallmouth.

Top 5 baits for early spring bass fishing tactical bassin. Feb 25, 2020 best lures for early spring smallmouth bass a suspending jerkbait is a proven lure early season smallmouth bassespecially the bigger onesbut mueller mostly relies on only two lure choices. Early season stream smallmouth early season stream smallmouth. The best lake fishing is found in june just after the spawning season, and in early fall. Vandam agreed to explain his allpurpose approach to bass fishing in his own words to readers. Seasonal lure selection learn how to break down each season into fish activity to understand the lure selection, size and colors. Early season for big smallmouth bass union sportsmens. When the shallows warm on sunny days, largemouth bass will move from deeper grass spawning flats into the shallows. Blog three best lures for lake erie smallmouth bass. We guarantee its a framework you can use to get on bass quickly all year long, regardless of where youre fishing.

So you should get the sweet spot and shoot for about 55 degrees. Top 5 baits for early spring bass fishing tactical. Fish soft plastics for early season smallmouth bass. Much has been written and said about the fight of a smallmouth. However, once you learn and understand a little bit about their migration patterns you can greatly increase your odds of locating smallmouth bass in early spring. Mar 07, 2017 five best early season smallmouth bass flies march 7, 2017 april 25, 2019 harry murrays heavy black hellgrammite, murrays black madtom sculpin streamer, murrays olive marauder, murrays magnum hog sucker streamer and shenks white streamer. As iceout arrives, here are six spring bass fishing tips to help you catch more smallmouth and largemouth bass early in the season. During the prespawn and spawning periods when the water is still chilly, success with brown bass has a lot to do with patience, being methodical in your presentation, and giving the fish a meal. Goto baits for prespawn bass fishing in pennsylvania.

Fish with lures in shades of green and brown for the best results. Rusty crayfish patterns rule on a number of northwoods trophy lakes. Apr 17, 2018 the double tail jig sold by the table rock bait company is maybe the best soft plastic lure for early season smallmouth bass available. Nov 26, 2017 vandam agreed to explain his allpurpose approach to bass fishing in his own words to readers. Every year anglers get excited at the prospect of early spring bass fishing again. Thats perfect for a technique we use up here on suspended smallies. Three tricks to catch earlyseason smallmouth bass field. By mike gnatkowski bass guide gerry gostenik knows exactly when smallmouth are going to invade the shallows and be susceptible to suspending jerk baits.

In regions where early season bass fishing is allowed following ice out, many anglers find themselves at a standstill on where to fish and the techniques to fish with. The berkley choppo 90 is a really good bait for drawing fish off beds, but its also a really good twitch bait. The spybait makes a perfect lure for late winter smallmouth bass in kentuckys worldclass smallmouth reservoirs, such as lake cumberland, laurel river lake and dale hollow lake. Prespawn smallmouth lindners fishing edge 20 s3 youtube. How to catch iceout smallmouth bass in early spring field. It was 20 degrees below zero at my house last week. Lures that can be presented and suspended at midrange depths are the ticket to early spring success. Bizz baits catches fish, while many other soft plastic brands and their color charts mainly catch only the angler. Best lures for smallmouth bass best bass fishing lures.

Locating early spring smallmouth can be somewhat of a challenging task. Early spring smallmouth bass fishing locating prespawn. Do you really only fish certain lures during each of the four seasons of the year. Smallmouth bass and rock bass goggleeye anglers often use smaller versions of the same baits and lures used for largemouth bass. Focus on categories rather than specifics and youll find more success. Garrett paquette explains his three favorite baits for.

Whatever the reason, hash will be throwing just a handful of lures to a variety of locations. This bait is bulky and falls extremely slowly through the water column. Gregg kizewski football jig in camo craw paired up with a bizz baits craw will catch big smallmouth. Fishing wisconsin hook your catch tips wisconsin dnr. Sep 26, 2016 during the cold water of early season, weighted shad baits allow slow, subtle, neutrally buoyant presentations for catching sluggish bass. The inland smallmouth bass catchandrelease season opens in midmay on the same saturday as the walleye and northern pike season. Northwoods bass fishing adventures, with your host and instructor andrew ragas, is committed to providing the most successful, informative and educational fishing experience possible. Mar 30, 2019 as iceout arrives, here are six spring bass fishing tips to help you catch more smallmouth and largemouth bass early in the season. Based on this success i plan to rely strongly on these for my early season smallmouth bass fishing this year. Five best early season smallmouth bass flies murrays fly shop. Apr 16, 20 with water temperature in the 40s, stuyvesant relies on three basic baits.

Smallmouth bass spring location and lure preference youtube. Wisconsin bass fishing guide top smallmouth bass baits of 2019. Five tactics for early season smallmouth the ultimate. While fishing in 20 40 feet, all i could find were optimistic anglers hoping for a deep water bite. Soft plastic lures, such as spiderstyle plastic grubs rigged on 18 to 14ounce jigheads, tube baits, jerk baits and 6inch plastic worms are also popular.

Three tricks to catch early season smallmouth bass. Baits like hellgrammites dragonfly larvae, and crayfish imitations are effective in early morning and late evening. It wasnt just the first smallmouth of the day, it turned out to be the biggest bass of the day, my biggest in a couple of years and a true trophy in any smallmouth river. Its a great largemouth bait around isolated pieces of cover, but its also a fantastic smallmouth bait on those shallow flats. Bass guide gerry gostenik knows exactly when smallmouth are going to invade the shallows and be susceptible to suspending jerk baits. If you are thinking about doing some early spring smallmouth bass fishing, check the water temperature, and consider these facts. If you live in a northern climate youve been icebound for months. Topwater baits are good early, spinnerbaits work well and tailhummers and jigging spoons are great for schooling bass. These are our top 5 lures choices for spring bass fishing. This is another one of those old school baits that have been around since the early 80s. The early spring is definitely harder than the fall. While blades work yearround, their ability to draw reaction strikes in the spring is unmatched. Expect to find early spring stream smallies in the deeper, slower pools. Summer is one of the best times for topwater schooling action.

Goto baits for prespawn bass fishing in pennsylvania fish. Whether youre fishing a pond or a giant reservoir, using these baits to locate active fish is a very effective way to catch bigger bass this spring. Apr 11, 2018 the first is that it marks the end of winter and second it starts the bass fishing season. Blade baits have been around since the days of the first silver buddy and there are lots of similar baits on the market including reef runners cicada, heddons sonar and the vibeblade. Spring smallmouth river fishing tips after a winter of low activity, smallmouth bass in rivers tend to become more active with every increase in water temperature. Smallmouth fishing tips, articles and videos everyday. Some of us have braved the elements and fished through the winter but with a new season, comes new. Proposing to name the best smallmouth streams in the ozarks is a surefire way to start a heated conversation. Anglers usually turn to the fast, reactionary strike approach of jerkbaits, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits before rapidly slowing down the pace to meticulously fish with plastics such as the tube.

Early season for big smallmouth bass union sportsmens alliance. However on a recent trip to sturgeon bay, dan elsner of get bit baits explained the. For more information on early season smallmouth fishing, visit shawn hash and tangent outfitters website at the union sportsmens alliance website is designed to provide valuable articles about hunting, fishing and conservation for members of aflcio affiliated labor unions and. Traditionally this is the best time of the year for plastic worms, grubs, lizards and tube baits either texas or carolinarigged. Early season smallmouth bass by jason mitchell smallmouth bass are one of my favorite fish to target. Fishing with large plastic worms for smallmouth in september and october.

The other craw baits made by rebel catch fish, but not like the deep wee does. Jerkbaits are one of my favorite earlyseason lures. The first is that it marks the end of winter and second it starts the bass fishing season. Five tactics for early season smallmouth from ice out until post spawn these five techniques are deadly on smallmouths. Fish soft plastics for early season smallmouth bass anglers. One of the things to remember is that fish are coldblooded and. The following is a breakdown of the seasons and some patterns that are consistent for catching smallmouth bass on lake st. Regardless, you cant go wrong fishing these streams. Michigan bass fishing tours smallmouth and walleye. Spinner rigs are the classic choice for trophy walleyes, and blade baits dupe the biggest smallies. There are times, however, when soft baits shine, particularly with extremely clear water or postfrontal conditions that cool down water temps. A natural color is available to match any species of crayfish. Seasonal lure selection the ultimate bass fishing resource. Larger worms, such as yamamoto senkos are excellent baits to use for smallmouth in the early fall.

Watch the latest bassmaster bass fishing videos of your favorite bassmaster elite anglers. Smallmouth bass fishing baits some of the most productive lures for stream smallmouth fishing are 14ounce spinnerbaits and buzz baits. Look for a reaction bite or work painfully slow to finesse bass into biting. Finally, after learning the hard way, tubes have made their way into my arsenal for successful early season smallmouth fishing. Smallmouth are common in medium to large rocky streams and in large clear water lakes where crayfish are abundant. My favorite soft plastic for erie bass is the 4inch yum 2ube in any of the browns or green hues, he said. Bass anglers who fish with me newbies, veterans, or pros, whichever you choose to be will learn how to locate, approach, and catch bass on our regions waters. On this weeks episode of larry smith outdoors we joined up with dj kirkpatrick and did some early spring smallmouth river fishing using a variety of tactics. The four best streams for ozarks smallmouth great american.

From the first signs of spring all the way up to the spawn, these baits will produce. Another bait that catches early season smallmouth bass. Its a topwater that i consider to be very versatile. Flukes can be fished slowly unweighted or fished faster like a jerk bait by simply rigging on a darter head. Ill drop the trolling motor and scan, and you immediately know if the bait is there. Clean out your tackle box and stock these 15 winners instead. During the cold water of early season, weighted shad baits allow slow, subtle, neutrally buoyant presentations for catching sluggish bass. Garrett paquette explains his three favorite baits for early season smallmouth fishing just as the ice melts off of northern lakes. Although plastic worms work in spring, summer, and fall for smallmouth bass, they are some of the very best lures to use in rivers in september and october.

It is simply the best crankbait ever made to catch smallmouth with. Perfectly representing the preferred choice of crayfish and other bottom dwelling prey, the tube jig has been catching smallmouth bass for a number of years. The best creek sections will have several of these holes in a. Garrett paquettes three favorite early season smallmouth baits. Wisconsin bass fishing guide northwoods bass fishing. As for smallmouth bass, they prefer it to be a few degrees lower. The seasonal guide is a system ive adapted to help find bass on unfamiliar waters.

Most of its true, there are few places on earth where you can catch as many big smallies as here, and its something you need to experience. These two reasons drive anglers to hit the rivers and lakes in pennsylvania in search of both largemouths and smallmouth bass. Fishing bottom oriented baits for smallmouth bass is an often overlooked spring tactic. The list is in order by season, basically in order of what lures work best from early spring to late fall. But for most of you its still late fall or early winter. Even if the fish arent actively feeding, keeping a bait.

In spring, smallmouth bass move up onto shallow rock and sand flats, initially to feed, and eventually to spawn. Currently loaded videos are 1 through 15 of 60 total videos. We thought it would be great time to lay out some spring smallmouth fishing tips to help you catch a personal best smallie this year. Head to those waters with these top baits and you will catch more bass during the prespawn. This is the deep wee craw and it is one of my go to baits for smallies from march till november. For two weeks this is the only part of the state where you can keep bass. We ended up with a dozen or more over 17 inches, a great day considering it was midmarch, the water was in the mid40s and the air only slightly warmer. During the prespawn and spawning periods when the water is still chilly, success with brown bass has a lot to do with patience, being methodical in your presentation. Dropshots 0 the ability to twitch a bait in place is a huge advantage when youre trying to fool lethargic earlyseason smallmouths. With northern lakes just past iceout and southern ones yet to warm, lethargic fish can be incredibly difficult to catch. When smallies begin to transition from deep water to the shallows, these baits cover plenty. Here are tims personal favorite spring baits and his preferred.

It is also why finesse lures are very popular in smallmouth fishing. Spring smallmouth river fishing tips everything smallmouth. While fishing on lake erie early last season, the water temperatures were getting warmer and naturally i started looking for migrating smallmouth out in deep water. The double tail jig sold by the table rock bait company is maybe the best soft plastic lure for early season smallmouth bass available. How to catch iceout smallmouth bass in early spring.

The most common fishing method is casting and retrieving artificial or live baits into places where you suspect smallmouth bass are hanging out. Powerful fighters, they leave an indelible mark on the hearts of fishermen. With 99% of my trophy smallmouth fisheries being located in the upper midwest and great lakes region, nearly all of my spring techniques have been honed, modified, and mastered to my specifications and angling style and work on. Dont get caught up in the little intricacies of color this early in the season. How to catch springtime smallmouth bass angler magazine. When selecting gear and lures, keep it simple in early spring. Youve likely heard chatter about smallmouth bass growth rates in lake eries eastern basin and the big numbers of oversized bronzebacks caughtandreleased by anglers each spring. Once the fish are located, experienced early season smallmouth slayers. Its early springthat funky time of year when the smallmouth bite isnt dead but isnt exactly on fire either. My favorite alltime plastic for early season smallmouths in shallow water would have to be a flukestyle plastic. Smallmouth bass are just built to provide joy and excitement. It has a skirt in the front followed by a rigid body and ending with a double twist tail.