Tips for Pre-Spawn Bass Fishing

Timing Tips

The pre-spawn period takes place in spring, but the exact timing varies by latitude. In Florida it may start as early as February, while it may not occur until May at the northernmost tip of bass&039; range. Water temperature is the deciding factor. Generally speaking, pre-spawn behavior begins to take place when waters are between 50 and 58 degrees Fahrenheit for smallmouth bass, or between 53 and 63 degrees for largemouths. But bass may begin to invade shallow water even sooner in many cases, so it would be wise to start fishing early in the season rather than start later and risk missing some pre-spawn action.

Location Tips

During the pre-spawn period, bass are actively moving between deep and shallow water to feed, often several times a day. The best places to fish often feature structure that runs from deep water to shallow water, offering bass a route to travel to shallow feeding grounds. "Deep" and "shallow" vary from lake to lake, but bass can winter as deep as 50 feet, and come to shallows less than 15 feet deep during the pre-spawn. Looking at a good topographical map of a lake can give you a better idea of where some of the prime fishing spots might be.

Forage Tips

Bass are feeding heavily during the pre-spawn period, foraging on energy-rich baitfish, crayfish and other aquatic creatures to bulk up for the energy-draining spawn season. Find out what bass eat in your lake and try to imitate it as closely as possible. Crayfish colors vary from differing bodies of water, so use jigs that closely resemble the crayfish specific to your lake. Shad, perch, bluegill and shiners are among the top baitfish bass eat. Find out what the primary baitfish are in your lake and use lures that match them in color and size.

Lure Tips

Sometimes fast-moving lures will provoke an instinctive reaction strike from bass. During the pre-spawn, however, bass strike out of hunger rather than aggression, so triggering reaction strikes is rarely necessary. Slowing down your presentation and using natural-looking lures is usually the way to go. Jigs and plastic worms are popular pre-spawn lures, and the way to fish them is by crawling and hopping them along the bottom. Suspending jerkbaits work as well. Add long pauses to your retrieve with jerkbaits, allowing them to sit perfectly still in the water column.