Bass Fishing The Spring Thaw
Groundhog Day has come and gone and Punxsy Phil has predicted an early spring this year. That is great news if you are a bass angler and itching to get out on the water during the spring thaw. It’s important to know bass are a seasonal fish and as a result, the temperature, pressure, and humidity will impact how they bite, especially in the early spring.
The Science Of The Thaw
Bass are most active during periods of extended low pressure and high humidity. The best time to fish for bass is right before a storm on a warm summer day.
An example of the worst time would be dry, cold air, with cold water temperatures; otherwise known as winter. This is the reason bass don’t bite much during the winter and it’s much more challenging to find them.
So, when the pressure is high and the temperatures are low, a bass’s metabolism slows down. As a result, they don’t eat as much, they feel lethargic, and they tend to stay close to whatever structure they’re using as cover.
When it comes to spring, the temperature is warming up a little, they’re moving back into shallow water, and they’re ready to feed again. They’re also preparing for spawning season. Just before the spawn bass are feeding pretty heavily but they’re still not venturing too far out of their cover.
Understanding the science behind bass behavior is the key to being able to successfully catch fish during any season.
Size Down the Lures
Bass are much less aggressive during the early spring so decrease the size of your lure down to something around the 4-inch mark. Creating a challenge for them is setting up for failure. If chasing the bait becomes a chore, they’ll let it go and wait for something easier to come around.
Fish Around the Weather
At this point, we know our best fishing will happen on warmer days. Find unseasonably warm days leading to a cold front. Around the FishVault warehouse, we always have a week or so of these days in March sometime.
We’ll have a stretch of 60 degree days when the bass start feeding heavily. These are some of the best days because it’s generally followed by a cold snap.
Have a Patient Hook
Even though the water is starting to warm, bass are slow to bite and extra slow to eat the lure. They’re not going to come from 100 feet away and snatch it up like they would in the summer, they’ll be more cautious. Don’t be so quick to jerk the rod on the initial nibble. Give it a second, feel another nibble, and tighten the line until feeling some resistance.
Fish the Afternoons
When it’s still in the 30s in the morning and late evening, fish the middle of the day. This is when the water will be the warmest. Even the slightest change in water temperature will trigger the bass to start feeding.
Pitching in Cover is a Great Strategy
Pitching is one of our favorite methods of fishing in the spring. It involves holding the lure in one hand and opening the bail while holding the line with the other hand. Troll slowly along until finding a spot to drop the lure and fling it over. The key to success during early spring bass fishing is really hitting them on the head with it.
If Spring truly is right around the corner (fingers crossed), then we hope these tips will help you on your first trip to the water. Remember that knowledge only gets you so far. You also need to that the right gear and lures. The FishVault fishing subscription box sends you the most popular tackle and gear every month. Take out the guesswork and start a subscription today.