Finally its early spring and its time for bass fishing! Time to hit it out on the lake and try to get some early spring bass. Often though, spring may be a challenge for most anglers and will be struggling to get the bass to bite after a cold winter.
Spring offers only a few very basic early spring bass fishing lures to choose from in which include: Tubes, Spinnerbaits, Suspending Jerkbait, Soft Plastic Jerbaits, Soft Plastic Worms, Jigs (ones with the chunk on the end), Top Water Baits, Crankbaits, Grub Lures, and finally Blade Bait. These lures are nothing more than basic but will be perfect for fishing during the spring from simply shallow to even deep water.
Often bass will be in pre-spawn through post spawn in the spring so it really depends on the lake’s temperature in which you are fishing at. I’m sure this list of bass fishing lures and techniques will drastically help you pull that next early spring bass in.
Top 10 Early Spring Bass Fishing Lures
- The Tube Jig
- The Spinnerbait
- Suspending Jerkbait
- Soft Plastic Jerkbait
- The Bass Jig
- Crankbaits
- Top Water Baits
- Grub Lure
- Blade Bait
The tube jig is a perfect early spring lure and presents itself well for spawning pass. These lures create a image that is similar to a crawfish or bait fish that may be threatening the bass’s next. One unique feature of a tube jig is that it can be rigged to have a lead head jig inserted in the tip or a slip lead jig depending on where you are fishing. By far one of my favorites for early spring bass season and often is something you just need to give a shot if you are bass fishing.
The spinnerbait is one of the most useful lures as it’s perfect for covering any large area of water. Not only that, this lure is also very versatile and easily can be used in just inches of water to even ten feet. One great feature that I like about spinnerbaits is due to its fairly weedless design allowing for it to go in areas where a normal jig would simply get snagged up in. This lure easily can be used throughout the bass season. Finally, the spinnerbait also stands out in cloudy water due to its bright, colored and reflective colors in the water. Perfect for after spring rains or even just a dark muddy lake.
Often this is a go too lure when the water is clear compared to other spring bass fishing lures. Many professionals even swear that this is the perfect lure for clear lakes. Suspending jerkbaits draw strikes even when their sitting still unlike other spring bass fishing lures. The lure itself essentially goes with the mood of the spring bass in clear to slightly stained water in lakes. Simply throw your lure over in deep points, near bands, or even the edges of flats and you’ll be catching a bass in no time!
Even though this may seem a little too basic, the good old soft plastic jerkbait and the soft plastic worm work just as well any other bass fishing lures. Often I’ll use these baits when the pre-spawn has dwindled down a little. Your goal though is to make the bait weightless and have a slow fall. This method will result in bass who simply can’t pass up on a easy meal striking. If you are fishing during post spawn, try to throw a drop shot jib and place it closest to the strike zone as you can.
Often, this is my go to bait. I’d even go as far as to claim that this is the ultimate lute if you are looking to get a bass out of cover while in post spawn. During post spawn, bass will hide in any heavy cover that can find; that being glass, or wooded cover. With the little extra trailer following behind creates a presentation that the bass will hold onto and pay attention too just a little longer.
Crankbaits are one of the great spring bass fishing lures for running your bait into deep structures, shallow areas and even just flat bass spawning areas in general. You will more likely than not find these baits in use by professional angels in spring tournaments. One of the most unique features that the crankbait offers is their ability to cover a lot of ground in search of that record breaking bass in a large area.
Many angles will claim this as their perfect bait for just after the big bass spawn, in which you will find anglers waiting all year just for this particular season. These include: Chuggers, walkers, poppers, and buzzers lures. This season includes some of the most heart pounding, adrenaline filled explosions from bass striking in which make it one of the most entertaining times to fish throughout the year!
Often one of the most overlooked lures to use during the spring, you’ll be surprised how well these actually work! You’ll find yourself catching bass both in shallow and even deep water. Even in clear to dark water, yet you most likely won’t hear of many people using it. When out of luck, disregard all the other spring bass fishing lures and give grubs a try.
Often you won’t find too many anglers using blade baits compared to all the other spring bass fishing lures. These lures though are really nice to drop right into the strike zone due to their small size and heavy mentality. Not only that, they have a strong vibration that you may even feel when reeling in on the line along with a flashy enough appearance to attract bass out of hiding in the deep cold icy lakes. One of the nice features that blade bait offers is its ability to be a versatile; you can use these in a variety of ways. Feel free to use them as a drop bait, jig or even like crankbait.
Finding out what to choose is a different story though and there isn’t a completely correct answer. Often people don’t realize that the size of the bait and presentation doesn’t matter so much in the pre-spawn since the bass are so active. If this was in the post spawn, things start slowing down and you might start needing to take these in consideration.
The key for finding the perfect lures is to use lures that will match the hatch for the post spawn. First, when trying to figure out what lure you should use generally, many professional anglers agree lures that are:
- Subtle Lure presentation are good for clear water
- Larger brighter lure presentation are good for stained, cloudy water
- Try to match the lure to the color of the sky and the water
With this in mind, This technique may seem a little simple for figuring out your early spring bass fishing lures but its just that simple! Don’t over think it too much in the early spring since the bass are so active. Often when the water is still cool in the early spring, noise doesn’t really help too much as in during the post spawn in warmer water.
Often in cooler water, the smaller lures that present themselves slower will work well. During the late spring though, you may need to pull out the larger and faster lures to pull a strike in though.
By chance that the bass is running from your cast, be sure to try to approach it softer by using things such as worms or even just soft plastic jerkbaits. When you are fishing in the spring, moving the lure slower is key compared to when you want to move in quickly in the late summer. If you are trying to get a bass in cover, use a weedless lure as it’ll be perfect for avoiding snags in the early spring when you’re bass fishing. Only use the top water lures during the early mornings and later afternoons during sunsets. Sometimes they can be good for overcasts too but its just not that successful.
These ten lures will help you build confidence in choosing the perfect lure for you and in becoming a better angler. Finding the perfect though lures depends on the location, the condition and the simple reaction from the bass itself. Its all about trying one thing at a time and going through your tactics until one sticks!
If you are looking to get into bass fishing, the early spring bass is a perfect time to start the sport! Due to the fast striking nature of the fish and the quality time it brings you in the outdoors, there isn’t much that can beat it. Get fishing and hopefully you will manage to pull a bass in from our help in finding the perfect early spring bass fishing lures.
