02-23-2017, 02:11 AM
I am not on the East Coast, but I'm in Wisconsin, which also has the same cold winters. Water temperature is key when you're looking for spring bass. When the temps get about 45 or better, the largemouth will start to stage - to get ready to come up and spawn. Smallmouths will start to stage when the water temps hit the 50s. Keep in mind that even warm rains can raise the water temp in the shallows.
Usually the northwest corner of the lake warms up first, so that is usually a good place to start. Prespawn bass can be a lot of fun - look for them off the first drop of what would likely be a good spawning flat. Smallmouths prefer gravel with smaller rock around. Largemouth look for a protected spot - maybe near bullrushes or some other cover. The males move up first to make a bed and hopefully attract a female. When you see they are up, it is likely the larger females are not too far away.
Prespawn fish can be looking to fatten up before the spawn and recover from a long, cold winter, so reaction baits can work well. At the same time, if you can find out what then forage is in the lake you would like to fish, the old adage, "match the hatch" will go a long way toward helping you succeed!
[signature]
Usually the northwest corner of the lake warms up first, so that is usually a good place to start. Prespawn bass can be a lot of fun - look for them off the first drop of what would likely be a good spawning flat. Smallmouths prefer gravel with smaller rock around. Largemouth look for a protected spot - maybe near bullrushes or some other cover. The males move up first to make a bed and hopefully attract a female. When you see they are up, it is likely the larger females are not too far away.
Prespawn fish can be looking to fatten up before the spawn and recover from a long, cold winter, so reaction baits can work well. At the same time, if you can find out what then forage is in the lake you would like to fish, the old adage, "match the hatch" will go a long way toward helping you succeed!
[signature]