Spring time...What's your favorite?

[jrk]

Spring is coming and not soon enough. I got back into fishing for bass, large and small mouth, late last season after a long long layoff. Mainly fished Senkos and Frogs...had a blast doing so. I've gone ape crap buying gear over this winter, but probably don't have what I need for Spring. I was hoping I could hear from you guys and gals on what your favorite spring time large mouth and small mouth bass baits are. I'm fishing farm ponds/lakes for LM and local river for SM, mainly Virginia.

Didn't know what the h*ll a Senko was until I started reading this board last summer, and I've caught more fish this last season than I can remember. So, I respect everyone's opinion and look forward to hearing what you can teach me for this upcoming season.

Thanks for all your help

[Nkybassfisherman]

Im going to have to say

1. Fluke

2. X-rap

3. Watermelon colored lizard.

4. lipless crank.

[Carrington]

i live in the chesterfield area, and the dark green senko with red flakes works great here.

also sexy shad colored crankbaits have been working for me, the shallow diving ones.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Welcome to the board!

I don't live near you but my number one choices would be in no particular order:

Spinnerbaits slow rolled

The obvious senko-especially while the water is still cold.

Frogs and topwater as it gets a little warmer

[Gone_Phishin]

T-rigged, unweighted floating worms twitched in the shallows.

[jrk]

Thanks guys.  Wow, didn't realize the Senko was a good spring time bait.  I've got so many bags I'm not sure how to store them.  I mostly fish green pumpkin with black flake.

I was assuming you guys would start sending me out for buz baits, large spinners, etc.  This is good news to me, as I'd much rather fish platics.

[DINK WHISPERER]

Mine are Senkos and "walking" topwaters

[Carrington]

jrk, im about to start learning how to shakeyhead fish and if that goes well, ill let you know.  but with senkos, fish them weightless and texas rigged thats worked best for me in this area.

[5bass]

1. jig

2. jig

3. jerkbait

4. crankbait

5. jig

[Carrington]

idk, i would just try the senkos weightless.

[FROG11]

1. 1/2 oz trap

2. t-rig lizard(green pumpkin)

3. RC crankbait(chart/black or bull bream)

4. spinnerbait(3/8 oz chart/white)

5. senko(watermelon/red)

[SJex]

Shakey Head Jig with a Zoom 4" Green Pumpkin Finesse Lizard or 5" Zoom Shakey Head Worm in Watermelon/Red.

[central.PA.bass]

3 things...

1. 4" Junebug stickbait

2. Chartruese shallow diver crankbait (0-1ft)

3. Texas rigged Lizard (pumpkinseed)

[rowyourboat]

1.Spinner Bait

2. Rattle Trap

3. Plastic Lizard

4. Senko

5. Shakey Head Worm

[ToledoEF]

1a. Jig

1b. Spinnerbait

2. Fluke (or other jerkbait)

3. sekno

[Fishes in trees]

Nearly every March, I catch 1 or 2 big fish (20" or better) on a rattle bait, very shallow, 2 or 3 feet of water, maybe less.  I prefer the Berkley Frenzy rattlebaits or a Cordell Spot over a Rattletrap, but that's probably just personal preference.

Really, lots of things work in the spring, jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, rattle baits, wiggle warts, senkos.  Just experiment til you find what is really working that day.  Lots of times, I find that afternoons are better than mornings.

[Catt]

Spring to me is pre-spawn, spawn, & post spawn; each requires a different set of lures.

Texas Rigged Plastic

Jig-N-Craw

Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap 1/2 oz: Gold/Black Back/Orange Belly or Red Chrome

Spinner Bait: Stanley Wedge or Rattle Head, 3/8 to 1/2 oz, front Colorado blade silver, rear Colorado gold, white or white/chartreuse skirt.

Norman DD-22 White-Black-Green Fleck

Weightless plastic Texas Rigged or Wacky

[flippin and pitchin]

Jig

Spinnerbait

Yum Dinger

Yum Wooly Hog or Sweet-beaver

Speed Trap

Rain gear and hot coffee

[Primus]

Catt is right about spring fishing having different phases to it where certain lures & techniques really shine.

After ice out & early spring...

Blade baits like Silver buddies, drop shot small plastics, small grubs on jigheads,skirted jig/ trailer combo's & suspended jerkbaits fished with long pauses will get bites. The key at this time is to fish slow, and then even slower if you can.

Once the water hits app 48 degress up until it's in the high 50's I will catch most of my fish on horizontal baits with the suspended jerkbait fished progressively faster as the water warms being my most productive bait along with trap style baits falling in as a close number 2.

When the fish get into heavier cover then I'll turn more to spinnerbaits, swimming jigs, soft swimbaits and flukes to get them out.

The one monkey wrench is a major cold front which will sometimes back them out to deeper water where I'll turn to jigs and slowly fished plastics like leadhead tubes, Carolina rigged plastics or if the lake has heavy cover in shallow water pitching a Zoom Speed Craw or a R.I. Beaver also will factor in to the mix.

As the water gets into the 60's and where I live around a late May full moon fish will bed up and spawn. In these situation soft plastics are tough to beat with Senko's, Spider grubs, Trick worms, lizards etc. will usually be the featured baits.

Of course this a general list, oftentimes especially in late spring there may be multiple patterns going with some fish spawing, some early spawners already in a post spawn phase and there could also be prespawn fish still available to catch all at the same time. The other factor is there will be some variation as to how different types of lakes are fished, I had clearwater natural lakes in my mind as I wrote my post.

[santacruz]

Well mine are just like evryone's else but ill go ahead and post them

1.wake a spinnerbait

2.shallow to mid cranks

3.JIGS!!!!!

4.lizards

[MALTESE FALCON]

My best producers in the Spring are:

1-Shallow crankbait

2-Spinnerbait

3-Lipless Crankbait

4-Jerkbait

5-T-Rigged Senko, or Trick Worm.

Falcon

[jrk]

jrk, im about to start learning how to shakeyhead fish and if that goes well, ill let you know. but with senkos, fish them weightless and texas rigged thats worked best for me in this area.

Thanks Carrington.  Much appreciated.

[NOVA Angler]

Lipless Cranks -  I like the Xcalibur Xr50 in Rayburn Red.