First Lure Of The Season

[Catt]

9 minutes ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

 

Now?! Where the heck are you?! Mordor??

 

Louisiana Gulf Coast & 1 1/2 hrs from Toledo Bend

[kbeeb374]

I will have a lucky craft pointer on the deck as well as a small tube and a dropshot.  I may also try chuckin a swimbait.

[crypt]

first lure I threw this year was  a rattletrap,1st cast caught a fish. Jan 1st. 7:28 A.M.

[the reel ess]

It was a Strike king black/blue spinnerbait with a single black Colorado blade. I caught a small one shallow on about the third cast, then no more. As the sun came out, I started getting bites on the gold rat L Trap. Caught 4.

 

Last time I went it was to a small pond and only could get bit on small, slow lures. Caught all my fish on a weightless Zoom Finesse Worm, watermelon/red flake. I have a spot that always produces on this pond and I called my shot. I told the owner there's always a fish on that point and I caught two on three casts.

[MassYak85]

Most likely my first cast of the year will be from the shore of a lake that still is half covered in ice so either a tiny little finesse jig or I'll bring the hudd and crawl it. Last fish of the season I caught on the hudd, would be cool to catch the first one on it too. 

[Oklahoma Mike]

For me it is likely going to be a spinnerbait. I'll also have some paddletail swimbaits and some senkos rigged and ready to go right behind it if for any reason the spinnerbait isn't working.

[WI_Angler1989]

9 hours ago, smalljaw67 said:

Here in PA a lot will depend on the weather, sometimes ice out will occur during a big warming trend and will have the water in the mid 40s by the time you can launch a boat. If that is the case then it depends on water clarity, clear water my first lure will be a suspending jerkbait, if I got stained water to the point a jerkbait isn't any good then it will be a jig, either a dark craft fur hair jig with a chunk trailer or a small finesse jig with a chunk trailer.  If ice out happens normally when the air temps are in the mid 40s during the day and below freezing at night, well the water will be in the mid to upper 30s by the time you can launch a boat. When that happens I'll be throwing a hair jig first, its that simple.

 

That makes sense. I like jerkbaits early too, but the water is always so murky right after ice out here too. Do you fish rivers much early in the spring? I tend to gravitate towards  bottom lures (tubes, craws, small jigs). Although, I fish from shore a lot and current dictates presentation a lot.

[smalljaw67]

13 minutes ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

 

That makes sense. I like jerkbaits early too, but the water is always so murky right after ice out here too. Do you fish rivers much early in the spring? I tend to gravitate towards  bottom lures (tubes, craws, small jigs). Although, I fish from shore a lot and current dictates presentation a lot.

 

The river is my main destination since it is usually clear of ice before any of the lakes. The hair jig is a bottom presentation, and in spring it really depends on water temp and water clarity. If we have a warming trend, the first 2 days a hair jig will be the best bet but if it extends to 3 or more days a tube and a jerkbait will be the better offerings since the fish are looking to feed by then. For me the hair jig is what I use when the fish aren't actively looking for food, I focus on deeper pockets, eddies and wintering holes but like I said, a few days of warm weather will move the fish out of holes onto flats and that is when a larger profile bait like a tube or a jerkbait can be magical.

[frogflogger]

clean water, float n fly - silver buddy if not - jerks and cranks also work but there is nothing on the bass fishing earth as much fun as a float n fly in cold water - warm water - now that's something else -

[Will Wetline]

1) vibrating blade baits

 

2) bucktail jigs without trailers

 

3) rubber skirted jigs with double tail grub trailers

 

4) suspending jerkbaits

 

I expect the water temps in the clear water reservoir I fish to be in the low to mid 40ºs when it opens mid April.

[Raul]

10 hours ago, Catt said:

Season?  

 

What's that?

 

 

 

From Jan 1st all the way to Dec 31st.

 

As usual during this time of the year it's one of them yank dudes threads.

[Heron]

I'll probably have a jig, chatterbait, and lipless crank on deck my first time out, depending on water temps.

[Bluebasser86]

My first bass of the year was on a Bladed jig. I already had my first 100 fish day of the year last Thursday, including 9 on a Savage Gear Shine Glide. Water was 58-65 degrees.

 

[WI_Angler1989]

8 hours ago, kbeeb374 said:

I will have a lucky craft pointer on the deck as well as a small tube and a dropshot.  I may also try chuckin a swimbait.

I need some Pointers. They're a bit pricey for my budget, but come tax season I'll grab a few. 

[wisconsin heat]

23 hours ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

 

Here in WI, open water is scarce this time of the year. All we've got is ice fishing (not my thing) and dreaming of spring. 

 

You should give Ice Fishing another go! Fish are starting to bite well and it was a BEAUTIFUL 40 degrees out today.

C&R Trout fishing is also an option while we wait for May.

 

That being said, I'll probably throw a jerkbait or swimbait to start the season, unless the water is murky, or warm! Opener conditions seem to differ every year. I might hit up the river a few times throwing small cranks and maybe some tubes (since they work crazy good for you haha).

["hamma"]

   Well, usually I break ice at the ramps to start my seasons, but the last couple of years I wasnt as fortunate to get out there so early,...

 My typical first lures are for "early" season and they are

 

 a suspending jerkbait

 a floating jerkbait, 

 a hairjig and custom cut pork trailer

 a bladebait

 a old strike king 3/8 oz. short armed singlebladed colorado spinnerbait

 a 1/4 or 1/8 oz jighead and 3" or 4" grub

 

 These are all depending on the first water I decide to fish, certain lakes will get "special" attention. Said attention depends on forage base.

 

[kbeeb374]

11 hours ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

I need some Pointers. They're a bit pricey for my budget, but come tax season I'll grab a few.

Go to DSG or field and stream and get them with the buy 5 get 5 deal and you get them for $6.00 - $6.50 a piece.  That's what I did!

[Jaderose]

My first toss of the year is usually a wacky rigged bubblegum senko

[WI_Angler1989]

2 hours ago, kbeeb374 said:

Go to DSG or field and stream and get them with the buy 5 get 5 deal and you get them for $6.00 - $6.50 a piece.  That's what I did!

 

That's a great deal! We don't have either of those around here....nearest one is 2 hours away. Road trip time?

7 hours ago, wisconsin heat said:

You should give Ice Fishing another go! Fish are starting to bite well and it was a BEAUTIFUL 40 degrees out today.

C&R Trout fishing is also an option while we wait for May.

 

That being said, I'll probably throw a jerkbait or swimbait to start the season, unless the water is murky, or warm! Opener conditions seem to differ every year. I might hit up the river a few times throwing small cranks and maybe some tubes (since they work crazy good for you haha).

Crazy thing is in the handful of times I've gone ice fishing, I've never caught a fish haha. Idk how I have such bad luck.

 

I hope we get another mild spring like a couple years ago when the rivers never got insanely flooded. Last year was ok, but 2 years ago (I think) was amazing! Plenty of rain but no high fast waters. Then you'll HAVE to go use some tubes haha 

[Fishin' Fool]

2 hours ago, kbeeb374 said:

Go to DSG or field and stream and get them with the buy 5 get 5 deal and you get them for $6.00 - $6.50 a piece.  That's what I did!

 

I was gonna mention the exact same thing.  Out our way it seems that F&S has a better selection of colors too.

[kbeeb374]

1 minute ago, Fishin' Fool said:

 

I was gonna mention the exact same thing.  Out our way it seems that F&S has a better selection of colors too.

Yeah, I got a great selection of jerkbaits now that I won't cry about when those stupid pickerel/pike bite me off.  of course I have a couple 110's that I may never use because of that fear haha jk..... maybe..

[WI_Angler1989]

Someone's gotta buy me some of these good deal Pointers and I'll send a check  

[Fishin' Fool]

10 minutes ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

Someone's gotta buy me some of these good deal Pointers and I'll send a check  

 

My buddy is usually all over the LC when they go on sale so I'll try to remember to send you a message next time and maybe you can order them online.  Not sure if it's in store only.

[Scarborough817]

lippless crank or a chatterbait (most likely a chatterbait though)

[RoLo]

When living in the northeast, the Silver Buddy & Bucktail Jig got a lot of play during post ice-out.

Here in Florida where fishing is year-round, January favs are Soft Swimbaits, Soft Jerkbaits & Bladed Jigs.

During most years, and this year included, the 'Gambler Big EZ' gets the nod.

 

Roger