Top 3 PRE-SPAWN techniques

[WRB]

Lake Conroe MLF/BPT event should give everyone some pre spawn lure choice to use.

Tom

[primetime]

I use alot of the same stuff all year long....For Pre-Spawn, if I can get a topwater bite...I say you cant beat a prop bait, let it sit, barely move the blades, and bass will crush it any time of year...Torpedo, XRAP Prop etc...

 

I probably use a lipless crank to cover water more times than not, then pitch soft plastics. A senko will work all year any time any way....

 

I change colors in pre spawn, like some orange and reds, so with a spinnerbait I use orange skirts, chartruese, Red traps, but then again, key is finding where the fish are located, if they are moving up, moved back out to isolated structure, find the big females and you can have a good day. 

 

A Jig will always get the job done. If only one lure, hard to beat a Jig imo. 

 

If they are moving up shallow, never hurts to throw the original Rapala as either a topwater or jerkbait, doesn't have to be suspending. If Deep, then I would go with what you have confidence in. If not comfortable throwing a deep diving crankbait, then nothing wrong with a carolina rig, Jighead and swimbait, or Jigging a trap. 

 

Just try and find the fish that are active and have a good mix of females moving up, not just males that may be in the shallows. Good news, if you can find males shallow fanning beds etc....Then the females are not far away. Find first breakline or weeds offshore is a good place to start. Pitch a plastic worm or any soft bait you like and go from there.

 

If you find em, you will catch em.

[deadadrift89]

Jigs on main lake points near coves or creek mouths where fish might stage before going to spawning areas

[river-rat]

On 2/6/2019 at 6:48 AM, Catt said:

Down south it's Redneck Bubba Bass Fishing!

 

Big rods, big line, big fish ?

 

Texas Rigs, Jig-n-Craw, Spinnerbaits, & Traps!

 

 

x2

[TotalNoob]

On 2/9/2019 at 9:08 AM, FCPhil said:

When you talk about really long pauses with a jerkbait, how do you make sure you don’t miss strikes during the pause, just watching the line?

 

I always feel like I’m going to be missing strikes but maybe I just need to commit to the longer pauses. 

All I can contribute to this discussion is the following (regarding jerkbaits): 

 

I'm often fishing for walleye in the dark south of you (here in CO) and jerkbaits are the premier presentation I put my effort into learning last year. They truly catch everything. 

 

Jerkbaiting for walleyes in the dark, watching the line simply isn't an option. Sounds lame but you truly just have to "feel" the bite. It typically is not a big "thud". Your jerking cadence will bring them up to it and if they hit it it's almost always on the pause. So put extra attention into your senses on the pause. Try closing your eyes on the pause if line-watching is a strong habit you have (or practicing in the dark). 

 

Equipment will help you feel the bite better. In my mind, braid has to be your main line. I run a fluoro leader off braid, some folks prefer a mono leader because mono won't have any impact on the suspension of the jerkbait. I like fluoro for the additional sensitivity and abrasion resistance. Either way, that braid provides second-to-none sensitivity and I won't throw jerks without it. Braid also assists in getting better hooksets if the fish strikes further out. 

 

A sensitive M/F rod (choose your length, I prefer something no longer than 6'10") should do the trick. 

 

Jerkbaits have caught the majority of my biggest fish (multi-species) and really shine in Spring and then again in Fall, all the way down to 40° water. There can be a fairly substantial learning curve on them (testing suspension at home, etc) but the payoff is worth it. A must-have presentation for any serious angler IMO. 

[papajoe222]

If you're talking immediately after ice-out, you're talking early,early pre-spawn. Although some fish may move shallow after a two or three day warming trend, most will still hang around their winter locations. My go to is a hair jig, a small tube on a C-rig and a suspending crank that I'll give long pauses to once it reaches its running depth. If you can get a jerkbait down there, all the better.

[ChrisD46]

Adding narrow  body cranks to the list ...