How to catch prespawn northern bass?

[CrankFate]

In small water in the north, I suspect that In some places, the fish hibernate right into the spawn without feeding, unlike the way they do in much larger bodies of water.

[Born 2 fish]

All fish have to eat I’ve been catching fish since ice out on jerkbaits jigs and lipless cranks. But 90% have been on lipless cranks. I cover water until I find fresh green weeds then I fish those areas trying different colors and retrieves until I catch one then repeat.

[long island basser]

3 hours ago, GTN said:

Another 4 hours in today without even a single bite to show for it

I’m in Greene county and managed 6 LM on Spinnerbaits and 1 SM coming on an underspin today. Water temp 51 here. Bass caught near riprap shores.

[MassYak85]

2 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Have you tried fishing a lipless like  blade bait?

 

To RigsForPigs:
I’ve had some luck with a SMB colored LV-500 in Plymouth & Cape Cod when lifted & dropped.

 

I had good luck in February & March (water temps in low/mid 40’s) with blade baits, flat side crankbaits (fished S L O W w/ long pauses), and 2.8” Keitech’s on an under-spin (thanks to TacticalBassin...).  
 

Best of luck, and don’t give up.

Dogbone, do you ever add weight to the flat sided cranks to get them to suspend? Fishing them almost like a jerkbait with short bursts and long pauses? 

[DogBone_384]

47 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

do you ever add weight to the flat sided cranks

No, I don't.  I had good luck on Cape Cod this March by fishing them to their max depth, meaning if I was in 8-10' water I threw one that dove to 10', cranking it slowly while still varying the speed and pausing it periodically.  My best performing flats are Yozuri 3DR Shads.  

 

Maybe I'll play around with weights...  thanks for the tip.

1 hour ago, long island basser said:

Water temp 51 here.

Time for RED cranks, lipless, and squarebills.  Just ask Matt Allen and Tim Little!

[GTN-NY]

3 hours ago, long island basser said:

I’m in Greene county and managed 6 LM on Spinnerbaits and 1 SM coming on an underspin today. Water temp 51 here. Bass caught near riprap shores.

I’m in Livingston County. Temp was 53 two weeks ago and now is 45

[RigsForPigs]

5 hours ago, Born 2 fish said:

All fish have to eat I’ve been catching fish since ice out on jerkbaits jigs and lipless cranks. But 90% have been on lipless cranks. I cover water until I find fresh green weeds then I fish those areas trying different colors and retrieves until I catch one then repeat.

Where are you fishing a jig? And what type are you using? I have a few footballs heads and finesse jigs

[Ksam1234]

On 4/24/2020 at 8:21 PM, GTN said:

I’m in western ny and fish from a kayak. I’ve noticed when I’m out on calm wind days no action at all. Now some diehard friends will be out on miserable days and they are pounding the big fish

Where abouts in western new York? I live in western New York!! 

[GTN-NY]

7 hours ago, Ksam1234 said:

Where abouts in western new York? I live in western New York!! 

Just south of Roch

[Born 2 fish]

9 hours ago, RigsForPigs said:

Where are you fishing a jig? And what type are you using? I have a few footballs heads and finesse jigs

I’m in southern Wisconsin Water is mid to high 40s .I was using a 1/2 oz casting jig with a yum craw trailer black&blue. 

[waymont]

I have been doing well with 3.5" swim baits in belly weighted under spins, 1/4oz bitsy bug jigs/chunk trailers, ned rigs, and small crankbaits/minnow baits like 3.5" Rapala original. I have seen other guys catching them on spinner baits, but I haven't been using them myself. It's been cold here in the midwest, but I have been catching lots of fish this year.

[CrankFate]

If it’s a pond and there are carp in the water, the carp activity always starts before the bass. The carp are very visible in the spring when everything starts waking up. No visible carp activity, no bass.

[GTN-NY]

21 hours ago, CrankFate said:

If it’s a pond and there are carp in the water, the carp activity always starts before the bass. The carp are very visible in the spring when everything starts waking up. No visible carp activity, no bass.

That kind of makes sense. The guys I know that I’ve been catching a lot of big bass have also been catching carp. On the lake I haven’t been catching anything I also haven’t seen any carp

[papajoe222]

water temp. has everything to do with early spring/spawn fishing up north.  Surface temp. was 56 the only outing I had any action. It actually dropped to 53 the next day and, even though I switched up presentations and depth, nothing.  A lot of what we see and read is geared to fishing reservoirs and when we see things about using such and such baits NOW for pre-spawn bass, just won't work until the entire water column warms into the 50"s. 

If you have a pet, winter presentation, stick with it until it stops producing. That's when the fish will have started moving.

[GTN-NY]

On 4/26/2020 at 12:17 AM, Ksam1234 said:

Where abouts in western new York? I live in western New York!! 

Where are you?

[Ksam1234]

23 minutes ago, GTN said:

Where are you?

About 2 hours from you towards buffalo area