Favorite jig retrieves during pre spawn

[TriStateBassin106]

What's everyone's favorite retrieves for jigs during the pre spawn? I've always been a fan of slowly dragging and pausing. I've heard some other people enjoy slow hops this time of year. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

Most of my bites have come on the hop 

[Hammer 4]

I'm in the hopping camp also. Although the height and timing could change at any time from slow to being aggressive. Depends on what the fish want.  

[Catt]

Shallow water or deep water?

 

Heavy cover or sparse?

 

Early pre-spawn or pre-spawn?

 

Casting, flipping, or pitching?

[Jigfishn10]

Try to mimic a craw. Craws seem to be out and about more in the spring. At least that’s been the “book” on them.
So for a fairly sparse area with rocks it’s hop/dart and pause.

For weeds it’s more like just trying to navigate through. I think where most anglers go wrong in weeds with not only a jig but any bottom dwelling bait is they try to force the navigation by popping the rod to get out of the snag. I found that if you try to finesse out of it you have better success at a strike. 
That’s just me, I’m sure there are other ways to fish weeds.

[WRB]

To me early pre spawn means bass are moving up from deeper water to stage. When bass see a jig fallIng down through the water column they are trigger to strike by the trailer movements, overall size and speed the jig is moving. I watch and feel my line for any indication a bass engulfed it. The next few seconds after hitting the bottom or stoping is critical.

A bass has it or it’s on the bottom or a bass is looking at it.

My next move is to crank the reel a turn weighing the resistance. If there is any resistance or no resistance quickly reels fast and sweep the rod back. No bass, let it fall back to the bottom and shake it, the pause repeat watching and feeling the line, the crank the reel a turn and let fall if the structure is sloping down hill. If the structure give it a little 6” hop, not 2’ to 3’ stroke in colder water. I prefer worm on flatter structure.

Tom

 

[00bullitt]

The situation will dictate the presentation and action of retrieve. 

 

IF....the jig makes it to the bottom (assuming an Arkie style/pitching jig), I typically hop it with short fast pops of the rod. If its a football jig, its usually more of a drag through deeper brush/structure. 

 

If I'm working vertical pieces of structure; bluffs, dock pilings, bridge pilings, abuttments, etc., it rarely hits bottom. Same with blowdowns as its working the limbs/branches waiting for the fish to inhale it as its working over/through the blowdown. If it makes it to the bottom, its usually coming straight back up and over a limb.

 

Usually, any time it makes it to the bottom, I will likely shake it in place for a second before moving it. 80% of my strikes come when I do this if it hits bottom.

[Fred Allen]

This is the first time I will be fishing spawn time ever so this topic interests me. Is pre spawn before or after the fish spawn? When will they spawn in a place like upstate NY? Would these jig tactics be good for upstate NY same an NJ?

[lo n slo]

pre - before

post - after

 

that’s all i got

[Biglittle8]

I'm a dragger, but throw in a hop every now and then when fishing hard bottom. I will usually swim weedy shorelines or pitch and let drop holes in the weeds.

[Mbirdsley]

75% of my jig or t-rig for that matter strikes happen during the fall.  The other 25% come on some combination of a slow drag with pauses, drag pause shake, fast or slow  hopping, or a rip it than kill it drag.  If they are not hitting it on the fall you will have to let the fish tell you what they want.  

[papajoe222]

From ice-out until water temps get into the 40's, I opt for a slow drag with frequent pauses. I'm talking casting as the fish rarely move up to shallow cover that early here.  As the water warms, I'll vary location and retrieve as conditions and the fish dictate. Once they're working the bedding areas, I'll go back do dragging, but it will be at a much faster pace, again with pauses or I'll just pitch and shake.

[ChrisD46]

On 3/12/2021 at 10:56 PM, TriStateBassin106 said:

What's everyone's favorite retrieves for jigs during the pre spawn? I've always been a fan of slowly dragging and pausing. I've heard some other people enjoy slow hops this time of year. 

*Slowly drag  a football jig with a Zoom Chunk trailer with little movement along the bottom with an occasional slow , gentle  hop ... Crawfish are not "break dancing" in cold water found in most pre-spawn waters - so you want your jigs to act natural.

[huZZah]

5 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

Crawfish are not "break dancing" in cold water found in most pre-spawn waters

I agree, although around me some waters warm fast. If the water is shockingly cold to my hand I go slow drag. Maybe gently lift rod in between, but I think you’re right that the craws are barely moving. If the water feels cool to me I’ll hop and jerk and pause. ?‍♂️ Seems to work. 

[Bankbeater]

For me it depends on what cover or structure I am fishing and what retrieve the bass are biting.