Springtime Prep & Plan of Attack!

[AJ Hauser]

Hey everyone - Merry Christmas a little bit early! 

 

I'm coming out of my lack-of-fishing-induced depression, and starting to organize tackle and get ready for spring of the coming year. There were a lot of baits that worked for me this year, but I wanted to ask you all what you planned to start with as the water started to warm up in a few months? I'm in Northern Illinois (pray for me) and I fish small city lakes (less than 100 acres) and creeks for largemouth and smallmouth bass primarily. 

 

What kinds of baits do you think you'll be starting with this year and what water temps or signals are you looking for? 

 

As I watch the news and the world continues to get crazier, I find myself wishing for mornings on the bank by myself (or with my sons) a lot more. This is so important and this year I hope to have more success than ever before. 

 

Thanks very much - talk soon! 

[TnRiver46]

Spring time is for maintenance after a long winter of fishing hard! It’s about the only time of year my favorite ramps are packed and the twice a year crowd is always out in full force. 
 

but for baits, I’m always tossing a worm and tube, but a rattle trap can get some monsters in super early spring while the water is still cold. 
 

ps: don’t watch the news 

[AJ Hauser]

Thanks my man - I will give all 4 of those a shot - you must have warmer weather than me in the winter... or enjoy ice torture... er, ice fishing? 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

[Catt]

5 hours ago, AJ Hauser said:

I wanted to ask you all what you planned to start with as the water started to warm up in a few months?

 

About 3 weeks & pre-spawn will will be on!

 

I stay cocked, locked, & ready to rock!

[AJ Hauser]

5 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

About 3 weeks & pre-spawn will will be on!

 

3 weeks?! What the crap?!

 

I mean good for you, but dang...

[Mobasser]

Spring is a ways off for me, but I'll be ready. Clean reels, rods, and sharpen or change hooks. I'm usually ready far in advance.

[A-Jay]

Like many of us that are so privileged to endure the hard water season,

I'll clean and do maintenance on rods, reels & tackle.

Once that's done I usually do some chart study on a few new bodies of water

I may or may not visit.

And not too long after we have open water,

a jerkbait & a vibrating jig has been tough to beat.

My one two punch for water temps under 50 degrees. 

Last April started off pretty good.

https://youtu.be/zIqCmH_52IQ?t=387

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

[gim]

Another vote for reel and other tackle-related maintenance here.

 

I also intend to buy new trailer tires and a new cranking battery before next season.

[Fat Ika]

47 minutes ago, AJ Hauser said:

 

3 weeks?! What the crap?!

 

I mean good for you, but dang...

Sounds like you're in my neck of the woods! After ice-out in ponds up here: jerkbaits, subtle/small cranks worked extremely slow, working very slow and deadsticking dropshot.............finesse/football jig, ned, and blade bait if you can find hard bottom.

 

If your from Chicagoland, you've probably experienced this already.............if you want faster paced fishing before the ice is off most lakes, first week of March opener, go to Braidwood cooling lake and fish for some dumb 50 degree plus fish that haven't seen an obnoxious reaction bait in 6 months.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, AJ Hauser said:

 

3 weeks?! What the crap?!

 

I mean good for you, but dang...

 

Maybe sooner than that! ?

 

 

[Jigfishn10]

Saltwater bucktail jig fishing is a big part of what I do during the summer. I’m in the process of finishing up making 42 of them. I have 32 more unpainted heads on the way.
 

I’ll be busy.

 

Merry Christmas to you as well. 

[T-Billy]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

About 3 weeks & pre-spawn will will be on!

Keep rubbin our noses in it Catt. Keep rubbin our noses in it. How bout some fresh pre-spawn slaunch  pics, that'll really make us happy.   LOL!!!

 Hey I ain't complaining, I caught my 2nd best LM a couple weeks ago, and if the forecast holds I'll be out in the boat next Mon and Tues. That doesn't happen often in late December in OH. 

[DitchPanda]

I'm in northwest Iowa so I'm several months away from ice out..but when it happens I will be ready. On my rods will be: Ned rig, jerkbait, finesse jig, shaky head and lipless crankbait.

[Boomstick]

If you make it out there real early, often larger lures can still be effective as there are plenty of large baitfish from the prior season. In the northeast, the water is often still half frozen at this time.

 

Generally, my cold water lures are generally lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits, colorado bladed spinnerbaits, and tubes and ned rigs. Slow rolled spinnerbaits, jigs, buzzbaits and poppers can also be effective, but I generally prefer them in the fall.

[LrgmouthShad]

Soon after ice out I plan on tossing a Hopkins spoon. As it gets warmer I’ll add in lipless and senko. Then once it creeps above low 40’s, it’s spinnerbait or die. At the height of prespawn I’ll fish double colorados with single Colorado mixed in. 

[Bankbeater]

After much trial and error over the years I've learned that fishing with a lipless crankbait, senko, crankbait, spinnerbait, chatterbait, and jig will yield the best results.  

[rtwvumtneer6]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Like many of us that are so privileged to endure the hard water season,

I'll clean and do maintenance on rods, reels & tackle.

Once that's done I usually do some chart study on a few new bodies of water

I may or may not visit.

And not too long after we have open water,

a jerkbait & a vibrating jig has been tough to beat.

My one two punch for water temps under 50 degrees. 

Last April started off pretty good.

https://youtu.be/zIqCmH_52IQ?t=387

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

@A-Jay What line clips are you using?  Are they safe to reel into the line guide or up to the rod tip?

 

@AJ Hauser ice out for me generally means runoff and dirty water.  A chartreuse black back squarebill, a slow rolled vibrating jig and a black jig n pig will be a player.  Gotta help them find it.  In the mean time, I'll head to Florida and throw topwater, worms and punch mats and hope the warmer air follows me home...

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

@A-Jay What line clips are you using?  Are they safe to reel into the line guide or up to the rod tip?

 

 

 

Yes - and come in a couple of different sizes

https://www.rapidfishingsolutions.com/products/line-clips/

 

btw - a short section of pipe cleaner does the same thing and

you can use it to fish the line through the rod guides when it's time.

#cheaperandeffective

A-Jay

[padon]

jerkbaits, bladebaits, lipless, flat sided cranks, ned rig.

[Bluebasser86]

Hoping my season starts Jan 1 with the same baits that I ended the season with. 

[T-Billy]

I'll fish a t rig, jig, blade, TRD bug, and keitech right up till ice over, and start with the same come ice out.

[Spankey]

Some routine maintenance and a bit of reorganization over the winter. Pretty easy, my stuff is generally in good shape. Want to make a repair on my trolling motor.  That should not be too bad of a job, I should get a few parts on order soon. The old lady will probably love this but I’ll most likely do the work on the dining room table. I’m not gonna freeze my butt off in the garage. 
 

If I kick the season off on the river for smallies my baits will be ones I generally fish all year. Rat-L-Trap has gotten my first bass of the season for a lot of seasons. Husky Jerks, grubs, tubes, finesse worm. Bomber, Bandits or Rapalas. I’ll try to have my bases covered. Early spring smallies are tuff on the river. They do not wake up as early as some other parts of the country. 
 

[padon]

as far as prep i have a couple reels that need a complete strip and lube. stocking up on some old faithful baits while i can get them, and of course theres some new goodies to try. biggest aquisition will be an ultrex. its on order anybodys guess when it will show up.

[AJ Hauser]

@A-Jay I'm going to be honest with you... that's too many reels bro ?

 

@Fat Ika I am about an hour outside Chicago and I've been to Braidwood once but never early - thanks for the tip! Hey do you have any good creeks that are public access up by you by chance? I fished a lot of those this year but also found out I was trespassing when a dude said he would shoot me. So... I mean we're friends now but it was an interesting afternoon  

 

@Spankey I laughed out loud at that dining room table comment - then read it to my wife and she laughed too. Hahaha.

So two questions for you dudes if you would be so kind:

 

1. It looks like a lipless crankbait is a popular option early in the season - how would you all go about working this presentation? It's not a confidence bait for me, but I'd like to get better at this. Where are you looking and how are you working it? 

 

2. Are squarebills an option and if so, what would I be looking for before tying one on? I have a bit more confidence in these after last year but I have only fished them shallow over rip-rap shorelines and had success. What causes the fish to move up shallow - and early on are they moving in and out or what would that behavior look like?

 

Thanks all!!! Great comments - really appreciate the feedback! 

 

[A-Jay]

33 minutes ago, AJ Hauser said:

@A-Jay I'm going to be honest with you... that's too many reels bro ?

 

 

You may be right.

But I can't sell any because then I'd just have all these empty rods hanging around. 

A-Jay