Springtime Prep & Plan of Attack!

[AJ Hauser]

21 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

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

A-Jay

 

Oh dang - checkmate!

[Fat Ika]

1 hour ago, AJ Hauser said:

 

 

@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  

 

@AJ Hauser In the winter, I fish the Des Plaines in Lake County for pike. There's largies & smallies in there, but the bass population is not great. I just pitch hike along the river and pitch jerkbaits in eddies. There's definitely enough d-bags to go around in lake county that get wound up when fishing private waters. If you have not tried. you could also try the Dupage river for smallies in the Plainfield and Naperville area.....I can't seem to find them in the winter. 

[Spankey]

20 hours ago, AJ Hauser said:

@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! 

 

I’ll be honest I’m a crank head but Square bills are not that big big a part of it. Yes along blowdowns, lay downs, along a chunk of rock I like to fish a silent square bill. Pretty fond of a couple of silent Lucky Crafts I throw. Many moons ago I threw the Baby one minus and some shallow Bandits on the river a lot and they worked great for shallow rocky rip rap. But I’m mostly throwing a rounded diver type bill. I like the contact striking of them. And they can be fished in a certain water column but it depends how you crank them. My river smallie world revolves Bomber Model A’s, 200 Bandits, crap load of different Rapalas and SK series 3’s and 3XD’s. I’m pretty much a creature of habit, pretty anal as far as what I do and how I do it. I’m Usually late to the party on new things and fads. But on the crankbaits side of baits over the last few years I’ve ventured into some SPRO, Googan and 6th Sense hardbaits. I like everything about them. Been working out. Heck just a fishing lure not a control module for a spacecraft. But just that slight difference in them is a lot to me. I’m not poo pooing square bills I don't fish them a real high percentage of the time. I could stand to throw them more. 

[padon]

20 hours ago, AJ Hauser said:

@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! 

 

 

1 minute ago, padon said:

 

as far as the lipless it depends on water temp and mood of the fish. most of my lakes have grass. as the temp gets around 50 the fish will ease up into coves and pockets near where they are gonna spawn. The old dead grass will be there but new grass will be starting, youll see the little green shoots on your hooks. sometimes the fish will eat the bait slow reeled over the grass. Other times you will have to yoyo and rip it out of the grass and let it fall. i dont usually fish square bills that early as our fish will usually be in 8-10 feet. A flatsided crank like a shad rap or frittside  will catch them though.

[AJ Hauser]

18 hours ago, Fat Ika said:

I just pitch hike along the river and pitch jerkbaits in eddies.

 

Got it - thank you! So you're saying there are areas where I can access the water and hoof it a long way and fish a lot of water? I am not familiar with that area at all so any tips would be appreciated - or any access point(s) that you recommend? Thanks man! 

 

30 minutes ago, Spankey said:

Many moons ago I threw the Baby one minus and some shallow Bandits on the river a lot and they worked great for shallow rocky rip rap.

 

... that Baby 1-Minus is one of my favorites  Thank you for your insight into the way that you throw cranks. I need to experiment with them a bit deeper this year I think. Two years ago I had no confidence in them, and I've caught some good fish banging around shallow rip-rap but if they're not there that day it's just a bust...

 

Thanks!

 

 

[throttleplate]

plan of attack for next spring is fish the ottertail river around the many dams all within 20 miles of each other.

Big part of this plan is to catch smallmouth because i am burnt out on catching largemouth.

I caught my first handfull of brownies ever this fall and now am wanting more of that action which nows brings me to the river which is also new for me.

Along with catching sm i will also rig up to catch a few walleye which i was not catching by wading the lakes but caught many when i started fishing the dams this past fall.

[Mr. Aquarium]

I’ll be out there hitting shallow ponds with big swimbaits and jigs looking for them biggons.  

Im in MA on the coast. The hard water season isn’t long if we even have one.  With very little ice our ponds warm up fast. 

[Bird]

Reels have been serviced, batteries charged, preferred pre-spawn baits already tied on.

 

My personal favorites don't change much from year to year for pre-spawn.

1. Jerkbaits 

2. Spinnerbaits 

3. Jigs/brush hogs

[AJ Hauser]

1 hour ago, Bird said:

My personal favorites don't change much from year to year for pre-spawn.

1. Jerkbaits 

2. Spinnerbaits 

3. Jigs/brush hogs

 

Thanks man - what kind of water / cover are you fishing with those? 

[Bird]

3 hours ago, AJ Hauser said:

 

Thanks man - what kind of water / cover are you fishing with those? 

All the water I fish is very clear and about all the pre-spawn fish I catch is relatively shallow, fish that have moved up on points entering coves, submerged timber in proximity to spawning sites. 

Definitely my favorite time of year to fish.

[WRB]

There isn’t a bass seasonal period called “spring time”, that is a human time period.

Bass live by a different calendar based on changing water temperatures.

Winter, the cold water period, less then 55 degrees.

Pre spawn the warming water period transition from winter, 55 to 62 degrees.

Spawn, 62 to 67 degrees, bass are beds laying and protecting eggs and fry,p.

Post spawn, 67 to 70 degrees, transitioning and recovering from the spawn.

Summer the warm water period above 70 degrees.

Fall,  cooling wAter temps and green aquatic plants turning green to brown, water temps falling below 65 degrees to 55 degrees.

6 calendar periods, no spring.

Tom 

 

[MidwestBassAttack]

No more fishing for me this year. Going to do rod/reel maintenance and tune-ups until Braidwood opens up March 1st.

 

Beginning next week I’m starting a strict diet/workout plan and hope to be in top-top shape by shorts and flip/flop weather. Gave up my beer / any alcohol as well. Got some blood pressure issues to correct so I don’t end up looking up at the bass before 45.

 

Once spring hits, I plan on having a Texas rig setup for worms/creature baits. My other setup will be for frogging. Only two rods for this bank banger!

[papajoe222]

Immediately after ice-out, I'll concentrate using two baits. The first is a bucktail jig and the tail section of a floating worm. It sits on the bottom similar to a shakey head. The other is a blade bait. Short hops and letting it sit for 15-20 seconds or longer.

As the water warms into the 40's, I'll add a jerkbait, moving it with short, sweeping moves and long pauses. The previous mentioned baits are still in play, though I'll experiment with quicker movements.

Once the water warms to 50 (sometimes sooner), I'll break out the Flukes and spinnerbaits to work higher in the water column.

[AJ Hauser]

Got it - thank you very much @WRB and @Bird - that's helpful. Really. 

 

@MidwestBassAttack it sounds like you're in my neck of the woods brother - I'm in the same boat with the health & wellness kick this winter as well! I wanted to wish you luck with that, I hope you stay strong and you didn't cheat too much this Christmas season - and good for you for getting on a plan. 

 

@papajoe222 this is very helpful... I thought I was clever for adding some hair to my shaky head in the garage but apparently I'm way late to the party. Thanks for your input - much appreciated! 

 

All the best fellas - be good!