Early Prespawn and Prespawn favorite lures for PB size fish?

[bishoptf]

Since my PB is much smaller than most of the ones on the board and I am trying to learn and hopefully catch bigger fish I thought I would ask this question. For early prespawn  (less than 50deg) into the prespawn (above 50 degree) what are some of your favorite lures that you have used or are using to target big ones. Just wanted to see what others have had success with when catching larger fish and what on. I have read and seen several YT that had small swimbaits mentioned multiple times for dd lmb, personal best size fish. That is one that I am trying to throw more of, right now I have a 3.3" 6th sense divine swimbait that I am throwing on a flashy swimmer hook. I know there are smaller swimbaits and not sure if bladed or not bladed would yeild bigger fish but what I am trying currently. So many options out there, also been throwing jerkbaits and catching fish but just small ones, just thought I would ask and take notes, thanks.

 

*popcorn*

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Honestly any lure can strike magic this time of year from a 9"/3.5oz glide bait to a 5" whacky rigged senko.   

 

Imho, the bait that offers the best chances at catching your next PB is the one you have the most confidence in as cliche as it sounds.   

 

The best tip I can offer though is use red/orange baits.   It amazes me how many anglers still haven't embraced throwing red baits especially in the winter and spring.

 

My two biggest this year have come on a red blade bait, and orange Shad Rap.   The last 3x out I've crushed them on a Fire Craw bladed jig.

 

Take your confidence bait and buy it in a red/orange color and see what happens.  

 

[A-Jay]

I am quite a bit north of you,

and my target bass are all brown;

especially early season.

While a jerkbait is by far my favorite and most productive way to catch plus size fish,

where & when is really the secret sauce, not the lure.

Finding them is generally considerably harder, than getting them to eat once I do.

Something to consider perhaps.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[Glenn]

Upper 40's + Big LMB + Early Spring = Jigs

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, Glenn said:

Upper 40's + Big LMB + Early Spring = Jigs

 

 

pitching to cover or dragging (or other)?  I’ve never been a cold water jig fisherman as much as I know they work. 

[bowhunter63]

Dragging a Rage Bug 

[Bird]

Jigs have produced my biggest LM bass during the pre spawn.

Last year I broke my line on a potential PB on a Zoom baby brush hog.

Spinnerbaits and jerkbaits would be other great choices. Imo

[Jar11591]

Jigs. Jigs at wood, jigs at docks. 

[Bird]

21 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Jigs. Jigs at wood, jigs at docks. 

So you're say'n jigs ❓ 😂

Agree 

[MIbassyaker]

Opened thread expecting to hear "jig". 

 

Wasn't disappointed.

[Glenn]

2 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

pitching to cover or dragging (or other)?

It depends on the current conditions and where the fish are located.  I'd target staging areas - deeper water near flats.  If there were a creek channel or channel swing nearby, that would get my attention.

[bishoptf]

6 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Honestly any lure can strike magic this time of year from a 9"/3.5oz glide bait to a 5" whacky rigged senko.   

 

Imho, the bait that offers the best chances at catching your next PB is the one you have the most confidence in as cliche as it sounds.   

 

The best tip I can offer though is use red/orange baits.   It amazes me how many anglers still haven't embraced throwing red baits especially in the winter and spring.

 

My two biggest this year have come on a red blade bait, and orange Shad Rap.   The last 3x out I've crushed them on a Fire Craw bladed jig.

 

Take your confidence bait and buy it in a red/orange color and see what happens.  

 

Hmm that assumes I have a confidence bait, not sure I really do. I've never been able to fish through the winter or even pre-spawn, work, kids and life..that and I didnt have a truck to pull my boat...thats another story. Not sure I have this one community lake figured out once the water temps dropped below 50 degrees, it was like where's waldo...where the fish go. I did throw a red craw frittside crankbait last time I was out, I think it was a frittside 7. I also threw a shad rap, although it was in shad color. I have some warts and other crankbaits in craw colors and will keep trying things. Going out tomorrow and see what the water temps are and see if I can figure anything out. Going to throw the a-rig some and see what else to add into the mix...

 

19 minutes ago, Glenn said:

It depends on the current conditions and where the fish are located.  I'd target staging areas - deeper water near flats.  If there were a creek channel or channel swing nearby, that would get my attention.

This is a pretty small body of water, average depth for most of the lake is less than 15ft, towards the dam there are sections where it goes into the mid twenties but for the most part its a shallow lake, more like a lowland reservoir, no real channel to speak of. Speaking of staging areas, I know thats the thought but with so much shallow water staging could be about anywhere. I kind of need to figure that out, since I agree that would help narrow things down. 

 

Lake is stained with visibility probably on the lower end 2-3ft max, upper end more stained but the upper end is pretty shallow, mostly average 5ft or so. No vegetation pretty much in the entire lake, lots of docks and brushpiles (mostly christmas trees).  

 

So far I have jigs and red color cranks (shad rap, etc). I pretty much am well stocked and can pretty much throw all the above (do not have red blade baits though) just not sure how to figure things out.

[Harold H]

I caught my pb lm from the bank scoping out a new spot on an afternoon in January a few years ago. I was just testing lures out and threw out a rapala purple glass shad rap and was just slowly reeling in when I got snagged. But then the line started moving sideways and I said, that's a fish!! Caught about an 8 lber, I would post a pic but it says file to big. I've learned that spot is good because it's shallow water next to a steep dropoff to over 15 feet, if you can find something like this you'll usually find fish

[1984isNOW]

8 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Any tips on finding them with no electronics?

 

23 minutes ago, Harold H said:

file to big

Most phones have an option to "resize" your image, often about 60% works.

2 hours ago, bishoptf said:

so much shallow water staging could be about anywhere.

My problem at about 80% of all the waters within about an hour, I feel like I have absolutely no starting point

[Harold H]

After aquiring hundreds of dollars of lures I don't use and need to go get snagged or catch a fish, I've settled this year on my roots with a t rigged Power worm with an 1/8 oz bullet weight unpegged, then a 4" Rage Craw in pbj which I highly recommend, I attach a split ring to an offset worm hook with a swivel and spimner blade with a rage craw weightless. And then a rapala shallow shad rap. I love crankbait fishing but the t rigged plastics just allow you to fish in places most lures won't go, and there lie the big mommas

[1984isNOW]

5 minutes ago, Harold H said:

attach a split ring to an offset worm hook with a swivel and spimner blade

Home made underspin?

 

Where do you attach the split ring and is it just free floating?

[Harold H]

Attach the split ring to an an offset Gamakatsu 4\0 roundbend worm hook, then attach a #7 barrel swivel and a 1/8 oz spinner blade. You'll need split ring pliers

[1984isNOW]

Like attach at the hook eye or loose around the belly?

[WRB]

I wrote a In-Fisherman article “Horizontal Jigging” that details how to fish jigs for your PB bass.

PM your email and will send you a copy.

Tom

[WRB]

St Louis MO DNR requires lakes to be stocked with Green Sunfish for bass forage. Everyone talks about Bluegill as bass forage but they are too spiny to swallow whereas green sunfish are preferred prey fish for LMB. This is why green pumpkin color is popular it’s close to green sunfish coloration.

 Berkley Chigger craw green pumpkin black flake is a good jig trailer for this reason, plus it swims like a fish.

Tom

[Harold H]

21 minutes ago, 1984isNOW said:

Like attach at the hook eye or loose around the belly?

Attach the split ring to the eye of the hook. Throw it out weightless and let it sink to desired depth, then reel and twitch twitch, reel and twitch twitch

[MIbassyaker]

23 minutes ago, WRB said:

I wrote a In-Fisherman article “Horizontal Jigging” that details how to fish jigs for your PB bass.

PM your email and will send you a copy.

Tom

Hey tom -- what issue is this article in?

[WRB]

Feb 1995, pages 144-147, easy to email a copy.

Tom

[bishoptf]

8 hours ago, WRB said:

St Louis MO DNR requires lakes to be stocked with Green Sunfish for bass forage. Everyone talks about Bluegill as bass forage but they are too spiny to swallow whereas green sunfish are preferred prey fish for LMB. This is why green pumpkin color is popular it’s close to green sunfish coloration.

 Berkley Chigger craw green pumpkin black flake is a good jig trailer for this reason, plus it swims like a fish.

Tom

Thats interesting sunce we do have green sunfish in our lakes and in the summer they can be quite annoying. I have always called them rock bass, shell crackers but they are green sunfish again they are very aggressive when the water warms up, almost irritating to a point.

 

My biggest issue is once the water temps dropped to below 50 in this lake i've not been able to catch a fish. There are 2 lakes and the smaller i have been able to walk the dam and catch fish on jerkbait but nothing on the larger lake. The larger lake is more stained but still has 2-3ft of visibility in the lower section but last week was still a big nada. Just not aure gow to figure out what they are relating to or what technique to apply 

[Catt]

Caught on a chicken McNugget