I love it. A few warm days. A short drive to the pond. Lifting the rod out of the back seat and slipping on the hip boots. Walking out into the water and tossing out a couple of casts. Then, that sudden weight and a nice 12" Bass comes to hand to be released. So starts another Bass season. Early Largemouth Bass fishing, when the water is still 44 to 50 degrees can be fruitless, discourging and cold. Or, it can be bountiful, enjoyable and warm. And that is the first lesson. Fish warm, for their comfort and yours. Watch the weather and choose a day to fish after two or three sunny mild days. Sunlight can warm shallow waters a couple of degrees if it isn't getting mixed by a stiff breeze. The fishing can turn off as fast as it turns on this time of year just by the change of a degree or two of water temperature. When the Trout have been stocked for a month and the Perch spawn is over, Largemouths (micropterus salmoides) are still trying to thaw their metabolism. While the (other) sunfishes: Bluegill, Pumkinseed and Green are up in the shallows jumping flies and poppers with abandon, Largemouths are still sulking along the bottom. All winter, these fish have been near dormant in 39 degree water, near or on the bottom. To catch winter Bass, patience was necessary to place the bait nearly motionless within their sight and await their arrival. After ice out, the black bottomed shallows are warmed first by the sun and fish near these shallow areas begin to chase prey. Let's look at three approaches to successful early season Bassing: flyfishing, baiting and spinning.
Flyfishers need to decide whether they are going to fish deep or shallow and choose the sinking/floating lines accordingly. The fly is likely to be the same, a woolly bugger size #6 to #12, in both cases. Choose a green or brown with some contrasting orange/yellow color. The retrieve too is likely to be similar, low, slow and with barely a twitch of an inch or two to keep it just off the bottom. The difference lies in whether to fish the top of the slope at the old weed edge in 3' to 5' of water or the bottom of the slope, 5'-10' deeper. Fishing both is the only sure way to tell but generally, the earlier and colder the water the lower the fish. So in early April I'm using intermediate lines and by month's end I'm using floaters. Heavy Bass tippets aren't necessary this time of year. The fish can't make strong runs or jumps due to the temperature and come to hand readily. The challenge is in sensing the gentle inhalation of a lethargic Bass, a sharp strip now and then yields occasional surprises. Tip. A tiny strike indicator, particularly when fishing deep can be a real asset in spotting the take. Be patient, the fish are there and hungry but very slow. Baiting this early in the year follows much the same pattern as ice fishing. Minnows or nightcrawlers fished near the bottom in 5' - 20' of water is best. Anchor the boat or wade the shoreline prospecting ahead of you. The problem here is avoiding* Perch and Pickeral. Both these species are actively feeding and will readily jump your bait. To avoid the Perch, fish a big nightcrawler shallow or try a slip sinker and a worm blower to fish further out and deeper. Avoid the Pickeral by not fishing your minnow up against shoreline structure where they are hiding. Tip. Shiners make great bait but so do chubs caught in saltwater estuaries. These are very rugged and will survive for long periods (days) without aeration or special care. Any minnow trap and bait overnight in a little saltwater creek ought to catch you a dozen. As the water warms to 50 degrees, a few Bass will move up into stick type brush in three feet of water, particularly on the north and east side of ponds. Baiting just outside these places will get you a lot of strikes from both Bass and Pickeral. Fish by suspending a minnow three feet below a bobber and casting just 25' to 30' ahead of you as you slowly circle the pond. Wait a couple of minutes after splashdown and then reel in a few feet every minute or so. Use 12 lb. test line and a 3x long shank #2 hook to minimize Pickeral cutoffs but don't use steel leaders or you'll cut down on the bait action and on strikes. Spinning can be the superior method for catching quantities of Bass in the early spring. Whereas baiting will usually catch you at least one, spinning allows you to cover a lot more water at different depths for more fish. Because the fish have to chase a moving lure it is essential to make a proper presentation. Retrieving the lure too fast or too far away from a cold water Bass means these relatively slow moving fish simply won't get to it before its gone. Vertical jigging from a boat, pig-n'-jig stuff, holds the lure in front of the fish for long periods. Fish the slopes and structures in 5' to 20' of water where you would expect to find fish any time of year but fish slower, smaller and more thoroughly than usual. Bottom bumping and slow dragging is the method, big jumps here would just take the bait away from the fish. Baby craws, 4" worms and 1/4 oz. (or smaller) jigs are best. In my experience, the best approach for cold water Bass is a little white spinner on ultra-light gear. The essential ingredients to this recipe are: tiny in-line spinners, fishing low and slow, and fishing warmer water. Remember, warmer is better. This has to be ultralight fishing, anything heavier will defeat the lure presentation that you are looking to achieve. New 4 lb. test line is plenty to land even 5 and 6 pound Bass, remember these fish are cold and not up to much of a fight. Here's how to do it. Head for your favorite pond and put on your waders or launch the canoe. On the water, take a close look at the north and east sides of the pond. This is where the sun warms the water first in the spring and is the likeliest place for active Bass. If there is a cove or even an alcove in the shoreline, concentrate your efforts there first. Using a tiny snap (but no swivel), put on a #0 or #1 Roostertail or Vibrax spinner. White and/or chrome combos work best. Toss this straight out to deeper water from shore and count it down to the bottom. Give it a sharp jerk to start the blade spinning. Then, after reeling up the slack, slow down the retrieve until the blade is just barely turning over. You can feel this by the rythmic vibration of the line to the rod tip. The slower the better. If you slow down too much and the spinner stops spinning, you'll feel the line stop vibrating. In that case, just give it another twitch to get it started again. Let me repeat, better too slow than too fast! Next cast, count down to just above bottom to avoid fouling on debris. Fan your casts around by three foot increments until you are casting parallel to shore in about three feet of water. Keep your spinner working just a couple of inches above the bottom for the best results. Watch out as you approach the shallows, this is where you are most likely to get hit by big Pickeral. Tip. Bring extra spinners, needlenose pliers and a net. Its a cinch to lip lift a Bass but Pickeral with those big teeth have a way of getting even. After you catch a Bass in one location, rest the spot for a couple of casts before trying there again. Often, spring Bass are stacked up in the most comfortable water around and you may take half a dozen nice fish from one three foot wide line of retrieve if* they don't spook. When you've covered an area, move a boatlength and start again casting to deep water. Remember, these fish can't chase a meal far or fast so covering the water by 3' increments is just about right. For the same reason, watch for the strike after* you slow down the spinner. Tip. For the best long term success, keep a record of water temperatures and locations in your outdoor log to better predict good fishing next spring. Once you find the pattern for your favorite water, you can confidently go to the water with a single rod and lure and have a lot of early season fun. There is no reason not to enjoy cold water Bassin' in April if you have a plan and the right equipment. Try the tactics above and I think you will be very pleasantly surprised with how many fish you can actually find biting. Big ones too.
I hope you liked the article. I enjoy sharing the opportunities that the Cape has to offer. This article was first published in, On The Water, in May, 1998. mge
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