| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 54-60 | - Bass are staging in pre-spawn areas, actively feeding while moving from winter locations to spawning grounds. Fish are holding in 2-5ft depths near spawning bays but have not yet moved onto beds.
- Feeding activity increases during warming trends, with fish targeting bluegills around vegetation edges and laydowns
| - Weedy bays with patch green weeds adjacent to hard bottom and pad stem areas
- Laydowns and docks in protected areas
- Submerged vegetation edges in 2-5 foot depth range
| - Bladed Jigs worked slowly through vegetation
- Wacky Rigs around cover and bluegill beds
- Grass Jigs pitched to visible cover
| - Bluegill concentrating around shallow cover
- Various small baitfish in pre-spawn staging areas
| - Dark Neutrals
- Vibrant Craw Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Panfish / Bluegill | 52-65 | - Moving from deeper wintering areas to shallower pre-spawn staging areas, actively feeding to build energy reserves for spawning
- Congregating near emerging vegetation and warming shallow bays, with increased feeding activity during warmer afternoon periods
| - Protected shallow bays with emerging vegetation, especially near artificial fish cribs
- Edges of lily pad fields where new growth is starting
- Transition areas between deeper wintering holes and shallow spawning flats
| - Ice Fishing Jigs worked slowly near structure
- Live Bait Rigs with small minnows or worms
- Finesse Hair Jigs with subtle movements
| - Small aquatic insects and larvae emerging with warming water
- Tiny crustaceans becoming more active in shallow areas
- Small minnows in emerging weed edges
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Pink Colors
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Northern Pike | 42-52 | - Pre-spawn pike are actively feeding and moving into shallow bays and vegetated areas to prepare for spawning. Fish are aggressive and opportunistic during this period.
- Fish are primarily sight-feeding in the turbid conditions (2.3ft visibility), staying in shallower zones where they can effectively locate prey
| - Shallow cabbage weed edges in 8-10 feet of water, especially those adjacent to spawning bays
- Rock piles and offshore structure near spawning areas
- Protected bays with emerging vegetation in 3-6 feet of water
| - Trolling Shallow (0-9') with slow to moderate speeds along weed edges
- Spinnerbaits worked parallel to weed edges and through sparse vegetation
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) with steady retrieve near structure
| - Bluegills concentrated in shallow areas
- Perch moving along weed edges
- Small baitfish schooling in pre-spawn areas
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 58-68 | - Bass are actively spawning, with males guarding nests in shallow protected areas. Females moving between spawning areas and nearby deeper water
- Fish are defensive and territorial around beds, while non-spawning fish are opportunistically feeding on bluegill near cover
| - Protected shallow bays with vegetation and lily pads where spawning activity is occurring
- Docks providing cover and shade adjacent to spawning areas
- Secondary points and vegetation edges leading into spawning bays
| - Swim Jigs worked parallel to shorelines and through spawning areas
- Wacky Rigs worked slowly around docks and visible beds
- Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) for precise presentations to beds and cover
| - Bluegill gathering near shallow cover and spawning areas
- Small baitfish utilizing emerging vegetation
| - Dark Neutrals
- Vibrant Craw Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Panfish / Bluegill | 65-75 | - Actively staging and moving into shallow spawning areas, particularly in protected bays with firm bottom
- Males aggressively guarding nesting sites in 2-4 feet of water, especially near vegetation edges
- Feeding actively between spawning activities, focusing on small insects and invertebrates near bottom
| - Protected shallow bays with firm bottom composition
- Edges of lily pad fields in 2-4 feet of water
- Areas near artificial fish cribs in spawning depth
| - Live Bait Rigs with light line and small hooks
- Bobbers suspended 2-3 feet deep near spawning beds
- Ice Fishing Jigs worked slowly near bottom
| - Small aquatic insects
- Freshwater invertebrates
- Tiny crustaceans
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Pink Colors
- Dark Neutrals
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Northern Pike | 42-58 | - Northern Pike are actively spawning or in post-spawn phase, moving from spawning areas to feeding locations along weed edges
- Aggressive feeding behavior as fish recover from spawn, particularly targeting bluegills and perch in shallow areas
| - Shallow bays with emerging cabbage weed edges in 8-10 feet of water
- Secondary points adjacent to spawning bays
- Rock piles near shallow flats in 6-12 feet of water
| - Trolling Shallow (0-9') with slow presentations along weed edges
- Spinnerbaits worked parallel to emerging weed growth
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) with steady retrieve near structure
| - Bluegills concentrated in shallow areas
- Perch moving along weed edges
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 65-75 | - Post-spawn bass are actively feeding around vegetation edges, recovering energy and establishing summer patterns
- Fish are showing aggressive feeding behavior in shallow water (2-6 feet) during optimal temperature periods
| - Submerged vegetation edges and clumps on shallow flats
- Scattered lily pad fields with adjacent deeper water
- Protected bays with mixed vegetation
| - Wacky Rigs worked slowly around vegetation edges
- Grass Jigs pitched to visible cover
- Ned Rigs worked along weed edges
| - Bluegill in and around vegetation
- Young of the year baitfish beginning to emerge
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Dark Neutrals
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Panfish / Bluegill | 65-75 | - Post-spawn bluegills are recovering and transitioning to summer feeding patterns, actively foraging on insects and small invertebrates near weed edges
- Fish are moving between shallow and mid-depth areas, utilizing vegetation edges as primary feeding zones
| - Weed edges and transitions in 4-8 foot depth range
- Established lily pad fields, especially those adjacent to deeper water
- Fish cribs and artificial structures in 6-12 foot depth range
| - Live Bait Rigs with light line and small hooks for precise presentations
- Vertical Jigging Shallow (0-9') with small plastics around structure
- Bobbers with suspended baits near weed edges
| - Aquatic insects and larvae
- Small invertebrates
- Zooplankton
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Pink Colors
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Northern Pike | 48-65 | - Pike are actively feeding along weed edges, particularly targeting spawning bluegills and crappies in shallow to moderate depths
- Fish are aggressive and willing to chase moving baits in the post-spawn period, especially when forage is scattered
| - Cabbage weed edges in 8-10 feet of water
- Shallow bays near panfish spawning areas
- Points and inside turns of weed edges where pike set up ambush points
| - Trolling Shallow (0-9') with spoons parallel to weed edges
- Spinnerbaits worked through and along edges of panfish spawning areas
- Inline Spinners cast and retrieved near weed edges
| - Spawning Bluegills and Crappies
- Young-of-year Suckers
| - Bold Striped Patterns
- Chartreuse Colors
- Vibrant Craw Colors
|
