| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 48-60 | - Bass moving from winter deep brush piles to transitional staging areas, following the warming trend
- Actively feeding during warming periods, especially during afternoon hours when water temperatures peak
- Fish relating heavily to available cover (brush piles, vegetation) near spawning flats
| - Brush piles adjacent to spawning flats in 6-12 foot depth range
- Emerging vegetation edges near shallow flats
- Secondary points with access to deeper water
| - Soft Jerkbaits worked with long pauses near brush piles
- Medium Diving Crankbaits (7'-12') along transitional areas
- Bladed Jigs around emerging vegetation
| - Bluegill beginning to become more active in warming shallows
- Small baitfish transitioning from winter schools to scattered groups
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Chain Pickerel | 48-58 | - Chain Pickerel moving into shallow areas with cover, particularly flooded brush and submerged vegetation, as they prepare for spawning
- Aggressive feeding behavior during warming trends, with fish actively patrolling the edges of cover
| - Shallow brush and submerged vegetation in 2-6 feet of water
- Edges of vegetation near slightly deeper water
- Small pockets and openings within flooded brush areas
| - Hard Jerkbaits worked with aggressive pause-and-go retrieve
- Inline Spinners retrieved steadily along cover edges
- Soft Jerkbaits worked erratically through brush pockets
| - Bluegill beginning to become more active in warming shallows
- Crawfish emerging from winter dormancy
- Small baitfish moving shallow with warming trends
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Natural Craw Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 55-68 | - Bass are moving into shallow spawning areas near flooded brush and vegetation, actively defending nesting sites
- Pre-spawn fish staging on secondary points and brush piles in 7-12 foot depths
- Fish becoming more aggressive and territorial as water warms, with increased feeding activity during stable weather
| - Protected shallow bays with flooded brush and matted grass in 2-4 feet of water
- Secondary points with submerged vegetation near deeper water access
- Brush piles positioned on transitional slopes between spawning flats and deeper water
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around visible cover and spawning areas
- Spinnerbaits worked parallel to spawning flats
- Wacky Rigs for sight fishing and slower presentations
- Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6') for covering water and triggering reaction strikes
| - Bluegill beginning to move shallow and become more active
- Young of year baitfish emerging in warming shallows
- Crayfish becoming more active with warming water
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Light Neutral Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Chain Pickerel | 48-62 | - Chain Pickerel are moving into shallow, flooded brush areas for spawning, actively defending territories and making frequent aggressive strikes
- Fish are more active during daylight hours as water temperatures rise, with peak activity during mid-morning and late afternoon
| - Flooded brush and submerged vegetation in 2-4 feet of water, especially in warming bays
- Secondary points with woody cover adjacent to spawning areas
- Edges of vegetation patches near slightly deeper water
| - Soft Jerkbaits worked erratically through spawning areas
- Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6') near brush and wood cover
- Inline Spinners retrieved steadily parallel to vegetation edges
| - Young-of-year bluegills beginning to emerge
- Crayfish becoming more active in warming waters
- Small baitfish congregating in spawning areas
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
- Natural Craw Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 62-72 | - Post-spawn bass actively feeding to recover energy, utilizing shallow to mid-depth zones (2-8 feet) near vegetation and brush
- Fish moving between shallow feeding areas and slightly deeper recovery zones throughout the day
- More aggressive feeding patterns during early morning and evening, with periodic feeding throughout day near cover
| - Submerged vegetation edges near brush piles in 4-8 foot depth range
- Matted grass areas with adjacent deeper water access
- Flooded brush in 2-6 foot zones with nearby deeper water
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around brush and vegetation edges
- Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6') worked parallel to grass lines
- Swim Jigs through scattered vegetation and near brush
- Spinnerbaits during cloudy conditions or early/late day
| - Bluegill beginning to spawn in shallow areas
- Young of year baitfish becoming more active
- Crawfish active in brush pile areas
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Natural Craw Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Chain Pickerel | 52-65 | - Chain Pickerel are actively patrolling the edges of flooded brush and submerged vegetation, making frequent feeding forays into shallow areas as water temperatures rise
- Fish are becoming more aggressive post-spawn, targeting larger prey items and showing increased willingness to chase moving baits
| - Edges of flooded brush areas where they meet slightly deeper water
- Submerged vegetation patches near structural transitions
- Small pockets and channels between brush clusters
| - Spinnerbaits worked parallel to brush edges with occasional pauses
- Hard Jerkbaits with aggressive stop-and-go retrieves
- Soft Jerkbaits rigged weightless for shallow vegetation work
| - Bluegill beginning to move shallow
- Crawfish becoming more active in warming waters
- Small perch in brush areas
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Natural Craw Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
