| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 49-55 | - Bass are actively transitioning into pre-spawn locations, moving from winter areas to staging areas near spawning flats
- Fish are becoming more aggressive but are size-selective, with reports indicating smaller presentations being more effective
- Activity levels increasing with warming temperatures, showing preference for moving baits in 1-5 foot visibility conditions
| - Channel swing banks and backs of coves/pockets where pre-spawn staging occurs
- Laydowns and submerged vegetation in protected areas
- Transition areas between deep winter haunts and spawning flats
| - Finesse Jigs worked slowly along channel swings and structure
- Bladed Jigs around vegetation and in pockets
- Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around laydowns and cover
| - Shad schools in pre-spawn transition areas
- Crawfish becoming active in warming waters
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Light Neutral Colors
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| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 58-72 | - Bass moving into shallow spawning areas (2-6 feet) during warming trends, staging on nearby points and flats during cold fronts
- Males actively creating and guarding nests, while females move between spawning flats and slightly deeper staging areas
- Increased aggression and territorial behavior around nesting sites, particularly responsive to sight-based presentations
| - Protected spawning pockets with firm bottom near grass lines
- Secondary points adjacent to spawning flats
- Shallow brush piles and pine tree islands in 5-10 foot range
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) for precise presentations to visible beds and cover
- Soft Jerkbaits for covering water and targeting pre-spawn fish
- Spinnerbaits for working through grass lines and around staging areas
| - Crawfish emerging in warming shallows
- Shad schools beginning to move shallower
- Bluegill starting to populate spawning areas
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Pink Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 62-75 | - Post-spawn bass are actively feeding to recover energy, relating heavily to shad and baitfish schools in shallow to mid-depth zones
- Fish are transitioning between shallow spawning areas and early summer patterns, utilizing grass lines and points as primary feeding zones
| - Main lake points with access to deeper water
- Grass lines and vegetation in coves
- Shallow shorelines with baitfish presence
| - Spinnerbaits worked parallel to grass lines and points
- Hard Topwater (Popping) in early morning and evening near baitfish schools
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium) for imitating shad
| - Shad schools in post-spawn transition areas
- Crawfish emerging in rocky areas
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|