| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 40-55 | - Pre-spawn largemouth are actively feeding but weather-sensitive, transitioning between winter and spawning locations with focus on warming areas
- Fish are responding well to reaction baits in stained water, particularly during stable weather periods
| - Docks and pilings, especially those receiving sunlight for warmth
- Laydowns and submerged vegetation near shallow flats
- Riprap banks that hold heat and provide ambush points
| - Spinnerbaits worked slowly with occasional pauses, particularly white double-willow models
- Bladed Jigs (Chatterbaits) worked with varying speeds depending on fish activity
- Texas Rigs pitched to visible cover during sunny periods
| - Shad schooling in pre-spawn areas
- Bluegill around shallow cover
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Walleye | 42-52 | - Walleye are actively staging in extremely shallow water, likely preparing for spawn, showing aggressive feeding behavior even during daylight hours
- Fish are utilizing shallow cover like pad stalks as ambush points, exhibiting opportunistic feeding patterns
| - Lily pad fields and emerging pad stalks in 1-3 feet of water
- Hard bottom areas near shoreline in 2-4 feet
- Shallow points and irregularities along complex shoreline
| - Spinnerbaits worked slowly through pad stalks and shallow cover
- Blade Baits worked with slow, steady retrieves in shallow areas
- Live Bait Rigs near hard bottom spawning areas
| - Shad in shallow water
- Various minnow species
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Vibrant Craw Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | White Bass | 48-58 | - White bass are staging near creek mouths and channel areas, preparing for their spring spawning run
- Fish are actively feeding in preparation for spawn, moving in schools and aggressively chasing bait in the upper water column
| - Creek mouth intersections with main lake channels
- Secondary points near spawning tributaries
- Shallow flats adjacent to deeper staging areas
| - Blade Baits worked vertically along channel edges
- Lipless Crankbaits retrieved with sporadic bursts
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium) on steady retrieve
| - Shad schools congregating near creek mouths
- Small baitfish gathering in pre-spawn areas
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Dark Neutrals
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 55-65 | - Pre-spawn to spawning largemouth bass moving into shallow protected areas, with males preparing and guarding nests while females stage nearby
- Aggressive territorial behavior around nesting sites, especially in protected areas near shore with stable temperatures
- Feeding actively but opportunistically, with focus shifting between spawning activities and defensive reactions
| - Protected shallow bays and coves with hard bottom, especially near docks and laydowns
- Secondary points leading into spawning bays
- Areas with emerging vegetation, particularly near deeper water access
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around visible cover and spawning areas
- Spinnerbaits worked parallel to shoreline and through spawning areas
- Soft Jerkbaits worked slowly around staging areas
| - Bluegill gathering in similar spawning areas
- Shad schools in pre-spawn staging areas
- Crawfish becoming more active in warming shallows
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Chartreuse Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Walleye | 45-55 | - Walleye are actively spawning and feeding in extremely shallow water (1-3 feet), particularly active during low light periods due to the stained water conditions (1.5m secchi)
- Fish are utilizing shoreline structure and hard bottom areas for spawning, while also setting up ambush points near docks and other shallow cover
| - Shallow docks in 1-3 feet of water, especially those with hard bottom nearby
- Rocky or gravel shorelines with nearby drop-offs
- Retaining walls and other hard structure in shallow water
| - Spinnerbaits worked slowly along shallow cover and docks
- Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6') worked parallel to shoreline structure
- Live Bait Rigs with minnows near spawning areas
| - Shad in shallow water areas
- Small minnows around spawning areas
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Vibrant Craw Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | White Bass | 52-65 | - Actively migrating up creek channels and staging in pre-spawn areas, with aggressive feeding behavior during warming trends
- Schooling heavily and making shallow pushes to spawn in creek mouths and channel areas when water temperatures stabilize
| - Creek mouths and channel intersections where spawning runs concentrate
- Shallow flats adjacent to creek channels with scattered vegetation
- Secondary points and staging areas near spawning grounds
| - Bladed Jigs worked through staging areas and along channel edges
- Lipless Crankbaits burned through shallow flats near spawning areas
- Inline Spinners cast parallel to banks during spawning runs
| - Shad schools congregating in pre-spawn areas
- Small baitfish relating to emerging vegetation
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Vibrant Assorted Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 65-75 | - Post-spawn bass transitioning to deeper water but still utilizing shallow cover, showing selective feeding patterns
- Fish splitting between shallow cover and deeper staging areas, with more active fish relating to shallow structure
| - Shallow laydowns and reed edges in 2-6 feet of water
- Deep structural elements adjacent to spawning flats
- Dock areas with shade and cover in transition zones
| - Structure Jigs worked slowly around shallow cover
- Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) targeting visible cover
- Bladed Jigs in stained water around vegetation
| - Crawfish in shallow cover and around structure
- Bluegill beginning to nest in shallow areas
- Small baitfish relating to vegetation edges
| - Vibrant Craw Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Walleye | 52-65 | - Post-spawn walleye recovering in transition areas between spawning grounds and summer locations, actively feeding during dawn/dusk periods
- Fish utilizing shallow cover (docks, lily pads) as ambush points during low light, moving to adjacent deeper water during bright conditions
| - Shallow flats adjacent to spawning areas with hard bottom composition
- Dock areas with access to deeper water
- Points and irregularities in 8-15 foot depth range
| - Spinnerbaits worked slowly along dock edges and through sparse vegetation
- Live Bait Rigs with leeches or minnows near transition areas
- Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6') during low light periods
| - Shad schools in post-spawn recovery
- Young of year minnows beginning to emerge
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Vibrant Craw Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | White Bass | 58-68 | - Post-spawn white bass are actively recovering and feeding, transitioning from spawning areas back to main lake structure
- Fish are schooling and chasing shad in the upper water column, particularly around points and creek channel edges
| - Main lake points adjacent to spawning creek mouths
- Submerged vegetation edges near channel swings
- Dock structures with deep water access
| - Soft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium) worked parallel to structure
- Spinnerbaits retrieved at medium speed along vegetation edges
- Bladed Jigs worked through scattered vegetation
| - Shad schools recovering from spawn
- Young of year baitfish beginning to emerge
- Small bluegill near vegetation
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Light Neutral Colors
|
