| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 57-62 | - Bass are transitioning to shallow water (2-8 feet) and actively feeding as they prepare for spawn, with increased activity around warming areas
- Fish are relating heavily to cover like laydowns and docks, using these as staging areas while making periodic feeding movements to nearby vegetation edges
| - Laydowns and docks in protected areas, especially those near deeper water access
- Outside edges of thick curly leaf pondweed beds
- Submerged vegetation in 8-10 foot depth range
| - Wacky Rigs worked slowly around cover with frequent pauses
- Ned Rigs dragged along bottom near vegetation edges
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium) worked over vegetation tops
| - Bluegill starting to become more active in shallow areas
- Young of year baitfish relating to emerging vegetation
| - Dark Neutrals
- Natural Baitfish Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Northern Pike | 45-58 | - Pre-spawn pike are actively feeding and moving into shallow, warmer bays and vegetated areas to prepare for spawning
- Fish are particularly aggressive during this period, hunting in groups along weed edges and near current areas
| - Shallow bays with emerging vegetation and warmer water
- Current areas near bridges where forage concentrates
- Weed edges adjacent to deeper water access
| - Spinnerbaits worked slowly along weed edges and through sparse vegetation
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) with steady retrieves near structure
- Inline Spinners in current areas and around bridge structures
| - Shad schooling in warmer, shallow areas
- Bluegill beginning to move shallow with warming trends
- Young-of-year baitfish congregating near emerging vegetation
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Crappie | 52-62 | - Pre-spawn crappies are staging near spawning areas, moving from winter depths to warmer, shallower water in preparation for the spawn
- Fish are actively feeding during warming trends, particularly during afternoon hours when water temperatures peak
- Schools are congregating around transition areas between deeper winter holdover spots and shallow spawning locations
| - Weed edges in 5-6 foot range near spawning flats
- Dock areas with deeper water access
- Protected coves with laydowns and woody cover
| - Crappie Spider Rigging
- Crappie Sniping (Casting/Single Poling)
- Hover/Mid-Strolling
| - Small minnows concentrating in warming shallows
- Young-of-year bluegill in and around vegetation
- Shad schools staging in creek channels and transition areas
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 57-66 | - Bass are actively spawning with water temperatures between 57-65°F, moving onto beds during warmer parts of the day and becoming more aggressive when temperatures reach mid-60s
- Males are establishing and guarding beds in shallow water, while females move between deeper staging areas and spawning locations
- Fish show increased aggression when protecting beds, but may temporarily abandon beds when spooked, returning after 10-15 minutes
| - Shallow spawning flats near submerged vegetation
- Laydowns and overhanging trees along shorelines
- Protected areas between docks with spawning substrate
| - Wacky Rigs worked slowly over beds and spawning areas
- Drop Shot with finesse worms for precise bed presentation
- Ned Rigs for targeting roaming fish near spawning areas
- Frogs/Toads along thick weedlines and overhanging cover
| - Bluegill in spawning areas and around vegetation
- Small baitfish relating to spawning flats and vegetation edges
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Dark Neutrals
- Green Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Northern Pike | 45-60 | - Pike are moving into shallow, weedy bays and backwater areas for spawning, actively feeding before and after spawn
- Fish are particularly aggressive during pre-spawn, targeting easy meals in warming shallows
- Post-spawn fish remain shallow but transition to weed edges and points for recovery feeding
| - Shallow weedy bays with emerging vegetation
- Weed edges adjacent to spawning areas
- Current areas near bridge connections
- Points and transition zones leading to spawning bays
| - Spinnerbaits worked slowly through emerging vegetation
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) with steady retrieve along weed edges
- Bladed Jigs near bridge current areas
- Inline Spinners for covering water in spawning bays
| - Shad congregating in warming shallows
- Bluegill moving into spawning areas
- Young of the year baitfish in backwater areas
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Crappie | 58-68 | - Actively moving into shallow spawning areas (2-8 feet) near vegetation and woody cover, with most active periods during dawn and dusk
- Males staging on nests while females move between spawning areas and slightly deeper staging zones
| - Protected coves with matted grass and submerged vegetation in 2-6 foot range
- Dock areas adjacent to spawning flats
- Weed edges in 5-6 foot range serving as staging areas
| - Crappie Dock Shooting with light jigs around dock structures
- Bobbers with small jigs suspended near vegetation edges
- Crappie Sniping (Casting/Single Poling) with finesse presentations around visible cover
| - Small minnows concentrated in spawning areas
- Young-of-year bluegill fry
| - Light Neutral Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
- Pink Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 62-77 | - Bass are transitioning from spawning areas to early summer patterns, actively feeding on bluegill and crawfish near vegetation edges and matted grass
- Fish are cruising thick weed edges and holding under matted grass, becoming more structure-oriented as water warms into upper 60s and 70s
| - Matted grass with openings and edges in 8-10 foot range
- Isolated submerged milfoil clumps
- Laydowns and docks near spawning flats
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) with heavy weights for punching matted grass
- Wacky Rigs worked parallel to grass edges
- Drop Shot around deeper vegetation
- Structure Jigs near isolated cover
| - Bluegill (particularly spawning bluegill on shallow flats)
- Crawfish active in and around grass and rock structures
| - Dark Neutrals
- Natural Craw Colors
- Green Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Northern Pike | 52-65 | - Post-spawn pike are actively feeding to recover energy, primarily hunting along weed edges and transition zones
- Fish are making frequent shallow water movements, especially during early morning and evening hours
- Aggressive feeding behavior with tendency to ambush prey from vegetative cover
| - Weed edges adjacent to deeper water, especially emerging vegetation
- Bridge areas with current flow where forage concentrates
- Secondary points with access to both shallow and deep water
| - Spinnerbaits worked along weed edges and through scattered vegetation
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) with steady retrieves near structure
- Bladed Jigs worked through emerging vegetation
| - Shad schools congregating near bridge areas and points
- Bluegill starting to move shallow near emerging vegetation
- Young of the year baitfish becoming more active in warming waters
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Bold Striped Patterns
- Dark Neutrals
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Crappie | 62-72 | - Fish transitioning from spawning areas to early summer patterns, becoming more active and feeding heavily to recover from spawn
- Moving between shallow cover and nearby deeper water, particularly active during morning and evening periods
- Forming loose schools around structure, especially near weed edges and dock areas
| - Weed edges in 5-6 foot range, especially near deeper water access
- Dock areas with nearby deep water escape routes
- Submerged vegetation adjacent to spawning flats
| - Crappie Long Lining (Pulling/Trolling) along weed edges and through scattered vegetation
- Crappie Dock Shooting for fish holding tight to dock structure
- Crappie Sniping (Casting/Single Poling) when targeting visible fish near cover
| - Small bluegills and juvenile panfish
- Minnows congregating around vegetation
- Young-of-year shad beginning to emerge
| - Chartreuse Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Pink Colors
|
