| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 52-62 | - Largemouth bass are actively transitioning to spawning areas, staging on points and shoreline structure adjacent to future spawning bays
- Fish are becoming increasingly aggressive, feeding heavily to prepare for the spawning period
| - Main lake points and secondary points leading into spawning bays
- Shoreline structure with good sun exposure
- Areas with emerging vegetation in 4-8 feet of water
| - Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) slow-rolled along points and structure
- Bladed Jigs worked parallel to shoreline structure
- Lipless Crankbaits around emerging vegetation
| - Bluegill gathering in the shallows
- Crawfish becoming more active with warming water
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Green Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Smallmouth Bass | 45-58 | - Transitioning from winter deep water areas to shallow staging areas near spawning flats, actively feeding to build energy reserves for spawn
- Most active during warming trends and afternoon periods when water temperatures peak
| - Rocky points adjacent to spawning flats in 8-15 foot range
- Transition areas between deep wintering holes and shallow spawning areas
- Protected bays with rock or gravel bottom structure
| - Blade Baits worked slowly along bottom transitions
- Tubes dragged and hopped on rocky points
- Drop Shot with subtle movements in deeper staging areas
| - Crawfish emerging from winter dormancy
- Ciscoes in deeper transition areas
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Pre-Spawn) | Northern Pike | 38-48 | - Pre-spawn pike are actively feeding while staging near spawning areas, particularly in shallow bays and tributaries where water warms first
- Fish are making transitional movements from winter deep water areas to shallow spawning grounds, often following primary forage
| - Shallow bays with emerging vegetation, especially on the wind-blown west side
- Transition areas between deep winter holes and shallow spawning bays
- Areas with remaining green vegetation from previous season, particularly curly leaf pondweed
| - Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) worked slowly through staging areas
- Spinnerbaits retrieved steadily along emerging weed edges
- Lipless Crankbaits worked through transitional depths
| - Cisco/Whitefish moving shallow from winter depths
- Bluegills in remaining green vegetation
- Yellow Perch in transitional areas
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Metallic Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 58-65 | - During spawn, largemouth bass are moving shallow and seeking protected areas with firm bottom in 2-6 feet of water, particularly around points and shoreline structure
- Males are actively guarding nests while females stage nearby, moving between spawning areas and slightly deeper water
| - Protected shallow bays with firm bottom and sparse vegetation near points
- Shoreline areas with a mix of reeds and scattered docks
- Secondary points leading into spawning bays
| - Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) worked slowly around visible cover
- Soft Jerkbaits fished with subtle movements near spawning areas
- Wacky Rigs dead-sticked in spawning pockets
| - Bluegill moving into shallow spawning areas
- Crawfish becoming more active in warming shallows
- Small baitfish relating to emerging vegetation
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Green Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Smallmouth Bass | 55-65 | - Actively seeking shallow spawning areas near rocky points and protected bays, particularly in the 4-8 foot depth range
- Males guarding nests during daylight hours, becoming aggressive towards intruders
- Pre/post spawn fish staging in adjacent deeper water (10-15 feet) near spawning flats
| - Rocky points and flats in 4-8 foot range with pea gravel or baseball-sized rocks
- Protected bays with hard bottom adjacent to deeper water
- Transition areas between spawning flats and deeper water (10-15 feet)
| - Tubes worked slowly along bottom in spawning areas
- Drop Shot with small profile baits for sight fishing spawning bass
- Ned Rigs worked through transition areas between spawning flats and deeper water
- Soft Jerkbaits worked slowly for pre-spawn fish
| - Crawfish emerging from winter dormancy
- Small perch in spawning areas
- Juvenile ciscoes in deeper transition areas
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Green Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
|
| Spring (Spawn) | Northern Pike | 38-52 | - Northern Pike are in spawning mode, moving into shallow, weedy bays and backwater areas with water temperatures between 40-50°F
- Post-spawn fish remain shallow but begin actively feeding to recover energy, particularly targeting shallow baitfish
| - Shallow bays with emerging vegetation, particularly areas with curly leaf pondweed starting to grow
- Protected shorelines on the west side where wind-blown nutrients accumulate
- Tributary inflows or areas where snowmelt creates warmer water pockets
| - Inline Spinners worked slowly through shallow spawning areas
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) with steady retrieves parallel to emerging weed edges
- Spoons worked with a flutter action in slightly deeper transitional areas
| - Shallow-oriented bluegills gathering in early-season warming bays
- Cisco schools transitioning from winter deep water to spring locations
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Metallic Colors
- Light Neutral Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Largemouth Bass | 62-72 | - Bass are transitioning to their summer patterns, actively feeding but still relating to shoreline structure and early vegetation growth
- Fish are moving between shallow feeding areas and slightly deeper staging areas as they recover from spawn
- Feeding activity is increasing with warming water temperatures, with most aggressive feeding during morning and evening hours
| - Points and shoreline structures adjacent to spawning bays
- Emerging weed edges in 6-10 foot depth range
- Docks providing shade and ambush points
| - Swim Jigs worked along emerging vegetation edges
- Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around docks and shoreline structure
- Spinnerbaits parallel to points and transition areas
| - Bluegill gathering in shallow areas
- Crawfish active on harder bottom areas
- Young of the year baitfish beginning to appear
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Purple Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Smallmouth Bass | 58-68 | - Smallmouth bass are actively feeding after the spawn, moving from nesting areas to nearby feeding stations on rocky points, humps, and transition areas
- Fish are utilizing the 10-20 foot depth range, making frequent movements up and down in the water column to ambush prey
| - Rocky points in 10-20 foot range with access to deeper water
- Mid-depth humps with scattered rock and gravel
- Transitions between spawning bays and main lake points
| - Drop Shot with small finesse baits worked slowly along rock transitions
- Tubes dragged and hopped along rocky bottom structure
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium) worked through the water column
| - Crawfish emerging from winter dormancy
- Small perch and juvenile fish
- Ciscoes in deeper water
| - Natural Craw Colors
- Natural Baitfish Colors
- Green Colors
|
| Spring (Post-Spawn) | Northern Pike | 52-65 | - Post-spawn pike are actively feeding to recover energy, primarily targeting shallow to mid-depth areas near emerging weed growth and around points
- Fish are particularly active during overcast conditions and wind-blown shorelines, with aggressive feeding behavior during prime morning and evening periods
| - Emerging weed edges in 6-10 foot zones, particularly around curly leaf pondweed
- Points and irregular shoreline features that create ambush opportunities
- Wind-blown shorelines on the west side of the lake where baitfish concentrate
| - Spinnerbaits worked parallel to weed edges and points
- Soft Body Swimbaits (Large) with steady retrieves through prime areas
- Inline Spinners cast to active fish near surface or shallow structure
| - Bluegills gathering in emerging weed growth
- Cisco/whitefish schools transitioning to slightly deeper water
- Young-of-year baitfish beginning to appear in the shallows
| - Natural Baitfish Colors
- Metallic Colors
- Chartreuse Colors
|
