Pre-spawn Bass Fishing

Bass tend to hang around spawning beds (aka. Spawning flats) and channels that flow in connection with those beds during the pre-spawn season. Many lunker bucketmouths can often be caught around creek channels that run through the spawning beds. The fish will hang around the edge of such channels.

As always, the clarity of the water and the water temperature play a key roll in choosing the type and color of lure. In murky or stained water a slow-roll of a spinnebait usually works well. During the pre-spawn the bass are larger so you'll want to use a larger spinnerbait. The weight of the bait will depend on the depth of the water, The heaver for deeper water. Try a tandem blade with a Colorado and willow leaf combination.

In dirty water I suggest a chartreuse & white color skirt. In clearer water, try a shad color for your spinnerbaits skirt and a curl-tail trailer to lure the bucketmouth into striking.

Use a 7 foot, mid-action rod and a bait-casting reel. The longer rod is more sensitive, and will let you feel the bass bite better.

Crank baits can be used during the pre-spawn, and can sometimes produce a lunker bass when used in certain places and times. Use the deep diving crankbaits to fish steep banks and underwater channels that meet spawning flats. In these areas the spawning beds tend to run deeper. During the pre-spawn, bass often hold on the lip of the break or just below it, in preparation for spawning weather.