Bass Fishing Tip of the Week 01/24/2010: Winter to Spring Transition for Largemouth Bass

The transition from winter to spring patterns in Florida can be a dramatic change that may only take a week of steady warmth. This often means average highs  that move from the low 60's to a week in the 70's. This sudden change can invoke the spring spawn early often in January and early February in the state of Florida but I imagine it can happen in many southern states across the US.

This pattern can be awesome and if detected correctly can lead to a livewell full of large bass. The early spawn pattern often triggers the larger females and males to move on their beds 1st. Places to look for these early spring bass are varied but some of the best places are canals that feed into lakes and rivers. Canals are great since they often warm quicker than the surrounding waters and offer protection from the wind and cold. Good areas to look for beds in these canal systems are sandy areas near boat docks, weedlines along the canal edge and any pads that are paralleling the canal walls.

Another good winter/spring transition spot are weedlines adjacent to deep water with good sandy areas. These often harbor the 1st early spawners due to their proximity near deeper water. Try some pads, grass and bulrush spots with good sandy bottoms. Matted cover over these spawning sites can often have huge largemouths laying in wait. You need to have a flipping outfit rigged with heavy line and large sinker to haul these fish out of the heavy cover.

Good spawning lures are lizards, tubes and craw imitations rigged Texas style. Work these to the center of the beds and jiggle the rod tip once in the middle. This will often aggravate the bass to strike. Any slight twitch of the line or sideways movement means a fish in on and an immediate hookset is a must!

So the next time you are on the water and the winter has suddenly become spring, look for those early spawners and don't be surprised that you end up the biggest bass you've ever caught.

Until next time, give our site a look over and Do More Catching with Less Fishing :)

The Largemouth Herald