FINDING THE FISH
Locating bass during the early spring is a combination of knowing where to look and covering a lot of water, until you find them. A good fish finder with GPS mapping can provide clues as to where to begin. Reliable places to begin your search include prominent points where creek channels or ditches run close to the bank. Bass will follow these depressions on their migration from their winter haunts to shallower water. Look for points near flats that the fish will use to spawn. Other key areas to explore are deep channel swing banks with chunk rock.
While you may encounter individual and groups of roaming fish, the big prize is when you can pinpoint the elusive “spot on the spot”. This might be a rock pile on an otherwise featureless bank or perhaps an irregular drop on the edge of a flat extended point.
Bass will use these structural elements as staging areas on their journey. The great thing to remember about these kind of spots is that they have a tendency to replenish themselves over time as new groups of fish head for the bank. Keep in mind that once the fish have finished their spawning duties, they will once again use these locations as they migrate back to deeper water during the post spawn.
WHY CRANKBAITS
Efficiency is key to putting more fish in the boat. In a sport where the clock is always moving and time on the water is limited, whether it be a tournament weigh in or just a fun day on the water, crankbaits are great tools for finding fish and eliminating unproductive water. Finding fish is one thing, but getting finicky bass to bite can be another thing altogether.
An important factor to remember when cranking clear water during the early spring, is that you want your crank plug, digging into the bottom, creating deflection, and bouncing off of cover. What you are after is a reflex strike.
As you wind your bait back to the boat, stay focused and pay attention to how the bait reacts as it contacts structure, how it wobbles, your cadence, and what triggers your bites. Unlocking these attributes can be the clues to creating a repeatable pattern.
WHEN CLEAR IS TOO CLEAR
In clear water, one of the difficulties you may encounter is when fish follow your bait or swipe
at it, but don’t get hooked. When
bass see your bait too
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