Spring 2021
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year, but it is one of the best ways to catch fish during the pre-spawn.”
Aside from cranking, Rojas relies on some usual suspects for pre-spawn anglers everywhere.
“A lot of what I am using in the pre-spawn is the same stuff I use all winter here,” Rojas said. “Besides cranking, I fish a jig, drop-shot, and Texas-Rig. Those techniques can help you put together some nice mixed bags during the pre-spawn.”
THE SPAWN
When the bass begins to spawn is a little different every year, but Rojas says it usually kicks off in late February and runs for up to three months.
“The smallmouth will be the first to start spawning and I’ve seen that happen in February,” he said. “They will start to get in the clearings and backs of little pockets. Usually, the first week of March is when things really start rolling. ”
Rojas shared that he will follow the spawn down the lake towards the dam until the bass are done for the year.
“You can work your way down the lake because the water is cooler down towards the dam,” Rojas said. “Even though the river is dumping into the lake on the upper end of the lake we call ‘the bowl’, there are a lot of shallow bays and pockets. It warms up that much faster.”
When targeting smallmouth, flat banks and those with rock are key, and for largemouth, tules are his biggest focus.
“I’ll fish those flatter banks always fish out just a little deeper as well,” he said. “The whole time, you can also be targeting the pre and post-spawn fish.”
POST-SPAWN
Of all of the times of the year, the post-spawn period is one of Rojas’ favorite times to be on Havasu. The weather is getting warmer and the bite is also heating up.
“Post-spawn is tons of fun,” Rojas said. “It is a time of year when there is so much going on and you can catch them so many ways.”
He will fish many of the same areas that he does in the pre-spawn and he also keeps a close eye right along the bank for fish guarding fry and those eating spawning bluegill.
“The nine to the 10-foot range is a good place to start, but you can catch them right at the bank and out to that zone,” he added. “The topwater bite is also really starting to turn on since the water is getting warmer and the bass are hungry. They’ve burned up all of their reserves from spawning, and you can catch them on a variety of different techniques and just about any way you want to.”
Lake Havasu is a springtime mecca for all walks of life. They come to enjoy the sun, water, and parties. The bass also seem to get the memo as the lake awakes and the bass bite goes into overdrive. If you’ve never been in the spring, it is a must for any bass angler. Pro angler Dean Rojas agrees and says there’s no place like Havasu in the spring. •
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