Pre spawn

[mongo]

When fishing pre spawn / spawn what bait do you find works the best

[SuperX2]

I use cranbaits/spinnerbaits early in the year and then go to a drop shot rig. I have last year on a spreadsheet and that's what it says anyway. It's nice to keep track, makes that first time out alittle easier on lure selection.

[jigginstick]

 I know this will sound crazy but bass will eat a rattle trap in water in the 40s give it a try. Also like Yamamoto hula grubs early in the year around rip rap,wood,points.

[SuperX2]

Doesn't sound that crazy, another rule of thumb is use what you ended with last season if on the same body of water. Try it, it works.

[Mackdaddy21]

Suspending crankbaits or jerkbaits are probably the best lure in the prespawn, along with old reliable soft jerkbait. I like to weight a small #4 risto rap with suspendots so it rises about a foot every 3 seconds. Usually takes 2 or 3 dots. Just crank it in a little and then pause it. The line will usually suddenly tighten and then a bass has grabbed it. I like to fish shallower areas with access to deep water during this period. Here in Colorado good bass fishing starts in early or mid April, with the spawn being in early to mid may.

[TroutFishingBear]

Suspending crankbaits or jerkbaits are probably the best lure in the prespawn, along with old reliable soft jerkbait. I like to weight a small #4 risto rap with suspendots so it rises about a foot every 3 seconds. Usually takes 2 or 3 dots. Just crank it in a little and then pause it. The line will usually suddenly tighten and then a bass has grabbed it.

Also, fish these lures along a muddy edge if a lake is partly muddy in one side and not in the other. Cast parallel to the muddy edge, with your bait being about 3-10 ft away at all times in the open water. The bass will be watching from the cover (the muddy water in this case) and will dart out and grab it. One of my biggest bass ever came doing this, about 5 lbs.

[bow-n-arrow-man]

spinner  or lizzard depends if their on beds or not !!

[suskymusky]

I use spinnerbaits for getting nice smallies this time of year in lakes.I find smallies close to the docks where largemouth are in the summer, or riprap  by the dams.I also like to use tubes.After the spawn, the smallies go deep and are hard to pattern.

[Jigwiggler]

I use spinnerbaits for getting nice smallies this time of year in lakes.I find smallies close to the docks where largemouth are in the summer, or riprap  by the dams.I also like to use tubes.After the spawn, the smallies go deep and are hard to pattern.

Hard to pattern, probably not.  Hard to find, YES.  Once they have moved to deep water and you do find them, they usually won't move very far all summer.  Then just keep throwing different presentations at them till you find what they want a WHALAAA!! a summer full of fishing fun!  Just my experience, I know all lakes are not they same.

Pre-spawn patterns, I like suspending jerk baits both hard and soft and small spinnerbaits for largemouth and hard bodied jerkbaits and jigs for smallmouth.

[Mark Barlow]

I have had great luck with a slow rolling spinner bait, baby minus 1, berkley power craws, and the zoom lizzards.

[mongo]

Hey Jigginstick,
I tried the rattletrap this past weekend and did very well, started off with a spinner bait and did not have any hits. Switched over to the rattle trap and sure enough I started getting hits, even landed a nice 3 1/4 large mouth. Hopefully I will do much better this weekend. Thank You.

[TroutFishingBear]

The reason the lizzards work so well in pre-spawn and spawn situations is because the lizards eat the bass eggs.

[SuperX2]

I have a question for ya there fishingbear, what if lizards work well but you have no lizards in your body of water? I use lizards with great success and we have no lizards in our water.  Sometimes I think the Bass are just defending the nest and would chase (eat) just about anything that came close enough.