The pre-spawn is an amazing time to fish, simply because bass are hungry and putting on weight to cope with the stresses of the spawn itself. For this reason, the pre-spawn can be the best time to catch the biggest bass of your life. Since there is always the possibility of catching a giant, I try to limit myself to techniques that cover water or target big fish. The fish are feeding pretty heavily for the most part at this time of year, so baits that imitate larger meals generally work pretty well. With that said, here are 3 baits that you need to give a shot before the bass move on to their nests.

 

 Spinnerbaits are proven big fish catchers, but they excel during the weeks before the fish pull up to spawn because you can cover water and present the fish a large easy meal. I pick size and skirts according to depth and watercolor, and I typically use 1/4oz - 3/8oz double Colorado blades during colder water temperatures. My favorite spinnerbait for this time of year is the Buckeye Double Bladed Spinnerbaits .  On the back of these baits, there are tons of different trailers you can use, but I prefer the Jackall Rhythm Wave Swimbait in the 3.8 sizes in a shad pattern. One trick is to make your swimbait trailer a more subtle color while choosing a skirt or head of the bait that stands out more. You do this so the fish key in on the front of the bait where the hook is. In doing so, you will notice a higher hookup percentage.

2. Jigs - 

(Pic of Skylar Hamiltons Balling Out Jig)

 

3. Crankbaits -

 Crankbaits are always effective, but during the pre-spawn they can be really fun to throw. The cool thing about crankbaits is that you can imitate crawfish and baitfish just by changing colors. I throw red or crawfish colors in cold or dirty water and switch to baitfish colors the warmer the water gets. For my set up, I use straight 10lb - 12lb Finatic Pro Series Fluorocarbon Fishing Line. The crankbaits I primarily throw at this time of year are the  Jackall Jaco 58 Crankbait to hit that shallow and mid-range depth. Since you have the opportunity to catch a giant at this time of year on any given cast, I believe it's super important to upgrade your crankbait hardware. For hooks, I always upgrade to Hayabusa TBL930 Treble Black Nickel Hooks and for split rings I use Owner Hyper Wire Split Rings Black .

Line:

10lb - 12lb Finatic Pro Series Fluorocarbon Fishing Line

Bait:

Jackall Jaco 58 Crankbait

Mods:

Hayabusa TBL930 Treble Black Nickel Hooks

Owner Hyper Wire Split Rings Black

( Photo of Jackall Jaco MD Crankbait )

 

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