Opening Lure

[matthothand]

I'm with lunker. I'll be throwing mostly a soft jerkbait as my search lure and will be ripping ripe females off of their beds with an assortment of tubes. I might throw a sexy shad as well for a bit. Last year I got on an amazing soft jerkbait bite off the get go on opener but this year might be different. I'll have to check temp when I get there. It might get a little messy but it's gonna be a good show.

[Central Bassman]

I forgot all about the soft jerkbait, that is a great opener bait. A few years back i won a tournament on it with over 24+ lbs. A week after opener!!!

[frogtosser]

thinking about x-rap, tube, spinnerbait, a stick bait.

[st.crioxfishin]

I'll be about an hour north of Mille Lacs for opener so I might be looking at fish still being a little deeper. If this is the case I'll have a football jig, drop-shot, and some deeper diving suspending jerkbaits. However, if there up on flats like last year you can catch them on pretty much whatever you want.

[bassNspear]

I will be starting the years off with a Mr. Twister Comida!

[RiverBassGuy]

senko, DT FAT, a lightweight swimbait, and a small x rap. It's gonna be glorious.

[bassNspear]

lure, no lures!!!

[evinrude19]

i will probaly be thrown a purple senko or a blue flake plastic jerk-bait shad split tail

[fishcast]

like the mention of floating raps I'll probably try that, but mostly weightless plastics like super flukes and trick worms, also maybe a scum frog too, probably a texas rigged tube also to shake around some deeper clumps of emerging weeds

[Fever]

I'm thinking first shallow cranks. I like somthing that was mentioned earlier about not throwing cranks or spinnerbaits at areas already hit. Makes a lot of sense depending on how long after you are. Anyway, I'm thinking Minus ones or wiggle worts, 7 inch berkley power worms, and possibly a few lighter jigs and chunk trailers. got a new pfleuger echilon reel and st.croix I need to break in... pumped.

[CarlWBL]

Chartrusse/white spinner is a classic bait this time of year. I tend to favor spinner baits with double colorado blades early in the season to get a good vibration. Also, I like x-raps and rat-l-traps used in a jerking technique. If fishing in clear water, try to sight fish the spawners pitching wacky rigged weightless senkos or weightless lizards and creature baits. Another thing to try would be to throw a dropshot into the shallows and dragging it across potential spawning areas. Typically, dropshots are used in deeper water on specific pieces of structure, however, more and more anglers have been utilizing this setup in shallow water as well.

Carl

[Mr. Pike1]

Well I always my number on and number two presentation of a senko and tube within arms reach. I Will also try some jerk-bait baits in the shallows (x-raps, floating rap, husky jerk-bait, or a rogue). Then a white spinner bait, and one thing that has not been mentioned but I have success on for bass is a small inline aguila mepps spinner silver or copper blade depending if sunny or overcast with a small plastic trailer. Then mix in a wiggle wart for fun if water is calm, jig with a twister tail, and another option I like is a mepps tibmerdoodle. Has some great flash and with plastic trailer can fish tough weeds or structur without getting hung up. That sould get me through the day and if I do not bag any sow bass I will at least know I gave my best shot....

[ikeslayer]

here is what i will probably have tied on but i might change after i scout the lake.

Dtflat 7

Red eye

A spinnerbait of some kind

Xrap - jerbait

Sluggo

jig worm

jig n pig

Tube

Senko

Carolina rig??lizzy maybe

This could all change maybe to a snoopy bobber and a worm

ike

[CHM]

Finally someone mentioned the lizard! Awesome spring bait. I think there will be a lot of fish shallow so that means stealth approach and finesse tactics for me. I like small green worms, white spinnerbait, tubes, etc early on. Later I'll be throwing a lipless crank and an X-rap.