Early Season Smallies

[TBone1]

What works best for Smallmouth and or Largemouth this time of year? I am going on our annual trip to S.D. this week and when we go we always catch a few fishing for wallys. Just wondering what presentations might work best besides a jig and a minnow.

[scsavre]

I always do really well on husky jerks worked slowly. Berkley power, twister tails work very well too. When the water is this cold I catch bass on pretty much any plastic slowly. I caught about 200 while crappie fishing this past weekend on small plastics

[Stratosman]

Slowly worked small grubs, tubes and possibly slow rolled spinnerbaits, the key is to find where they are staging, all has to do with water temps. Water in the mid to upper 40's still will have them set up in transition areas outside of spawing grounds, points, sunken islands adjacent to spawning flats and bays are good areas to start. As the water warms, the fish move up, but probably not untill the water hits 60 or so. Good luck!

[TBone1]

Thanks for the info. I really want to go out and spend some time on the water targeting Bass this week. The lakes we are fishing have been real clear. Does this change the way you would approach these fish?

[Stratosman]

Possibly.. Depends on relative depth I guess. No extra caution needed unless they are real shallow. Long casts and keep the boat noise down. Clear water you should use natural patterns and colors, and smaller profile baits might be the ticket. Experiment and for sure let us know your report and if you made any discoveries.

[poutpro]

Go get yourself a butterfly net and go out into a slough where you hear the frogs croaking and get a couple dozen. Find a rocky bottom and vertically jig the frogs with 1/8 oz jig. I have never found a presentation that will beat this.

[TBone1]

Thanks again for the info, I'll let you know when I get back on Sunday 5/1

[jackfish]

I find smallies like to eat lots of emerging insects in the spring. Baitfish are a little scarce I think. Hair jigs, small ones 1/8 oz. and smaller work great for me. Look for structures near gravel shorelines or beaches with lots of rocks in front. This can be deadly if there is a chop. Smallies cruise large shallow bays near spawning areas. From 10 to 2 feet of water. Yamamoto has made some super spring time bass catchers. White Cuttails rigged on a #2 wide gap hook has been deadly! Toss them around visible rock, wood and even just drag them slowly. Give them a try particularly if the sun is out and it's warm.

Hope this helps

[TBone1]

What about Crawfish, plastic or crankbait imitation? Lipless cranks?

[EBass]

I'll try some jigs this weekend on pool 4. You know to try an imitate a crayfish. Small jig like 1/8 to 1/4 depending on the current and or wind. I also like the twister tail grubs. I never really caught any smallies in the spring except up by the dam in Red Wing pitching ringworms for walters. I wouldn't mind getting into some white bass either.

[sami0115]

i think small jig-n-pig combos with hair on them could do well for the smallies along the rip-rap.

[TBone1]

I tried plastic craws, lipless cranks, and stick baits and managed to catch a few pike. The Bass we did catch came from pitching jigs for Wallys.Not many Bass but the size was good. Conditions were nasty at best!

[Lunker]

So far this year I've caught all my smallies on minnows fishing shallow walleyes(although aimed at multi species as well) on the WI river. Best are two 17-18 inchers. One funny thing to add, I've caught the same 12 incher 5-6 times off the same rock over a two week period. I can tell its the same fish by a scar on it's mouth and a parasite on a fin. It seems to live on that one rock!