What's your favorite early spring bait?

I'm talking about what you throw when you're casting up onto the remaining ice, and reeling it until it hits the water. That early

Outside of jerkbaits, I really have nothing else up my sleeve that I have real confidence in. Occasionally I can catch them deep with small soft plastics, but this time of year can be tough.

What do you guys throw?

I like to throw a red and white bucktail jig when the water's cold. I'll deadstick it or jig it sloooowwwly.

Lipless Crankbaits. Shad colored preferrably but if the water is stained, firetiger all the way. I catch them a lot in the early and late spring on these when everyone else is catching them on jerkbaits.

bulldog said:

Lipless Crankbaits. Shad colored preferrably but if the water is stained, firetiger all the way. I catch them a lot in the early and late spring on these when everyone else is catching them on jerkbaits.

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Funny you say that. That's what I tired pretty heavily last spring, with not much to show for it. I learned to bass fish with lipless cranks, and last year just wasn't a lipless crank season around here. Not sure why.

I jumped on the 'ol bandwagon this time last year and got a bunch of redeye shads after the Classic and BPS put them on sale. Even got a 7'4 launcher to go with them, but the fish weren't having it.

The lake I grew up fishing always responds well to firetiger baits, from little jigs for bluegill to 3/4 oz spinnerbaits for pike. For what ever reason, bass refused to hit my firetiger redeye shad last spring. I really hope this year is different. I took 4th in a tournament fishing open water with soft plastics, and I got a ton of bites that day. I can't imagine what would have happened if they were biting something I could really cover water with.



I picked up a couple of the silent redeye shads in bluegill color this winter. I'm pretty confident they'll work. I also got a new 5.1:1 reel, so hopefully slowing down my retrieve will give me some results. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!


Otherwise, I'm putting my my crankbaits on ebay.. :roll:

The thing that helps me with the lipless is fishing it with the yo yo technique. They normally bite it on the fall. Takes some patience but when it works, it really works.

I got some of the Red eye Shad last year also and had some success but you can find Cotton Cordell Spots for 99 cents when they go on sale pretty much all year long. I always hit up the bargain box in Walmart and it is always filled with lipless crankbaits for dirt cheap. Even if I don't need them I buy them bc you lose them so much.

I'm fishing at my favorite honey hole Sunday with some lipless and I will finally get to try out my triggerfish lures. I can't wait!! 71 degrees, sunny and a pond that I caught a 12 pounder out of. Doesn't get much better than that!

well down here in the deep south where ice only belongs in your beverage of choice or diet mt dew, love it when early in the morning you can throw a double bladed buzzbait across the hydrilla and just wait for the magic to happen!

I like using light colored spinner baits and bettle spins in shallow water right when the ice is gone.

dyeguy1212 said:

Occasionally I can catch them deep with small soft plastics, but this time of year can be tough.

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I use plastics or a Jig. I belive the bigger the jig the better too!!

I go small for those cold fish - float and fly with a soft plastic (2" Finesse type minnow on a 1/64 jig head) or small Countdown like a CD-3 or CD-5 size

Minnows for crappie :lol:

My confidence bait in cold water would be a 3/8 oz finesse jig with a large bulky trailer. I will throw it any time the water is calm enough for it. If the wind is up or a stain to the water I will throw a a suspending jerkbait, a lipless crank, or spinnerbait with a large single colorodo blade in that order.

3/8 to 1/2 ounce chartruese spinnerbaits with a colorado blade is my #1 producing bait this time of year. Red Eye Shad in sexy shad or firetiger also produce well for me. The key to both is how I fish them, I fish them sloooooow to catch fish. I'm in contact with the bottom quite a bit with both, I almost slow roll them, and even let them sit on bottom at times for a second or two between rolls.

I also catch them on suspending jerkbaits like pointers, as well as 3/8 to 1/2oz jigs.

The key to everything this time of year for me, is to fish it slooooow. Especially the jerkbaits, I'll let those suspend at times up to 30 seconds between moving it.

Jigs for me. All sizes. Funny though....last year, I didn't catch a single fish on a jig. This year...so far, I've only caught fish on jigs. Green pumpkin and Black/Blue..both with a like color craw trailer.

Man, you guys have got me digging through my tackle box looking for all this stuff. I need to get out there!

dyeguy1212 said:

Otherwise, I'm putting my my crankbaits on ebay.. :roll:

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Please, send me a PM first...we can save you all of those pesky eBay fees :lol:

:twisted: Other then jerkbaits, lipless cranks, chatterbaits, jigs usually work for me. I like to burn the SK Redeye for a reaction bite. Most of the fish caught in my clubs tourney today were caught this way including the winning bag.