Charles Slone:

I would fish around cover, trees, stumps, weeds, etc. Those are where the larger bass lie, waiting for a shad or baitfish to just swim above him. Anywhere around cover is a good place for bass by my standards.

I would use slow presentations like weight-less wacky rigged worms, jigs, and jerk-baits. Keep it simple, shad, crayfish & bluegill patterns. If it’s really stained water try a chartreuse.

I would fish in the morning, starting out at 6 AM & ending when i feel i should go. Bass bite more at night & morning, and since it’s gonna be ice cold at night, stick w/ mornings.

pradco01:

Early spring is prime time for catching giant largemouthbass, but you must have the right tools for the task. Here are a few lure recommendations for this time of year along with fishing tips for each (full disclosure, I work for PRADCO Outdoor Brands who own Lurenet.com)… Good fishing!

1) Smithwick 5 ½-inch Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue – Clown

The suspending jerkbait that put suspending jerkbaits on the map, a Rogue is the bait of choice for giant smallies when they stage just off spawning flats. Pause it as long as you can stand between jerks – and maybe a little longer – and remain ready.

2) 7-inch YUM Dinger – Watermelon Pearl Laminate

Big, bold offerings often trigger heavyweight spawning fish into committing, and nothing will do that job quite like a 7-inch YUM Dinger. Big Dingers’ also produce hoards of hawgs when pitched around shallow cover throughout the spring.

3) BOOYAH 3/4-ounce Football Jigheads – Brown

During early spring many big fish remain in or very near their winter areas, which dictates hitting deeper structure. A BOOYAH Football Head allows you to keep soft-plastic offerings close to prime structure and comes equipped with a 4/O Gamakatsu hook for putting those big fish in the boat.

4) YUM 5-inch Gonzo Grub – Green Pumpkin/Orange Flake

A perfect match for the Football Jighead, a Gonzo Grub has a fluttering skirt and twin tails that provide an incredible amount of action. The 5-inch Gonzo provides the necessary bulk to get a lunker to commit.

5) Bomber Fat Free Shad – Dance’s Citrus Shad

If you ever travel to Mexico without a stock of Fat Free Shads you’ll buy some before the trip is over, and if you fish anywhere bass grow big without ‘em, you’re leaving something significant on the table. Fat Frees dig deep to get down among ‘em and have just the right profile and wag.

6) 1-ounce Double Willow BOOYAH Blade – White Chartreuse

Another trophy bass gem for when the lunkers are laying low in the water column, a big Double Willow BOOYAH Blade offers a large profile to suggest a serious meal. Let it fall to the bottom and slow roll it across the deepest edges of flats and the ends of points

7) ¾-ounce Single Colorado BOOYAH Blade – Coleslaw

When early-spring storms stain big bass waters, it’s time to pull out a thumping single Colorado. The fish will move tight to shallow cover, and they will dart out of bush to ambush something that’s creating big vibes. Work close and make short accurate casts, working the bait tight to the thick stuff.
BOMBER Deep Flat A – Apple Red Crawfish

The Flat A’s extra-tight wiggle suggests an easy meal, which is something bass cannot resist while their metabolism levels remain low. Use a steady medium-slow retrieve and kick it off rocks and the bottom whenever possible.

9) Cotton Cordell Super Spot – Tomato Red

A first-season classic on grass lakes, the Tomato Red Super Spot accounts for a tremendous amount of hawgs this time of year. Let it fall into patches of submerged vegetation, rip it out of the grass and hold on tight!