The best bass fishing is and will always be done with artificial baits. But when it comes to lures for bass, there are so many choices to make. Even more, largemouth bass fishing during spring calls for a few specific lures. Therefore, if you want to have excellent results on spring bass, the following lures shouldn’t be missing from your tacklebox.
1. Straight and curly tail plastic worms. The plastic worm is one of the essential lures for bass. They come in many shapes, sizes and colors, and even though they don’t particularly resemble any of the typical aquatic life forms that bass feed on, these plastics are hardly turned down by bass. Some of the best choices to go with during spring are Yamamoto Pro Senko Straight Tail Worms, Zoom Bait Curly Tail Worms, or Berkley Gulp! Turtle Back Worms. Colors should be dictated by the water conditions. In general, it’s best to opt for natural, or darker colors, such as black or brown, which make the worm resemble a small eel or a leech. On the other hand if the water is murky, it’s best to opt for lighter and brighter colors, such as white, chartreuse, yellow, orange or red, as they catch the eye of predatory fish much better. The best sizes to go with for spring fishing are between 5 and 7 inches. But as the water gets warmer, longer worms, up to 12 inches become more productive. The best hooks for these worms are Gamakatsu EWGs 5/0. Also, depending on the structure of the bottom, the use of a Carolina rig, just to keep the worm a bit above the bottom might be a great improvement.
2. Plastic lizards. These are pretty much similar to the curly tailed plastic worms, but sometimes can be superior to those, for some reason. One of the most productive plastic lizards that has brought me some of the best results so far is the Trigger X Lizard, 6-inch Dark Green. Have tried other colors, but this particular one (at least in clear water) seems to top them all.
3. Soft plastic frogs. Although these aren’t exactly my cup o’ tea, they are very productive lures as well for spring bass fishing. Stanley SRF or Big Bite Rojas Fighting Frogs are some of the best.
4. Spinners. Spinner baits are in general less favorite among anglers because they are typically snaggy, especially when fishing in waters with a lot of vegetation. Plus, these lures are highly effective in clear water, and also when it’s sunny, as light makes them glimmer, resulting in a very attractive presentation. During cloudy weather and muddy waters, their effect is considerably reduced. But since during winter some of the vegetation dies, spring waters become less snaggy, therefore, spinners become and excellent choice for mid-water or close to bottom fishing, especially in clear water conditions. Beetlespins and Mepps spinners are excellent choices for spring bass.
5. Crankbaits. These are great for medium depth fishing. For grassy beds, the fast diving Lucky Crafts in a silver-blue hue are excellent, along with Rat-L-Traps, just to tick the top edge of the grass. For wood covers, Luhr-Jensen Speed Traps are maybe the most appropriate choice, while for gravel and rock bottoms, Strike King Shads in silver or white work best.
Now, these lures are some of the most basic choices for spring bass fishing. But as you can see, most of them are for mid water and bottom fishing. You can, of course, get excellent results with topwater lures such as poppers, walking baits, or propellers. Some of the best choices in this case would be floating minnows, Rebel Pop-R’s or Heddon Zara Spooks. However, you’ll only get satisfying results as water temperature rises over 60°F (15°C), and in calm weather conditions. Bass are still sluggish in spring, and as topwater feeding requires a lot of energy which they’re still trying to conserve. Therefore, you should get better results with other than topwater lures.