“If
you want to target a big fish, it goes back to that theory (big bait equals big fish), because there’s no small forage available that time of year,” he said. “Everything is at least a year old from the previous season.”
KVD said a slow-rolled spinnerbait tops his list of lures that he’ll present along likely pre spawn staging areas.
“It’s a bigger profile bait, it’s an efficient bait to fish to all depths and through all different types of cover,” he said. “It’s great in grass, it’s great in wood; it’s always been one of my go-to’s.”
Elite pro Todd Faircloth holds a 7-inch unweighted Strike King Ocho in equal regard. It might not be everyone’s first choice for a pre spawn search bait, but he appreciates the way the bait easily transitions from a long-cast bullet to a quick pitch tool for gaps in the grass, dock posts or shallow wood.
Beyond this, also consider that visibility, as influenced by wind and water clarity can influence a bass’ vision and a prudent lure choice. For example,
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Elite pro Greg Hackney likes a bigger profile bait in dirtier water; because the increased water displacement facilitates a fish’s ability to detect and catch a moving target.
One of Hackneys favorite pre spawn search baits is a Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig paired with a Strike King Rage Swimmer. Dredging ditches leading up to spawning flats or pocket, he said, is a great way to narrow the playing fields, as he often expects to find bunches of pre spawners huddling in these travel lanes.
Delta rat Ken Mah spends a lot of time probing steeper riprap banks with a shallow diving crankbait, but once the water gets deeper than 6-plus feet, he’ll switch to a vibrating swim jig with a Big Bite Baits Yomama trailer. Darker colors are his pre spawn preference, as is trimming the trailer’s side flappers.
“I found that trimming the flappers reduces drag and allows me to keep the bait deeper in the water column,” he said. “I also like to keep the main (tail) flap attached; so it has more gliding motion.”
We’ll wrap up with a few more tips relevant to some of the top pre spawn search baits:
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