Every region of the country offers vastly different bass fisheries and wildly varying climates. Bass are spawning in parts of the country while other bass anglers in other areas are shoveling snow.
No matter where he finds himself early in the year, there are three things that Major League Fishing pro Brent Ehrler always has tied on.
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#1 Yamamoto Senko
This is an obvious choice coming from just about anyone who fishes for bass, but this time of year, it is a must, according to Ehrler.
“It works all year long, and it is one of the most versatile baits you can use,” he began. “This year, I have used it everywhere we went and I like to fish it with a tungsten weight early in the season.”
He prefers a 1/8 or ¼-ounce Ark Fishing tungsten weight for most occasions and targets anything where a bass should be hiding.
“With a weight, it falls a lot like a tube, which so many guys flip this time of year. Looking back at Lake Eufaula, I was pitching it to laydowns and docks and staging areas,” he said. “It is perfect for those places.”
Another way he likes to fish the Senko early in the season is on a wacky-rig.
“I don’t fish it much Texas-rigged without a weight early in the year because the bait pulls and moves too fast for me. I will wacky-rig it a lot though because you can fish it slower and shake it on their beds. You can get it to stay in place much better than a Texas-rig without a weight.”
For most occasions, he sticks with the standard five-inch size; but found himself using the six-inch version when the Bass Pro Tour made a stop on Lake Okeechobee in late February.
#2 Vibrating Jig
The ChatterBait is another go-to for just about everyone during the springtime and it has been a significant player for Ehrler this season. He adds the Yamamoto Zako, a trailer designed just for these baits, but has another unique use for the bait.
“Even though it is famous as a trailer, it is one of the best bed fishing baits that I have found. I rig it on a 3/O Gamakastu EWG hook and they can’t stand it,” he said and added that it is also a unique option when looking for something different to flip.
He typically uses a green pumpkin bait and adds a bit of chartreuse to the tail to round out the package. “It looks very bluegill-y and they attack it,” added the California pro.
Another modification he does is adjust his hooks and it is something that he does for all of his worm hooks.
“I use pliers and grab the hook and tweak it just a little bit to the right or left,” he said. “You want the hook point to be just a little off from being parallel to the eye of the hook. You don’t want to do it too much, so you can still Tex-pose the bait, but that little bend to one side really helps you hook more fish.”
When asked about the new Paddle Tail version of the Zako, he said he’s been mixing it in as a swim jig trailer but plans to use it more as the season continues and the water starts to warm.
“It looks and works great on the back of a swim jig and I used it some down on Okeechobee. It is going to be a good one and I’m excited to use it more the rest of the year,” he added.
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#3 Flappin’ Hog
When flipping and pitching, Ehrler relies on the Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog often from early pre-spawn to long after the bass vacate their beds.
“It is so good as a flipping bait because it works around laydowns, docks, grass, basically anything you can flip it into,” he said. “This season, I have flipped a Senko and Flappin’ Hog every day at some point.”
He prefers a ¼ or 3/8-ounce Ark Tungsten weight and keeps the colors simple, as he does with all of his soft plastic usage.
“I’m going to use green pumpkin or black and blue across the board for everything. You can cover everything with those two,” Ehrler said. “If the water is clear, it is a green pumpkin shade. If the water is dirty, it is black and blue.”
Springtime is a simple time usually consisted of getting into shallow water, beating the banks, and hitting every piece of cover in sight. Professional angler Brent Ehrler has this mindset and sticks with three proven lures no matter where he goes.
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