First thing you throw in the spring?

[Bassboss]

I've having trouble deciding on what baits I'll throw as soon as the ice is gone. I've got a silver buddy on my spinning rig, and a suspending glass rap on my baitcaster.

I'm curios to see what y'all throw first thing in the spring, both on spinning and casting tackle.

Thanks!

[CamG]

1/4 oz. Jig and a Suspending Smithwick Rogue. Color depends on water clarity.

[screwballl]

Grubs, spoons, jigs and small cranks work while the water is still cold but before they start moving up... but we don't get iced over down here.

[bassboogieman]

1/4 or 3/8 oz lipless bait, yo-yo'd on a baitcaster. Finesse worm on spinning.

[Jrob78]

I usually throw lipless cranks, suspending jerkbaits and jigs in the early spring.

[MIbasser]

I guess the question is, what are you fishing for? Are you from the bank on a river or are you going to be out on a boat in a lake?

[lilmule]

Yup if fishing for eye of any kind or others that silver buddy is good,even a curly tail on 1/4 jighead,or flat hopkins spoon.
If fishing for crappie a small roadrunner.
And if bass fishing with boat I generally start out with a suspend jerkbait and or a jig.
Oddly a rattletrap tossed on shelf ice and dropped off will work as well on small lakes,as in fishing from the bank.
So much depends upon what one is fishing for ,how and what method.
Early fishing below a tail race from the bank is excellent,and often more action than anywhere else due to them being congregated.
Most fish move contrary to opinion downstream for winter,and up to spawn.
While it may seem not to matter for a boater it does just as much for a non boater.

[WatterBoy]

"Spring" is a relative term since I can't fish for bass until Memorial Day weekend here. That being said, I had my best opening weekend ever last year using 5" and 7" senkos (either plain wacky-rigged or wacky-rigged on a dropshot) and also some topwater (buzzbait, money hound, frogs) lures depending on the location. I plan to start with those lures again this year -- once May 28 rolls around -- and see what happens!

[WaffleJaw]

RT's..Jigs...Weightless stick baits......I normally just use DS rigs on spinning gear.

[walkeraviator]

I usually hit Ky Lake in March as my first trip. Typically looking at water temps around 50degrees. My first lure in the water is a Wiggle Wart. If i stumble onto agressive crappie, i throw out a roadrunner jig with a curl tail grub.

[BigBassin144]

As soon as ice out, I have a few different baits tied on.

First is a suspending jerkbait. Suspending Rattling Rogue, Rapala Husky Jerk, or LC Pointer.

Second thing is a Fluke. I like to use a white one or watermelon candy.

Third, I've always got the dropshot rigged and ready to fish. Tiny Flukes in white, 4" Chompers dropshot worm in watermelon, roboworm, etc.

I've also got a spinnerbait and a lipless crank tied on. They usually don't get fished until a little later in spring though.

BB

[Kicksomebass]

well, i've got 5 rods..

1 baitcaster - White spinnerbait
2 baitcaster - black/blue jig, craw trailer
1 spinning - weightless senko
2 spinning - texas rig worm
3 spinning - down deep husky jerk

[bamabassman]

1st....buzzbait
2nd...lizzard
3rd....rattle trap
4th...spinnerbait (if there is a ripple on the water)

[CiK]

Suspending jerkbait, swimbait/grub, jig, lipless crankbait, and drop shot this year. I am late to the party, and will be trying out the drop shot this year for the first time.

[walkeraviator]

Here is my gameplan for my 5-rods at Ky.

Firetiger Wiggle Wart
Crawdad #7 Shad Rap
Deep Diver X-Rap
Craw colored Red Eye Shad
1/2 oz Jig (color depends on water clarity at the time)

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by CamG

1/4 oz. Jig and a Suspending Smithwick Rogue. Color depends on water clarity.

Same as Cam but I also throw a Chatterbait a lot now. The last couple years it's become my go to bait right after ice out.

[BassMoJo]

LC Pointer in ghost minnow....or a finesse jig or any kind of jig for that matter

[flfireman]

same thing I threw all winter long!!! Sorry, had to put that in here. Spring for me is buzzbaits, frogs, heck topwater is already getting ready to start.

[carolina-rig-01]

Jigs, suspending jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, and slow rolled spinnerbaits are the baits I use the most in early spring.

[mrmuskie5]

1 Lipless cranks (white and a red)
2 finesse jig ( pb&j and Blk n blu )
3 shakey head ( greenpumpkin)
4 jigging spoon (white)
5 chatterbait ( chartruse/white)

[Bassboss]

Thanks for the responses.

Folks around here always talk about how muddy the water is as soon as the ice is gone. Ya know, from the snow and everything melting. So I I find it interesting that a drop shot and shaky head was such a common bait. I was thinking that something with more umf to it, like the lipless crank, blades and flutter spoons would have been higher on the lists.

I'm thinking about sticking with the blade bait, and lipless to start out so I can find grass on the bottom, and once I find it then slowing down to a 1/2oz jig or something, to find where grass and hard bottom transition, then switch to a finesse jig, to catch 'em.

Sound like a plan?

[BigBassin144]

There probably won't be a lot of grass since most will die off under the few feet of ice you've probably got. I'd be thinking more hard structure as opposed to soft cover like vegetation.

Like I said, my go to bait is jerkbait once the ice melts. Possibly use the lipless or the spinnerbait to find some more active fish, then slow down and work a suspending jerkbait.

BB

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

There probably won't be a lot of grass since most will die off under the few feet of ice you've probably got. I'd be thinking more hard structure as opposed to soft cover like vegetation.

Like I said, my go to bait is jerkbait once the ice melts. Possibly use the lipless or the spinnerbait to find some more active fish, then slow down and work a suspending jerkbait.

BB

yeah that's definitely possible, but I know the lower end of the lake I'll be fishing has loads of grass in the summer, I'm just assuming some is still remaining.

[walkeraviator]

i am gonna agree with anthony here. If there is any grass left it is dead grass. Dead grass doesnt do much for attracting fish. In addition, hard bottoms hold heat better. If you get a few days of sunshine, look for fish shallow on hard bottoms trying to get warm.

As for the muddy water, slow silent worm fishing is still deadly in muddy water. Just dont throw anything that isnt Black/Blue or June Bug. And consider experimenting with rattles.

[FishinFreak]

I love throwing my mice lures early spring! Spoons, buzzbaits, larger worms are great!