Where Do Bass Go In Early Spring? (Beginner To Advanced Tips)

Spring is coming and bass are beginning to move! Listen closely as Tim explains how the bass transition on different types of lakes and when you should expect it to begin on your local fishery. Let us show you what the bass will do next, so you can get ahead of them and experience awesome fishing as we transition into the prespawn.

We all understand that bass are focused on feeding before they spawn. But how do you apply that to your fishing? Where should your first stop be the next time you hit the water? Obviously its not going to be the same on a giant reservoir, a small pond, or a meandering river. In today's video Tim separates the different kinds of fisheries and explains what to expect in each one so you have the best shot at success!

Once you understand why the fish are moving and where they are heading you can predict their movements through changing conditions. Below is a breakdown of Matt and Tim's best confidence baits for Spring bass fishing including their favorite colors. We've also included links to the electronics we trust to locate our fish during the transition. 

ALABAMA RIG... 

Rig- Hog Farmer Tactical Flex Rig (Bladed): https://bit.ly/38xd1es

Heads- Dirty Jigs Matt Allen 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

Dummy Baits- Netbait Little Spanky: http://bit.ly/2d0dpU8

Main Baits- Keitech 4.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

GLIDE BAIT...

-River2Sea S-Waver 168: http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

Colors: Light Trout, Bluegill, Warden

DEEP DIVING CRANKBAIT...

-R2S Tactical DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors: Ghost Minnow, Mirrored Minnow

LIPLESS CRANKBAIT...

-Lucky Craft LV-500: http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Colors: American Shad, Chartreuse Shad, Ghost Minnow

SQUAREBILL CRANKBAIT... 

-River2Sea Biggie Poppa: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors: Abalone Shad, Cold Blooded, Delta Craw

CHATTERBAIT...

Bait- Evergreen JackHammer 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2popvj6

Colors: Fire Craw, Green Pumpkin Shad, Brett's Bluegill

Trailer- Spunk Shad 4.5: http://bit.ly/2UFkCD7

Colors: Blue Gizzard, Natural Gill, Blow Torch

ELECTRONICS... 

Main Unit- Humminbird Solix 15: https://bit.ly/35HuPRY

Live Unit- Humminbird Apex 13: https://bit.ly/3pdaK1q

Live- Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging: https://bit.ly/2VXoaC7

360- Humminbird MEGA 360: https://bit.ly/3oUt7oO

Mapping- LakeMaster Plus Digital: http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

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Finesse Swimbaits For BIG Smallmouth! (Fishing With Matt's Dad)

Come along as we explore a new clear water lake in Michigan! Its full of prespawn Smallmouth and Northern Largemouth. They're feeding in schools along the edges of shallow flats and we're casting a variety of finesse swimbaits and hair jigs to catch them. If you've wondered what fishing is like in the North, its on fire!

Its been a while since we've had Matt's dad on the boat. In true form, he set the pace with a bunch of quality fish, leaving Matt and CC with a lot of ground to make up. Each member of the team settled on a different swimbait and all produced quality fish throughout the day. At the end Matt picked up a black hair jig and stuck some nice bonus fish as well. 

Smallmouth pull incredibly hard for their size. If you've never targeted them on finesse tackle, you need to give it a try! Below you'll find links to the exact baits we were using as well as the gear we trusted to get these fish in the boat. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Matt's Dad's Swimbait... 

Head- Dirty Jigs Guppy 1/8 oz with 1/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

Bait- Keitech 3.3" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Colors: Electric Shad, Electric Bluegill

CC's Swimbait... 

Bait- Megabass Dark Sleeper 3" (1/2 oz): http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

Color: Wakasagi

Matt's Swimbait... 

Head- Tactical Finesse Head 3/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

Bait- Keitech 3.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Color: Smallmouth Magic

Matt's Hair Jig... 

Bait- Andy's Maribou Pro Series Fly (1/8 oz): https://bit.ly/3uYqDsw

Color: Black

Matt's Casting Swimbait Combo... 

Rod- Megabass P5 "Dark Sleeper": https://bit.ly/30GcHqb

Reel- Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 (HG): http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- Sunline 12 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Matt's Dad's Spinning Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis NRX+ 852S JWR (Pre-Order): https://bit.ly/3y0Ss5m

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: https://bit.ly/3hNG96T

Line- Sunline SX1 12 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2tn8EzQ

Leader- Sunline 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Matt's Hair Jig Combo... 

Rod- Megabass P5 "Baby Plugging": https://bit.ly/31Pt839

Reel- Shimano Vanford 1000: https://bit.ly/2PDlKlB

Line- Sunline Super FC 5 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Frog Fishing Shallow Cover - Post Spawn Bass Fishing

They're eating the frog! Come along for an evening on Chickamauga as Tim targets bass in shallow cover. He's using a subtle popping frog to lure bass out of the grass and debris along the shore and following up with a light flipping rig when needed. Its a beautiful evening to be on the water, let's go fishing! 

The lake has been rising and bass are pushing back in the shallow cover. With so much flooded grass, its difficult to reach the bass with traditional baits but its perfect for the frog! Tim used a variety of different topwater baits but one frog stood out from the crowd. Tim found the subtle popping action of a Gavacho was exactly what the fish were keyed on. 

Below you'll find links to the baits and equipment Tim was using this evening. We've included the exact baits, colors, as well as a few of our other favorite options for this time of year. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Tim's Frog... 

Frog- Jackall Gavacho: http://bit.ly/2L7KsWS

Favorite Colors: Gold Gill, Black Gill, Chart Strike Gill

Tim's Frog Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'3" Extra Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Metanium MGL 150 B: https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Flipping Bait... 

Bait- Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver: http://bit.ly/2MPuma1

Color: Green Pumpkin

Hook- Owner Offset Shank 4/0: http://bit.ly/2D9Pmj0

Weight- Swagger Tungsten Vader 3/8 oz: https://bit.ly/3c28mks

Stops- VMC Sinker Stops (Medium): https://bit.ly/38XLQd4

Flipping Combo... 

Rod- St. Croix Legend Elite 7'4" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2z2qdHc

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL (HG): http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Other Great Frogs... 

-R2S Bully Wa 2: http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

-Spro Bronzeye 65: http://bit.ly/2sz9Qje

-ScumFrog Launch Frog: https://bit.ly/3rOYQIF

-Jackall Kaera: http://bit.ly/2Fz6SA3

Budget Frog Combo... 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- 13 Fishing Origin A (8:1): https://bit.ly/3ny0I6S

Line- Power Pro Braid (65 lb): http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

The EASIEST Way To Catch MORE BASS!! Chatterbait, Spinnerbait, Crankbait Trick!

Matt catches a ton of fish while demonstrating how the early morning hours can be incredible with a spinnerbait, lipless crankbait, and chatterbait. He teaches as he goes so you can learn to use these baits as a system to maximize your time while bass are moved up for the shad spawn, and he does it all before breakfast! Come along for the chaos and see how easy it really is to catch fish after the spawn!

In the early morning hours the bass are patrolling shallow water in schools, searching for a meal. Any of these lures can catch those fish but there is a trick! By hitting the fish in quick succession and switching quickly between pre-rigged baits, you can keep a school of aggressive fish fired up for long periods of time. The key is continued action... if you let up, the fish will quit. 

This method works for small fish, big fish, and huge numbers of fish. If you're not getting out early and targeting schooling bass, you're missing some of the most intense action of the year! Below you'll find links to the exact baits Matt was using. He's also included some of his other favorites, his favorite colors, and the gear he was using to fish the baits. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Spinnerbaits... 

Bait #1- Terminator P1 Pro Series 3/8 oz: https://bit.ly/36B34vN

Color: Silver Shiner

Trailer- Keitech 3.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Color: Electric Shad

Bait#2- River2Sea Bling 3/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2diSwqq

Color: Abalone Shad

Trailer- Storm Largo Shad 4": https://bit.ly/3vxP0NB

Color: Albino

Lipless Crankbait... 

Bait- Jackall TN-70: http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Color: RT Scale Minnow

Hook Upgrade- Gamakatsu EWG Size 4: http://bit.ly/2dmxXK8

Chatterbait... 

Bait- Z Man Evergreen Jackhammer 3/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2popvj6

Color: Spot Remover

Trailer- Hog Farmer Spunk Shad 4.5": http://bit.ly/2UFkCD7

Color: Blue Gizzard

Other Great Shad Spawn Spinnerbaits... 

-Megabass SV-3 Spinnerbait: https://bit.ly/3lk1SD0

Colors: Hasu, Wakasagi

- Damiki TOT Spinnerbait: http://bit.ly/38cxmD6

Colors: Smelt Shad, Sharp Belly

-War Eagle Nickel Screamin Eagle: http://bit.ly/2w5zoor

Colors: Blue Shad, Silver Shiner

Lipless Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro Lipless 855C: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K (HG): http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- Sunline 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Shimano Spinnerbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'2" Medium Heavy: https://bit.ly/3aeQbYW

Reel- Shimano Metanium MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 40 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC-100 Shock 16 lb: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

St. Croix Spinnerbait Combo... 

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 7'3" Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel- 13 Fishing 7:1 Concept C2: https://bit.ly/2NlzZhg

Line- Sufix 131 Braided Line 40 lb: https://bit.ly/314VoyF

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 15 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Chatterbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis 883C Bladed Jig: http://bit.ly/2QurcHi

Reel- Shimano Metanium MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 40 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC-100 Shock 16 lb: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Matt's Jet Boat Rigging... 

-Humminbird Helix 9: https://bit.ly/35OP5Sm

-Minn Kota Ultrex 80 lb 45" Shaft: http://bit.ly/2NPTY6c

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz