The time from Ice-Out to when the water warms to over fifty degrees can be the best time to catch a true “TROPHY” bass in almost every area, around the world. Many of the larger specimens are caught at this time of year with “live bait”.
In the Northeast, a largemouth “trophy” is typically a bass weighing more than five pounds. This will vary from state to state, but some of the largest bass of the year are caught each spring in small to medium-sized lakes and ponds around the world on “live bait.” Lakes and ponds as small as two acres have produced huge bass over the years, and many of these waters are easily accessible to the public. Most of these waters are underfished because they are overlooked by tournament anglers and others with larger boats. Most are shallow, with an average depth of four feet, and there are thousands of small bodies of water waiting to deliver the trophy of a lifetime around the world. Every year in the Northeast, many large bass are caught in spinnerbaits, plastics, and hard baits, but some of the larger bass are caught by live bait fishermen. This is well known to anglers in places like Florida where many of the larger bass feed almost exclusively on dark circles. Here in Delaware and Maryland, there are lakes and ponds that consistently drop bass in the seven- and eight-pound class each year in March and April, when the water temperature is still in the low-thirty range. These basses are very reluctant to hit most artificial baits, but live great shiners always produce numerous basses at the upper end of the trophy class range.
RENTALS:
These large females will be placed in deeper water at the mouths of streams and shallow bays on the north shore, usually on or near some type of wooden structure at first. However, the other shores should not be neglected, as many of the lakes and ponds are very shallow and the water temperature remains practically the same in most areas of the lake. Structure and proximity to deep water and spawning grounds are often more important. Any area that contains a hard bottom, relatively few overhanging branches, and some type of wood and vegetation on the north shore are the main spawning grounds. Most people don’t realize that many of the larger bass will be laying down early in the year. They begin to feed as the water continues in a constant warming trend from thirty-eight degrees to about fifty degrees. Once the water reaches fifty degrees or more, and the sun begins to linger longer and longer outside, these large females will start to roam the shallow waters and look for easy-to-catch, weight-gaining foods without spending much. Energy. They will start making the beds in April, or when the water warms to fifty-eight or sixty-two degrees. This is the time when big dark circles come into play!
BAIT:
Most tack shops have a variety of sizes available in most areas of the country with regards to live dark circles. In areas where they are not available, you can catch yours with a throwing net, but you need to practice this technique first, as it is not as easy as it sounds. Shoals of bait fish can be located using good electronics. They are also abundant in many of the spillways and in the tide created at the gates of the slues. The best sizes for the trophy bass are four to ten inches. If you want to cut out most of the bass that weighs one to four pounds, and only target the bass that weigh four pounds or more, then the extra-large brilliants that measure seven to ten inches are the ticket. You should keep them animated and try not to vary the temperature of the water in which you keep them by plus or minus five degrees, as they easily die from the impact. A few chemicals and a good aerated nursery or bait system will ensure they are lively all day. In areas where it is allowed, “Millroach” or “Golden Shiners” are a very good choice for live bait tactics. Always check with local state agencies to see what is legal to use as live bait in your particular areas or body of water, as laws vary from state to state, lake to lake.
ENTRY:
We use bait casting equipment when we fish for trophy bass with live bait. We used a seven foot, medium / heavy to heavy action rod, in a G. Loomis, St. Croix or Bass Pro Shops rod. We use a Superbraid line like Pline or Stren, in a heavy test like the forty or fifty pound test. It has no stretch, and it really fits them when you put the hook on. It’s also good when they’re close or in thick coverage that can fray or break your line.
We use floats on occasion, but not the plastic type. The best floats are pencil bobbins made of wood, or the kind of foam in the wide variety. We use balloons almost exclusively when fishing live baits for trophy bass. Just blow up the large orange-sized balloons and tie directly to the line. We use a small split socket under the balloons to keep them in place. The best size for hooks is a 1/0 to 2/0 size in a good quality brand. Don’t skimp on hooks! Most of the time we tie alone when hunting for trophies and using Gamakatsu hooks in red, but any good quality hook can be used.
CLIMATE AND HOURS:
You need to be able to brave the elements to catch the really big bass in early spring. Just because it’s raining, or even snowing, and the winds are blowing at a speed of twenty to thirty miles per hour, doesn’t mean the bass won’t hit! Many anglers miss out on this action every year because they don’t believe that fish will strike out in bad weather in such cold water, or they just can’t crawl into the water in chills of the wind that they are in their teens. This is the most common mistake people make. Another common belief is that the bass doesn’t hit early when the sun comes up, and in most cases a little later in the day is better – don’t think they won’t hit in the early hours. Better to arrive early and stay late. Just dress for the weather and you’ll be fine. Get out early and often, and I guarantee you’ll catch the biggest bass of your life this year! We use artificial lures most of the year, everywhere we go, but we are not afraid to use “live baits” when hunting for trophy bass earlier in the year. Sometimes it’s just the right thing to do!
Good luck and tight lines by Bassfishingstories
