are bass active

[striper man]

i have been going to my local pond a couple days a week.i have been dragging a senko on the bottom for bass and i have been having no success,i dont have a boat eather.are the largemouth active or are they still really slow and deep. i have been fishing in shallow coves and other spots that warm up easely.what new soft plastics should i try? or should i try live bait?

[tsheehy]

Try throwing jigs/trailers into the brush along the shoreline.. the baits have to be in or right at the edge of the brush in the shallows, a foot out won't be close enough.

-- Tom

[big big rdg]

Try throwing jigs/trailers into the brush along the shoreline.. the baits have to be in or right at the edge of the brush in the shallows, a foot out won't be close enough.

-- Tom
Ditto on what tsheehy said. Also try throwing some crankbaits like rapalas or manns minus 1's. Good Luck

[BobG]

A good friend of mine has been doing very well in west central Ma. He's a very experienced bass fisherman. He began taking bass on shiners as soon as there was ice out.
But in the past week, he's been taking fish on rubber worms (got one the other evening 5.75lbs) and the past couple days he's been getitng fish on spinner baits.
He's fishing the shallow coves, loaded with brush as they're much warmer that the large main body of the res.

[confluential]

Yeah, I'm gonna wait until next weekend since my bucketmouth modus operandi is hard-bodied chugger/popper flies on a 5 or 6wt. It's always a little while before they'll blast stuff on top; feeding heavily for the spawn.

Ditto the jig&pig, right into the landscaping and real easy hops back to you.

BobG, that was the funniest Night Terror story I've ever heard.

[e-sea-e]

by now the bass should be very active. pick up a digital thermometer at any local hardware store to get an idea of the water temp. I'd expect most places, in coves at least, to be in the low to mid 50's, which is plenty warm to throw just about anything.

but, you must fish slow. if using plastics/jigs, let them sink and sit for a good minute or so before moving them, move slowly, stop, start process again. same with topwaters. dont rule out topwater lures like chugbugs, they are some of the best early season baits around. you just have to fish them very slow, or even deadstick them, just cast them out and let them sit for a few minutes, pop, sit, pop, sit, etc..

if using spinnerbaits, keep them just under the surface, as slow as possible. if using buzzbaits, move as slow as possible to keep them on top.

I'd also do what the others have mentioned. Bass are not quite prespawn yet, they are looking for the warmest water they can find and are looking to eat. full blown prespawn should be 2 weeks away at most, once the water hits 58-62 degrees or so.

[striper man]

thanks for the tips. i have been letting my jellyworms just fall and reeling them in very slowly. i have some spinnerbaits i will give a try.

[striper man]

should i try fishing around dusk afternoon or dawn?

[MAKO13]

Mid-late afternoon, when the water is the warmest

[e-sea-e]

Mid-late afternoon, when the water is the warmest

absolutely coorect, at least in my opinion. thats a man who knows how to fish for bass in the spring!

BTW, try skipping your worms as far into any standing brush as you can and let them sink and sit for a minute. this should produce fish.