Baits and Lures

How to Fish with Jig Heads for Beginners

January 14, 2023 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Jig heads can be a versatile and deadly bait in your fishing arsenal. Whether the bite is off or on, or the water conditions are not ideal, throwing a jig could mean the difference between catching largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or getting skunked. That’s why you need to learn how to fish with jig heads.

Jigging is an active fishing method with the fisherman snapping and popping the lure in the water. The movement of the jig attracts the attention of fish, but learning how to jig takes time and practice.

You won’t be an expert the first time you head out.

The benefit of using jigs for bass fishing (or almost any fishing) is that you can fish them all year long in various conditions. There are few times, if any, when fishing with jig heads is a bad idea.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about how to fish with jig heads.

What is The Point of Jig Heads?

If you are new to fishing, you may wonder what is a jig head or what is the point of using one while fishing.

A jighead is a fish book with weighted material – often lead – molded at the end of the eye of the hook. The point is to hold the bait in a way that looks more natural with the intention of luring more fish to your bait.

Jigs come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. While they are all similar in form, they aren’t all equal. Differences come from the kinds of molds used, such as silicone or resin, manufacturing, or the composition of the lead. The actual weights of the jigs vary from one to another, which is why I often stick to the brands I like the most.

Jig heads come by themselves or as a complete package, with a skirt trailing the head that covers the hook. The hook extends from the jig as one piece, so they are more than a bait – they’re a hook too.

Some fishermen also use jig heads with soft plastics or live bait. It’s your choice if you decide to try soft plastic baits with the jig to see if you get more bites!

Jigs are meant to be casted in thick vegetation, under docks, and fallen trees. Places a bait with treble hooks may get snagged.

What Fish Can You Catch with Jig Heads?

Jig fishing works for freshwater and saltwater fishing, but most use this setup when freshwater fishing.

You can catch a range of fish on jigs, such as:

Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Bluegill
Sun Fish
Perch
White Bass
Rock Bass
Crappie

Can You Fish with Just a Jig Head?

Yes, it’s possible to fish with just a jig head, but you get better results with a trailer. A jighead looks more realistic with a trailer because it looks flashier and more enticing to the fish.

What Time of Year Do You Fish a Jig?

This is one of the reasons why I regularly fish with a jig; you can catch fish with jigs all year round. There is no specific season for jig fishing; a jig is a good choice if you want to fish.

No wonder anglers love them!

Picking a Rod & Reel for Fishing with Jig Heads

You’ll first want to select the right rod and reel combo when you fish with jig heads. Using the wrong rod and reel impacts your casting, and you may miss out on landing your PB.

Typically you’d want to use a longer, heavier action rod. You will work the bottom, throwing it in the brush, rocks, heavy cover, etc. You’ll need at least a 6.5-foot or longer rod, so you can really work that jig up and down and get the right presentation.

Basically, the longer the rod, the more movement your lure gives off. You may want to try different long rods to see which works best for you.

A heavy enough action to get a fish out of that heavy cover when they strike your jig. Either a medium heavy or heavy action rod will have enough strength to battle the fish, with any obstructions along the way.

Since you’ll battle weeds and vegetation, a fast-action rod is a good idea since you will be able to feel the nibbles as you move through the brush.

Setting Up Your Reel When Jig Head Fishing

The reel setup will depend on your rod style and preference.

Yes, there are multiple speed and gear ratios to use when you fish with jig heads, which can be confusing to wrap your head around.

For beginners, I would recommend sticking to whatever reel best pairs with your rod. If you’re using a spinning rod, then a medium, 4000-5500 size reel, would be a good choice. These reels are made for rods in the 6.5 to 8-foot range.

If you’re using a casting rod, I would suggest using a 7.1:1 through an 8.1:1 gear ratio. You’ll want a faster casting reel to be able to reel in slack fast when fighting a fish. I would pair this up with a 20-30 lb braided line.

Baitcasting reels are set up with minimal line vacillation because of the way the line rolls off the spool instead of unraveling like on a spinning reel. It increases the accuracy and casting distance of a lure. This is a reason why baitcasting reels are a popular choice for many bass fishermen.

I would pair it together with 20 lb fluorocarbon or 20-30 lb braided fishing line. You want a stronger line to be able to stand pulling a fish out of thick heavy cover. Fluorocarbon is an excellent choice for jig fishing because it’s clear, sinks in the water, stays taut underwater, and is more sensitive than a monofilament line.

6 Types of Jig Heads

Now that we’ve covered the basic rod and reel setup, let’s talk about the skirted jigs, to be exact.

These are your standard jigs with a twist; there is an added colored skirt to give it a bigger profile, with a fiber or plastic weed guard to help avoid snags fishing the cover. Remember, the jig is just the head of the lure; the rest is the trailer. Most jigs come with a skirt, so that’s where the biggest differences happen.

There are really 6 different types of jigs for bass fishing that all serve their own purpose.

Swimming Jig Head

These types of jigs are designed for swimming; I use this regularly when fishing for bass. It’s the most popular jighead for fishermen and is easy to understand.

Swim jigs have a narrow pointed head, similar to a bullet style, that is designed to come through grass and wooded areas. They are best for the middle of the water column and for shallow water. Cast it out and retrieve it.

You can also pop your rod a bit to give it a different type of presentation in the water.

Flipping Jig Head

This jig is my absolute favorite when I fish with jig heads. Whether you’re onshore or offshore, you can throw this jig into anything.

These jigs are designed for heavy, thick cover. Throw them under docks, weeds, and fallen timber. Flipping jigs are built a bit stronger to withstand getting bounced off of cover, or getting hung up. It doesn’t matter how dense or mucky the water is; the weed guard on flipping jigs is tense and strong.

With their cone-shaped head, stout hook, and strong weed guard, they’re designed to be thrown in the heaviest of covers. They can take quite the beating. Typically, since they are strong, they are also larger in size, often running up to a full ounce.

Football Jig Head

Football jigs allow the jig to roll over and fall off of rocks and rubble without falling into the cracks.

Spoil alert, if you’re fishing the bottom with anything, you can always expect to get hung up from time to time. Don’t get frustrated!

Cast it out. Let it sink, and slowly retrieve it. Work it over and around the cover on the bottom. That’s what these football head jigs are designed to do. When you get a strike, set the hook hard and get that fish out of there!

Punch Rig Jig Head

This rig allows you to fish thick heavy vegetation. The jig is able to punch through the grass and get to the bottom, where bass likes to hide.

The punch rig gives you the profile of a skirted jig and the weedless ability of a Texas rig. Use a heavy bullet weight on your punch rig, and you’ll be able to get your rig down through the thick vegetation.

Finesse Jigs

These jigs are lighter and more compact in size. These jigs are used when the bite is slow, the fish are lethargic, and you must finesse them into striking your bait.

Fish these jigs slowly, with a couple of pops, or slowly raising and allowing the jig to hit the bottom. You can use lighter tackle using these jigs to feel when that bass strikes it. You can fish this jig shallow or in deep water.

Casting Jig Heads

Casting jigs are also known as structure jigs.

These jigs are equally suited to beginners due to their all-purpose capabilities. They have a lighter hook than flipping jigs. You fish these jigs with lighter tackle, and the lighter, less thick hook allows for better penetration during a hook set.

This jig isn’t built for power fishing like a flipping jig or football jig, but you can still fish it around cover. This jig is great for fishing clear shallow waters.

Casting jigs are often used with craw or grub trailers.

Understanding Jig Weights

All jigs, with the exception of floating jigs, are weighted. You’ll find several jig weights for freshwater fishing, such as:

1/64 ounces
1/16 ounces
1/8 ounces
3/8 ounces
1/2 ounces
3/4 ounces

Choosing the right jig weight really comes down to reaching the right depth, and how slow or fast you want your fall rate to be. The lighter the weight, the slower the fall. The heavier the weight, the faster the fall.

You must also consider what type of weather conditions you may be up against.

One minute you may have a nice calm current, and that half-ounce jig head might be perfect. Then the wind starts picking up, along with the current, and you need to adjust.

Here’s a good starting point for talking about weights.

¼ ounce for fishing shorelines or shallow waters with 3 to 5 feet of water.
½ ounce for fishing shorelines or rock edges with drops down to 8 to 12 feet of water.
¾ ounce for fishing in 8 to 15 feet or vertical jigging in water to 20 or 25 feet.
An ounce or more for retrieving or vertical jigging in 20 feet or more of water.

Picking Colors for Jig Head Fishing

There are so many types of colors when we talk about anything fishing-related. When you pick colors to fish with jig heads, base it on the time of day, the time of year, and the circumstances. It’s more than just picking a color; thought goes into picking an appealing choice for your jigs.

You have thousands of choices of color combos and skirts with jigs.

Summer, sunny, and warm temperatures generally call for bright and attractive colors. You want to excite the fish. Fall, winter, clouds, and cold temperatures call for natural and matte colors.

Here are a few fan-favorite colors to start with.

Green Pumpkin – Bluegill

Bass love bluegill, and green pumpkin jigs imitate the coloring of bluegill, one of their favorite snacks. You can use this jig color anytime bass feed on bluegill, regardless of the water color.

A good tip is to add a bit of chartreuse to the tip of the trailer since bluegills have iridescent tails.

Black & Blue – Contrast

If the water has a bit of stain, black and blue work great for jig colors. This color combo offers a contrast, giving the bass an easy target in the water.

Use a black and blue jig when there is dirty water, low light conditions, and vegetation.

Crawfish – Brown

Another jig color to try is crawfish, which is a derivation of green or brown. Brown jigs work well around rocks, shells, and wood, especially if you fish in clear water.

Baitfish – White

If you think the bass in your lake feed on shad or other baitfish, white jigs are a great lure. It works well as a swim jig, imitating the baitfish as they swim near the bass.

Best Jig Head Trailers

Jig heads come complete with skirted trailers or without trailers. Some anglers buy those sold separately because they may want to pick a skirt or color combination they think will be more effective. Also, you may decide to use a different length.

A plain jighead without a skirt gives you more options.

No matter the color you choose for your jig, you’ll want a trailer that is very similar, if not identical in color, to pair up with it. A trailer adds better action, size, and overall appearance to your bait in a bass’s eyes.

When you rig your trailer up, you’ll want to keep it around 2.5 to 5 inches in size. The smaller jigs have a faster fall rate, while the bigger jigs have a slower fall rate and make your bait look beefier. There are a variety of trailers to use for jigs.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Craws

Many anglers use a crawfish trailer because they create a loud, flappy presentation in the water. However, if you are fishing in dense cover, this won’t work as well. Crawfish trailers are best for open and somewhat clean water.

Chunks

I often use chunk trailers, a hybrid between craws and grubs. These trailers are smaller than crawfish but bigger than grubs, with a square, rectangular body, and one or two tails behind.

If you are fishing in deeper water with heavy cover, rocks, dams, or loose vegetation, chunks are great. They also work well with a swim jig because they move nicely through the water with an ideal presentation. These are great bass jigs!

Grubs

Beginners love fishing with grub trailers! As long as the colors work for the water clarity and time of day, you should get bites with this.

Grubs are plastic worms with a tail covering the hook’s vertical area. My kids often use grubs on jigs and catch tons of bluegill, bass, and even a perch!

Creatures

Creatures are similar to chunks. They have a thicker profile. Often have tiny legs and tails. My favorite creature trailer for a jig is Berklys Powerbait Pit Boss

Do I Need a Sinker with a Jig Head?

No, you don’t need a sinker always need a sinker when using a jighead because they have a weight attached to the head.

Fishing a jig doesn’t have to be complicated. Just having a good set up and choosing common colors will go a long way. Don’t be intimidated by all the brand names involved.

Get what’s affordable for you, and when it comes to the bait size. Stick to a ⅜ to ½ oz.

These are good, all-around sizes for jigs. The bigger and heavier the bait, the faster the fall rate.

The smaller and lighter the bait, the slower the fall rate. Take this beginners guide on how to fish with jig heads to get you started.

Plastic Worms for Bass Fishing: What You Need to Know

February 13, 2022 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Soft plastics are one of the first baits bass anglers use. Make sure you know all about these favored baits.

When it comes plastic worms for bass fishing, there are many types of plastics on the market. Artificial lures are made to mimic live bait, and worms are a bass favorite. With the numerous ways to rig them, the possibilities are endless.

However, the best plastic worms is a broad topic. Knowing which type of plastic worm you should use is crucial when going out in search of the big ones.

Each worm requires different action presented by the lure and what style rig to use can be determined by what type of cover you might be fishing in or just out in plain open water.

Needless to say, bass anglers have a lot of options, but that’s okay! Keep reading, and you’ll learn all of the types that smallmouth and largemouth bass love to bite along with how to rig them up!

Types Of Plastic Worms For Bass Fishing

Ribbon Tail Worms

These are your classic rubber worms with a curly tail.

The curl is longer than most, with a straight, solid body that takes the abuse of multiple bass strikes without tearing. These worms are typically Texas Rigged at the head, leaving the tail free to flap in the water as the bait moves.

The great thing about curly tail worms is that you can use them anywhere, and sometimes, other freshwater fish may bite on them like walleye and pike.

Stick worms

Typically called the Senko, these worms have hardly any action at all. Yet, they’ve become so popular.

Not only in professional bass fishing, but the average Joe trying to catch his personal best largemouth love straight tail worms. The lures slow fall and tantalizing tail wiggle triggers bass to strike without any effort on your part other than casting it out into the water.

They’re simple to use, and you can rig it multiple ways. A few of my favorite ways to rig them up include the wacky rig and Texas rig. I have many of these plastic fishing worms in my tackle box for sure!

Finesse Worms

These worms are smaller and usually skinner than other soft plastic worms. They’re designed to be rigged and fished with light tackle.

Probably the best rig for fishing with finesse worms is the drop shot, but can also be rigged on a jighead, the shaky head jig, and can be used as a trailer on spinner baits and chatter baits.

Creature Baits

Big and ugly is a good way to describe a creature bait. If they were real, you wouldn’t want to see one crawling your way.

They have a lot of bulkiness to them, made up of legs, antennas, whiskers, and other appendages. Creature bait is commonly used as flipping baits, a specific motion you make while casting and reeling.

Craws

These are soft plastic crawfish imitations. They’re made to mimic the natural looks of crawfish, one thing that bass love to eat, especially in the spring time.

These soft plastic baits are mostly used as jig trailers, but can also be rigged Texas style. The claws on the bait can provide some flapping action, but mostly a more subtle and natural looking action.

Picking The Right Worm Color For Bass Fishing

Choosing the right worm color for bass fishing is a complicated and personal topic. Since bass are predatory in nature, they’ll be looking for food most of the time you’re out there on the lake or river.

Each bait should have some sort of action when cast out into the water, whether it’s a slow controlled fall or twerking to a TikTok dance, but picking the right color is going to help you gain more strikes.

Lighter Waters

When fishing in clear water, use bright colors like reds, oranges, pinks, chartreuse, or something with a glitter in it to draw attention from predators lurking below. Clear waters usually don’t reflect any light coming through them, so bright colors are key because bass can spot them easier.

The same goes when you’re fishing in shallow water, such as long the shoreline. Shad and natural colors are different ways to land bass.

Darker Waters

For green, murky, and dirty water, use darker colors like blacks, browns, purples and blues. These opaque colors do not reflect light well under water so they’re easier for bass to see.

My all time favorite dark color is green pumpkin for fishing murky waters. Pro bass fisherman and Freshwater Fishing Hall Of Famer Roland Martin claims the 5″ green pumpkin Senko is the number 1 soft plastic size and color in the world.

Always remember that structure plays a significant role in how successful bass fishing can be, so always pay attention to what type of cover is in your fishing spot. Bass hide, waiting for their prey to swim by, so you want to look for structures like downed trees, tall grasses, brush piles, and anything else that acts as a hiding place.

The Sizes Of Soft Plastic Worms

The right size of soft-plastic worms is just as important as the color. The most common mistake beginners make it they think bigger is better.

Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to fishing with soft plastics because bass will eat many different sizes and types of forage daily so they’re not always looking up at a big meal above them. Think about it; live worms aren’t always the biggest worm on the block, but fish still enjoy them!

Smaller Is Best To Start

When choosing artificial worms, small in length and thickness typically going to get you more bites. They’ll be easier to fish in heavy cover like trees and laydowns. Another key feature about smaller worms, they’re less likely to get hung up in heavy woody brush or laydowns.

Another reason to use shorter worm lengths when targeting bass is due to their ability to swallow the bait easier in one bite. A long worm with a longer tail can potentially take two bites to swallow, which could lead in a miss when setting the hook if they swallow the end without the hook first.

Larger Worms For Larger Bass

If you’re looking to catch a big bass, then you should fish a bigger worm.

Now don’t assume that small fish won’t bite big worms, and big fish won’t bite small worms. Giant bass have been caught on smaller worms, and tiny bass caught on big ten inch worms. This is just playing the odds; bigger worms get big bites and small worms get a lot of bites.

Fishing a bigger and longer worm does mean you can get hung up more if fishing in heavy cover. The long body and even longer tails can sometimes get wrapped around sticks and other types of structure.

Ask any dad who is fishing with kids, and they’ll tell you this is true!

Still with experience, patience, and the right rod, reel, and line combo. You’ll be able to set the hook on those strikes and land that boss hog you’ve hooked into.

Just remember it’s not all about the size of the bait, the water clarity is also going to play a part in your decision. The clearer the water the smaller the worm you may want to use, and the murkier the water the bigger the worm.

Rigging Soft Plastic Worms for Bass Fishing

Now that we’ve covered the different colors, the different types, and how to pick the right size of plastic worms, let’s look at rigging your plastic worms or bass fishing.

How you rig your plastic worm also changes whether or not the bass are going to bite on your bait. Here are some of my favorite ways to rig up soft plastics.

The Wacky Rig

This is one of the most simple ways to rig a worm, and it’s ironically a very effective way to catch bass. Using a 5″ Senko (stick worm), I like to use a 1/0 or 2/0 size octopus shaped hook with a wacky ring. Using a wacky ring isn’t necessary, but they do help the worms last longer.

The one disadvantage of wacky rigging is you can blow through a pack of worms because of the way they’re rigged.

Take your Senko and bend it finding the half way point of the worm. Keeping that point marked with your finger. Insert the worm in your wacky tool. Pull down one wacky ring down the tool until its placed on the worm. You then can put your tool away, run your hook all the way through the worm where your wacky ring is and expose the hook.

I’ve seen some people use small zip ties instead of the Wacky Tool and rings. That’s all personal preference and totally up to you!

Carolina Rig

Similar to the Texas Rig, the Carolina Rig uses the same concept, but it has a fixed weight above the hook, instead of sliding down to it. This rig is suitable for beginner fishers.

You can purchase Carolina Rig kits and leaders at any tackle shop or fishing store.

Weedless Hook Texas Rig

The Texas Rig is by far the most commonly used rubber worm rig and my personal favorite! It’s used mostly for its weedless properties, along with giving the worm a nice and straight profile.

A Texas Rig is normally weighted, though you can rig this weightless for a much slower fall. The size weight you choose can depend on the current of the water, and how fast you want the worm to fall. Typically, I use a 1/8 ounce bullet sinker when I’m fishing this rig. If I use a sinker at all. With a size 2/0 to 4/0 offset shank hook.

Drop Shot Rig

This rig is actually somewhat similar to the Carolina Rig. They both are designed to keep the worm freely suspending at a set distance from the bottom, but the drop shot rig is mainly considered more of a finesse rig. So lighter line and tackle is best suited for this one.

What’s nice about a drop shot is you have two choices: you can either work the weight or work the worm. By hopping the weight along the bottom, you get more erratic action, or you can leave the weight planted on the bottom and lightly shake the worm.

Ned Rig

This rig is similar to the drop shot and is fairly simple. It’s made up of a short stick-worm, mister twister, small craw, or creature bait that’s rigged on a weighted jig head often one with a colored head on it. You can work it like a crank bait, reel it slow, or work it somewhat like a drop shot rig.

Fishing soft plastic worms for bass fishing is a great way to land a huge smallmouth or largemouth. With a never ending selection of colors and styles, you can find your tackle box full of a variety to choose from. It all comes down to what the fish want.

Your favorite color or rig might not be what they’re hitting on that day. The right rod and reel set up can also make the difference of you getting that big bass out of a heavily structured area. It’s always a good idea to have an arsenal in your tackle box ready to go.

How to Pick Spring Bass Fishing Colors

February 6, 2022 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Before heading out this spring, make sure you stock your tackle box with some fishing colors bass love.

It’s that time of year again. Spring time is approaching, which means it’s time for some spring bass fishing! Shallow water, water visability, type of cover are all things you should consider before heading out to try and land that big bass. We all have our favorite colors in our tackle box, so you need to have some spring bass fishing colors on hand.

Let’s be honest; we’ve all been there.

The day is perfect, the sun is shining, but the bass ain’t biting. It feels like a total bummer.

Sometimes, the answer to your problem is simply picking the wrong fishing colors for your lures and bait. Spring is one of the best times to fish for bass, so don’t let these opportunities pass you up.

This guide is a useful tool to help you know what color selection to use and when, maximizing your chances of catching that big fish. Professional anglers and some of the best anglers in the world use these tips and tactics year round to catch smallmouth and largemouth bass.

How to Choose the Right Spring Bass Fishing Colors

Bass fishermen have to be very precise when fishing for bass because catching a bass is not as easy as it seems. If you want to catch a lot of fish in a short amount of time, it is important to use the right method and bait. You don’t want to waste your time or bait by using the wrong colors for spring bass fishing .

To pick the best spring bass fishing colors , one must consider several factors, such as local species’ habits, water clarity, color of water and surrounding vegetation.

Let’s take a look!

Water Clarity

There are many different factors that affect the success of bass fishing, such as water clarity and color .

To consider water clarity when choosing spring bass fishing colors, you must know what type of water you will be fishing. Since each body of water is unique in its composition, the best color for a given lake or pond can vary considerably from one body to another. The most common examples include:

Transparent Water Clarity

This means there is very little plant life growing below the surface of the water which usually occurs at high altitudes. In this case, an angler should use bright lures with reflective finishes because bass can easily see them against clear waters.

Slightly Stained

This usually occurs when aquatic vegetation starts to grow at the beginning of the spring.

In this case, one should use spinnerbaits in olive or yellow with reflective finishes because bass can see them better when light passes through water that is not too clear.

Stained Water

Depending on how bad the vegetation is, the best colors for stained waters are bright lures with flashy finishes like chartreuse and orange. Flipping jigs with bright finishes also work.

Sunlight

When the sun is higher in the sky or if light is reflecting off the water surface, bass can see lures with reflective finishes very well, so it’s important to use them.

Since bass can see lure finishes very well during certain times of the day, anglers have to pay attention to what type of sunlight they will be fishing in. It’s best to ask other people who fish at the same location because weather conditions may change along the day.

Sunny Days

On sunny days, when sunlight passes through water that isn’t too stained and bass go shallow to spawn, anglers should use bright colored spinnerbaits and topwater lures that reflect sunlight because bass will be looking for small marine organisms on the surface of the water.

Low Light Conditions

During this time, there are no shadows produced by vegetation, and fish can see dark colors better than bright ones. In this case, one has to experiment with different color combinations and stick to darker options like black, blue, brown or green pumpkin.

Cloudy Days

This is a time when fish can see brighter colors better. Yellow and white are good choices for this condition, but if the water is extremely stained then one has to use combos with green or brown hues .

Best Spring Bass Fishing Colors

1. Transparent Colors

If you’re fishing for largemouth bass in clear water situations, one of the best spring bass fishing colors are transparent or ghost colors. These see-through baits are great if the body of water you’re fishing in has clear water with high visibility.

Why do ghost fishing colors work great?

Because they look natural!

They mimic the natural clear conditions, and they’re less likely to scare away the bass. The rule of thumb to remember is that you should always use light and subtle colors in clever waters. This is because, when the water is clear and bass can get a clear look at the bait, they prefer softer, natural colors.

Ghost Colored Bass Fishing Lures

2. Shad or Flashy Colors

On sunny days, one of the better colors to use are chrome/shad patterns.

The higher the sun is, the more it penetrates the water. Allowing the scales on bait fish – like shad – to reflect more. This attracts the bass because they’re used to seeing this type of reflection of baitfish.

Shad Fishing Lures for Spring Fishing

3. White or Chartreuse

During those dark and gloomy days, or when the water is stained or muddy. This is the category of color you will want to choose. You want a color that stands out and can easily be found in these types of conditions. A white spinnerbait may be a good option.

You can also use a brighter blue color. Okeechobee craw is a popular color and you can find it in spinner baits, jigs, and chatterbait styles.

White and Chartreuse Spring Bass Lures

4. Red or Orange

In the early spring bass will often feed on crawfish. One theory suggests that the reason bass targets the red/orange color is because this is the time of molting season for crawfish, which is why using any bait with crawfish colors is a great idea.

They turn reddish during their molt and become more visible. Making them an easy meal for bass.

Red and Orange Colored Bass Lures

5. Black and Blue

Primarily used for dirty water, or overcast days. These colors maximize profile visibility. Dark colored soft plastics may be ideal in these situations. Senkos, pit boss, and power worms are just a few choices out there. June bug, green pumpkin, blue and black, and grape colors are good to use, but darker colored crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs may work as well.

Black and Blue Bass Lures

What Colors do Bass See Best?

It all comes down to the conditions where the bass live at that time. Bass have dichromatic color vision, so it’s like they always have a yellow filter over their eyes.

Keep this in mind when picking bass lures for spring fishing.

Bass easily identify red and green colors, especially when they’re in shallow waters. In clear water conditions, bass see shad colors, white, silver, and other natural color lures.

Interestingly enough, bass have a hard time distinguishing between some bright colors, like chartreuse and white.

Where Do Bass Go in the Spring?

In the early spring, bass are focused on two things: food and spawning. They feed heavily and bulk up as they prepare for the spawn. As the water temperatures start to rise, bass are moving to shallower water and shallow flats. Once the water temperature reaches 60 degrees, bass start to spawn.

They’re awake after a long winter, and it’s time for them to get moving. This is why the spring season is one of the best times to fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass. They’re busy finding food and spawning.

They typically bed in heavily covered areas like timber or rocks, bass go there because it is easier for them to hold onto and produce offspring while hiding from predators. This would be a good idea to throw a soft plastic Carolina rig out there.

They move closer to their prey. Bass feed on shad, small bait fish, and crawfish.

Where Do Bass Live in the Spring?

-Bass stay near cover where they can protect themselves from predators. They don’t need strong current because food slows down during this time.

Make sure you have the right set up with your rod, reel, and strong enough line to fish heavy covered areas. The best bass fishing spots can typically be the most difficult to get to or fish!

Remember, choosing the right color at the right time can make the difference in getting skunked or catching the biggest bass out there. Pay attention to what’s in the body of water you’re fishing and what the bass might be feeding on. Also, the weather and water conditions.

Happy fishing and where there’s a log, there could be a boss hog!