How to Catch Bass From the Bank [Secret Blueprint EXPOSED]

In the Spring bass will start to move to clear shallow water once the water approaches 55-degrees and leaves most bass fishermen feeling pretty confident that Spring bass fishing is on its way.

In the Spring, males make and guard the beds with each bed being about 1-to-2-feet across. 

Females will arrive a few days after the males do and only spend a few days at the nest once the eggs are laid. The females then retreat back to deeper water, ultimately leaving the males to defend the nest.

And without a doubt, the bass will be at their biggest size, moreover, the majority of females are larger than the males.

When you’re fishing for spawning bass, look for a hard bottom that provides some protection from wind and sun. For instance, overhanging trees or holes around grass are great places to start because although bass like to give their eggs a bit of sun, they typically layout of direct sunlight.

There are two strategies for fishing for bass during the spawn.  The first is bed fishing, and the second is search casting. 

Sight Fishing For Spring Bass From The Bank

Sight fishing is catching a bass when it’s defending its bed.  For many bass anglers, it is a controversial subject.  Some believe that if you take a bass off its bed it will spook and never return to the nest, thus harming the future fish. 

As a person I tend to believe in science rather than some unfounded opinion. The researchers at the University of Illinois*  published a study that concluded that there is little impact on a lake when bass are fished off their beds. Unless that lake is filled with invasive bottom-dwelling species like gobies**.

Arriving To The Lake

Try to get to the lake an hour before sunrise. Arriving a little early gives you plenty of time to unpack and not to hurry to get some predawn fishing in.

Out of your entire arsenal of rods and lures it’s best to try and pick off the most aggressive bass first by using topwater buzzbait or a jerkbait. 

Long casts that parallel the bank or shoreline typically work the best. 

If you are searching for bass cast out your lure and make sharp, downward pops or twitches of the rod tip.  This makes the lure dance and flutters to the bottom. 

Buzzbaits

Using a buzzbait during the spring before the sun rises is one of the most unspoken secrets of spring bass fishing. 

This bait can be cast a mile with the right rod and reel.

Retrieve this loud clacking lure over points, around structure and parallel to the bank.

Be sure to engage the lure and start your retrieve before the lure hits the water. This will keep it on top of the waterline.  

The best spring buzzbait colors are black with a black-and-blue swimbait trailer, or a shad colored buzzbait with a white or pro-blue colored trailer.

Jerkbaits

When I first started fishing I didn’t think that jerkbaits didn’t produce until late spring… well that was before I got my butt handed to me during a one-on-one friendly showdown competition that took place in the early spring.

After the beat down I went back to the books and studied and read up on as much spring jerkbait fishing as I could.  After years of fishing the jerkbait I now understand there are two primary factors when I chose to fish a jerkbait: water clarity and water temperature. 

Let me get this out of the way right now, don’t fish a jerkbait in muddy water. The fish can’t really see it, they can’t really sense it. It’s just a bad bait to throw in muddy conditions. 

In contrast, the clearer the water your lake is the better your jerkbaits will perform!

Likewise, jerkbaits will work in ANY temperature of the water, but here are some of my personal guidelines for spring jerkbait fishing….

If the water temp is less than 56-degrees then I’ll choose a suspending jerkbait or even a weightless fluke-style/ soft plastic jerkbaits.   At this temperature, bass are pretty finicky and don’t want to go around chasing bait to eat.  The best performing jerkbait will either totally suspend or have a very slow rise

There are only a couple of manufacturers that make quality suspending jerkbaits.  

First is the Lucky Craft Pointer Minnow Jerkbait and second is the Vision 110 by Megabass Vision 110.   

There are only four colors you should carry…

For ultra-clear water are some sort of transparent “ghost” shad color, a “ghost” minnow color.

For stained water, a gold-colored bait or an opaque sexy shad color with a little chartreuse works really well, plus sometimes the bass love to attack bright colored baits like the clown or firetiger color patterns.

Fish these around docks, back of point, or parallel structures such as seawalls. 

And finally, the colder it is the longer you want to wait between pauses. 

Vibrating Jigs/ Chatterbait-Style 

Chatterbaits may work better for you if the water is cooler and there’s some wind.

The ability to slow down the chatterbait (unlike spinnerbaits) makes them easier targets for the bass, especially if they are pre or post-spawn. 

The unique lure design allows you to push the bait slowly through grass and wood easily and really irritate those bass.

I recommend fishing the Z-Man Jack Hammer Chatterbait. Its head hangs extra-low giving it a great center of gravity. This allows it to track really well, gives it exceptional skipping properties, makes a hard ‘knock’ sound when it slams itself against a hard piece of structure. Not to forgetting to mention the slightly angles blade of the lure puts off a TON of vibration that make bass instantly aware that this lure is violating their territory. All these features combined make it one of the best vibrating jigs on the market today. They’re pretty hard to find, but luckily you can find the Z-Man Jack Hammer Chatterbait on Amazon.

Texas Rig

Once the sun crests the horizon the topwater bite usually slows. If this happens try using a Texas rigged lure.

Small creature baits or jigs look like spawning bed invaders. Alternatively, if you see a bass flare up its gills and open its mouth up wide to chase away bluegill, try throwing a bait that resembles bluegill. This can lead to some serious action!

It’s helpful to watch how the bass react to your lures. Sometimes they won’t be as aggressive with creature baits as they are with other lures, or they just watch it until it gets too close to somewhere they don’t want it to be.

Getting your fish to commit to your bait takes some experimentation. Every fish is different.

Some of the most productive ways to bed fish during the spring is going to be using the drop shot style, using a bright colored worm, or to use a white jig and trailer.

Another option you can use is a Texas rigged bright colored creature bait.

However, sometimes bass doesn’t attack your white colored worm or jig, that’s when you need to switch out your lures. 

If I see the bass chasing bluegill then throw a bluegill colored worm or jig.

If they still don’t bite, then flip out a jig that is bright red.  This never seems to fail when I  need that bite, the red color is going to be your designated hitter! 

Shake It Baby

Don’t forget about the ever-useful shaky head jig. This is an awesome lure to use during and after the spawn. 

If you’re sight fishing bass on beds or in the shallows, use a shaky head finesse worm. 

Tossing this lure into a bunch of bass fry is usually really effective tool, as the males are still guarding their offspring.

Drop It In Their Nest

Drop shot fishing during the spring spawn is insanely effective. Like the soft plastic creature baits I like to start with the color white or chartreuse first.  

Then if no bites occur switch to a natural colored worm.  A wacky-rigged bright red worm can be really deadly if the fish has been pressured or caught before.

If you’re having trouble choosing the best drop shot bait, visit the post, Top 10 Drop Shot Fishing Baits You Don’t Know About, where I discuss all the best baits you may or may not have heard of.

Finally, I make sure I shorten the distance from the hook to my drop shot weight to around a distance of 6-inches or shorter.

You want to make it look like your bait is trying to steal the bass’ eggs, so by having a long distance between the hook and the weight the bass won’t feel as threatened. 

Read more: These Drop Shot Baits Should Be Banned