Article: Can't Miss Presentations for Spring Fishing

Despite the recent snowfall in our area, open water angling opportunities are indeed just around the corner. The preparations for another fishing season are already underway – fresh line being spooled on reels, hooks replaced and sharpened, tackle boxes and bags being organized, and so on. An angler spending any amount of time on the water is bound to have an assortment of ‘confidence’ baits – lures they have faith will produce fish during certain water conditions, times of year, etc. This week we’ll take a look at two early season ‘confidence’ lures that should be a part of your arsenal if they’re not already.

Spring is often though of as jig-and-minnow season, especially for walleye fishermen, and for good reason – the combination is dynamite. Jigs however, are not the only ‘hot’ ticket in the months of March and April. As the walleye bite moves from the pre-spawn period towards spawn and the fish move shallower, crankbaits become a top-choice for targeting numbers of fish. One of the deadliest types of crankbaits to utilize during the cold-water period is the countdown-style crankbait (CD). While the majority of crankbaits on the market today float, the countdown actually sinks; most have a sink rate of roughly 1 foot per second. The fall of the lure allows an angler to cast the bait out, count it down to a particular depth, and then retrieve the lure back in that zone.

Where countdown style baits excel in spring is over hard bottomed areas, usually in relation to current, where migrating walleyes are either traveling through or have stopped to spawn. The key to scoring on walleyes with the CD is to retrieve the bait just fast enough that it occasionally ticks bottom – too slowly and you’ll snag up much more frequently, too fast and you won’t elicit as many strikes. Carry a variety of colors and sizes with you; spring is one period when fish temperament can change frequently during the course of an outing. I prefer to cast my walleye crankbaits on a 7-7 ½’ medium action St. Croix spinning rod. I prefer 8 or 10 pound test monofilament for this style of fishing, depending on the size of the lures I’m casting as well as the make-up of the bottom; the properties of monofilament allow you to present the baits a tad slower than with a braid or super-line.

Another type of overlooked lure for spring fishing is lipless crankbaits, and they will produce walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike all springtime long. Like CD style lures, lipless crankbaits also sink at rest making them good choices for working just above bottom with minimum effort. Lipless style crankbaits are equipped with rattles; the rattles, coupled with the tight and intense vibrating action of the lure make this presentation much more aggressive than the quiet and more subtle action of countdown crankbaits.

Where lipless crankbaits come in to their own is during high and muddy water as their sound and vibration make it easier for fish to target their location. Another application for lipless crankbaits during the spring is when the fish are scattered, as the bait can be cast long distances and retrieved quickly while maintaining its depth. During spring again look to have the lure occasionally tick bottom and adjust your retrieve accordingly. In situations where conditions such as depth, current, or wind have you retrieving too slowly or quickly, switch to a different size that will allow you to cater the retrieve speed to the mood of the fish.

The jig-and-minnow certainly has its place in spring; just don’t forget the crankbaits on the dock! It's spring time here in the Wausau/Central Wisconsin area!

Tight lines,
Joel