SPRINGTIME BASS
By Bob Jensen
Fishing for largemouth bass starts at different times in different areas of the Midwest. In some states there is a bass season, in other states we can chase bass year 'round. One of my favorite times to chase bass is in May and June. There are two reasons why I and many other anglers enjoy fishing for bass this time of year. One reason is that the weather can be so nice. It's a treat just to be able to be outside right now. The other reason is that the bass can be really aggressive and willing to bite during this period. Here's how you can have bass success in the next few weeks.
Largemouth are susceptible to a number of presentations in May and the first couple weeks of June. One of the best ways to catch them is throwing a spinnerbait in the shallows. If you can find a bed of reeds with some bass cruising around in them, you are going to get bit.
Approach the area quietly. Shut the outboard off while you're still a hundred yards away from the shallows and use your electric motor to move into the shallow water.
You want to be using a spinnerbait that has a high-quality swivel connecting the blade to the spinnerbait arm. This is so the blade will turn at the slowest speeds. A Pro-Model Reed-Runner spinnerbait is such a lure. Try a silver blade in clear water and a bright blade in stained water. Three-eighth's ounce should be about right. Add a three or four-inch Power Minnow for some color contrast. In this shallow cover, fourteen pound test Trilene XT is as light as you should go, many anglers prefer seventeen or twenty pound test.
When you get into the reeds, start throwing the spinnerbait around. Sometimes the bass will be on the deeper edges of the reeds, much of the time they will be spread out. Be sure to work the heavier clumps of reeds thoroughly. As the bait approaches a small but heavy group of reeds, let it flutter a little bit. Sometimes the fish will want a fast retrieve, sometimes a slow retrieve, and often somewhere in between. There are days when bulging the surface with the blade will produce, and some days a lift-drop presentation will be best. When you determine what the fish want, you're going to have a good time.
Much of the time you will be able to see the fish take your bait. In the really shallow water you will see a bulge on the surface as the fish approaches the spinnerbait. The important thing is to remember not to set the hook when you see the fish, wait until you feel it.
On many occasions the afternoon bite will be best. The sun will have warmed the water for several hours so the bass will be active. And it will feel great just to be out there. Great weather and a great bite: Those are two things that are just too good to pass up. Make sure you experience both of those in the next few weeks.
For more fish-catching information, visit fishingthemidwest.com

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