Catching big bass is a thrill, sure, but knowing exactly what they’re chomping on when spring rolls around versus when the leaves start to fall? That’s the secret sauce to consistently full livewells. Bass change their habits with the seasons, and your bait selection needs to change right along with ’em.
Spring bass wake up hungry
As winter’s chill finally lets go, largemouth are thinkin’ about two things: eating and making more bass. They’re moving from their deeper winter spots up to shallower areas. Early spring, water’s still pretty cold, so slow presentations are often key. But as it warms, their metabolism kicks in, and they get aggressive.
For these awakening fish, you can’t go wrong with:
- Jigs: A jig, especially with a crawfish trailer, is money. Bass love craws in spring. Drag ’em, hop ’em… just work ’em slow around any cover you find.
- Spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits: When the water’s got a bit of color from spring rains, these baits shine. The flash and thump call fish in. You can cover water pretty quick, too.
- Shallow Diving Crankbaits: These little guys mimic baitfish moving into the warming shallows. Bouncing them off rocks or wood… that often triggers a strike.
- Soft Plastic Lizards/Creatures: Once bass start thinking about spawning beds, a lizard or a creature bait can be real tempting, especially to protective mamas.
Remember, early spring water can still be nippy. Bass might not chase far. Later in spring, as spawning gets underway, things can get real exciting.
Fall feeding patterns for lunkers
Autumn… now that’s a special time. The air’s crisp, and bass know winter ain’t far off. They go on a serious feeding binge, trying to fatten up. This is when you can often find ’em schooling up and absolutely smashing baitfish. It’s a fantastic time to hook into a real heavyweight.
Here’s what gets those fall fatties fired up:
- Topwater Lures: Walking baits like Spooks, or poppers that spit water… there’s nothing like a bass exploding on a topwater lure. Early mornings and late afternoons are prime.
- Swimbaits: Shad and other baitfish are generally bigger in the fall. Matching that size with a good swimbait, whether soft or hard, can mean bigger bites.
- Jerkbaits: As water temps start to drop, a suspending jerkbait is pure magic. Twitch, twitch, pause… that pause is when they usually nail it.
- Lipless Crankbaits: Great for covering water and imitating fleeing shad. Rip ’em through grass or yo-yo ’em off the bottom.
Fall bass are often chasing schools of shad. If you find the bait, you’ll likely find the bass not too far behind.
Water temps dictate lure selection
Water temperature is a huge driver of bass behavior and what they’re willing to eat, no matter the season. It tells you how active they’ll be and often where they’ll be holding.
Here’s a general guide:
| Water Temp (F) | Bass Mood | Top Spring Choices | Top Fall Choices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45-55°F | A bit sluggish | Jigs, Ned Rigs | Jerkbaits, Finesse Jigs |
| 55-65°F | Getting active, pre-spawn | Spinnerbaits, Cranks | Topwater, Lipless Cranks |
| 65-75°F | Spawn/Post-spawn active | Soft Plastics, Topwater | Swimbaits, Squarebills |
In spring, you’re generally fishing water that’s warming up. Bass become more aggressive as it warms. Lures that can be fished with a bit more speed start to excel.
In fall, the water’s cooling down. There’s often a sweet spot where bass are super aggressive, but as it gets colder, you’ll need to slow down your presentation again. They won’t be as willing to chase a fast-moving bait when they’re getting lethargic. Paying attention to that temp gauge… it really helps.
Matching your presentation
It ain’t just what you throw, but how you present it. Little details make a big difference.
Think about this for spring and fall:
- Match the Hatch (Sorta): In spring, crawfish are big on the menu. Earthy tones, reds, oranges often work. In fall, shad patterns are king – silvers, whites, translucent colors. But don’t be afraid to try something totally different if the usual ain’t working.
- Water Clarity:
- Spring often means stained or muddy water from runoff. Brighter colors like chartreuse, white, or bold black/blue can help bass find your lure. Vibration helps too.
- Fall can bring clearer water. More natural, subtle colors often do better. Think translucent shad, green pumpkin, watermelon.
- Retrieve Speed: This ties back to water temp.
- Cold water (early spring, late fall): Slower retrieves are generally better. Let that jig soak. Deadstick that jerkbait.
- Warmer water (late spring, early/mid fall): Bass are more active. You can speed things up, burn a spinnerbait, or walk a topwater with a quicker cadence.
- Observe: Always be watching. See baitfish flickering on the surface? Maybe a topwater or shallow runner is the ticket. No activity? Might need to slow down and probe deeper cover.
The fish will tell ya what they want… if you’re payin’ attention. Good luck out there!