Find bass during late winter to spring seasons with crankbaits.

Both smallmouth and largemouth bass are likely to stage on drop-offs, points, and offshore flats with cover just outside good spawning areas. It varies a lot from one lake to the next as to where these early pre-spawn bass stage, but if you find a dominant underwater point, bar or a reef just outside a shallow spawning area, it likely contains a bunch of bass somewhere. Another favorite of mine, particularly for largemouths is a weed flat just outside a known spawning shoreline.

On average, these staging areas are not that deep. On average, the 4- to 7-foot range is the most likely depth, but it might be deeper on really clear waters. Weed flat bass might be even shallower than 4 feet if the water is stained. Several spots predictably can hold early pres-pawn bass. One of my longtime favorites is a large weedy bay positioned on the north end of a lake or reservoir that is mostly 2 to 4 feet deep. It must have plenty of sun and protection from cold northerly winds. If you find a spot like this, the offshore weed flats are sure to hold staging bass.

Any flat, point or reef is likely to hold the early pre-spawn bass too. In fact, points and reefs positioned just outside shallow swampy bays can be pure dynamite now.

While a host of lures might catch ’em in the pre-spawn, day in and day out nothing rivals a crankbait to cover water and find active bass. Any crankbait in your tacklebox can work if it runs the right depth, and that my friends is paramount. Stick with lures that travel in that 4 to 7 foot range and you will connect with pre-spawn bass. Testing various color patterns on a spot that produces a bass or two might reveal a color or even wobble action preference. On one day, the fish might be all over crawfish patterns, yet the next day—or even an hour later—flashy chrome baitfish-like replicas can draw more response. Quite often, I will refish my favorite spots with a change-up crankbait when action slows. For example, if the initial hot lure was a wide wobbler with a crawfish color pattern, I might refish the spot with a tight wiggler in chrome to trigger a few more strikes. In many instances, a different group of fish fires up to this new offering.

Both spinning and baitcasting gear works well for cold water cranks and these deeper pre-spawn bass holding offshore. It all depends upon what combo makes you the most comfortable. Personally, I prefer to rig up with 8 to 12 pound test fluorocarbon on a baitcasting outfit for this style of fishing. The new extra-long, soft-action crankbait sticks that many bass tournament guys use today are excellent choices. The softer parabolic action slows down your hookset reactions and let the bass take in the lure better. At least, that’s the theory. I also think these softer rods put more even pressure on the fish during the battle resulting in less shake-offs during jumps. These specially designed “crankin’ sticks” also allow you to pitch a wider range of baits on baitcasting reels.

Low-stretch braided line in green or tannic colors can work well for early season crankin’ in stained, off-colored waters as long as you fish this line with a soft-action rod. When fishing over thick weed flats, braided line can both rip the lures free of debris as well as muscle bigger fish out of the jungle. But, fluorocarbon and even traditional monofilament line are arguably better when the water is clear. A good way to test which is better is to fish alongside someone casting the opposite line. If they get more bites, it’s a good bet that the line is the difference maker.

 To learn more about cold weather bass fishing look for Joe’s full article in the March issue of MidWest Outdoors magazine, available now at a newsstand near you, or by subscribing on our website.