Scott Petersen breaks down springtime bass locations and how to put bass in the boat with crankbaits.

Fishing for bass during spring can be almost like looking for a needle in a haystack. You get on the water, look at water temps, then start to look for any signs and bites that you can find. So, you start to cover water and hope for the best. But if you do not get any bites, what is your next move?

Crankbaits allow you to cover water, and they pretty much look like forage that bass feed on. That is why they are prime choices to use in the spring. If the water temps are on the cooler side, you will need to slow down and choose a crankbait that has a tight wobbling action. A few crankbaits that fall in this category are the new Berkley Fritt’s Flatside, Spro’s Little John and Rapala’s Shad Rap. They are three top choices to start your season with.

Once on the water, always take a short tour of the system you are fishing, particularly if this is the first time you are fishing this body of water. Take the time to travel around and look at the bays, how they lay out, and note water temps in these bays during your tour. Make sure to carry a paper map with you in the boat and mark temps on the map as you go. This way, you can get a good look at the waters and make notes.

If it is a large body of water that you are targeting, break it down a section at a time.

Once you have found the warmest water areas, that is where you should start. On your first pass, make a run through the shallows, out to the mid-depths, looking for any signs of bass.

Also, pay special attention as to what the bay has to offer. Where do the weeds start, and at what depth do they end? Also look for any hard bottom or rock areas close by.

Many times, the first crankbait that I will pick is a rattle type bait when making the initial pass. I can fish this bait at array of different depths. I like the versatility of a rattle bait throughout the season, as I can fish it from shallow too deep by just changing my retrieve style or speed. Now, do not get me wrong. At this time of the season, I will throw a spinnerbait and vibrating jig into the mix on these first passes to give the bass a chance to tell what they want.

If I get a couple of bites in an area, I will slow way down and start to see if I can put some more pieces of the puzzle together. Also pay attention as to how the bass are biting your bait. Do they just have one hook outside/inside their mouth, or do they have the whole bait in their mouth? That is key. Did the bass want your bait, or was it just trying to swat or move the bait away, trying to get it out of their area? These are all clues in how the bass are reacting to your bait.

If I get into an area and start to catch a few bass, I will many times switch to a square bill crankbait to see if I can get a few more bass to bite. The main reason for the bait change is the action is different. Other bait styles are mostly free-swimming crankbaits, whereas a square bill crankbait excels when it contacts cover. If you can get your bait to hit the cover, you are fishing throughout your retrieve. When it breaks contact, many times this is when you will trigger strikes.

Try to pay attention as to how and where you are triggering strikes, then try to capitalize on that. Is it when the bait is free swimming, or is it coming when the bait is breaking free from the cover? Whatever it is try, to key in on these bite conditions when fishing.

As for equipment, when throwing crankbaits, I generally use a 7-foot, 2-inch medium-heavy action rod for shallower water and when fishing square-billed cranks, and in open areas I use a 7-foot, 10-inch rod. In both cases I use a baitcasting reel filled with 10- or 12-pound-test Sunline Crank line.

The last point to make is, when I get a few bites with my crankbait combinations, it is time to slow down and see if I can pick up a few bites from any non-active bass with a jig before I leave the area. Again, be versatile with your jig; use a swimming retrieve that you can kill and let fall next to key cover, and fish it around and in the cover as you regularly would. Pay attention, and let the bass tell you how they want your jig fished.

If you enjoy bass fishing, you’ll really enjoy the spring issues of MidWest Outdoors, available the first full week of each month at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.