Whether a person is a college basketball fan or not, chances are they know what March Madness is all about. It’s the NCAA tournament that matches the top college basketball teams against each other until a champion is proven. 

However, there’s a different sort of madness than the NCAA tournament that affects fishermen each year. It happens on those “promise of spring” March days when the sun comes out, the wind dies down, and it feels like winter is past. Some years, the weathermen offer a good dose of springtime in March; others, it’s just a few fleeting days, so when it happens, grab your gear, grab the kids and head for the lake. 

Years ago, when a person wanted to teach their kids to fish, they cut a switch off a tree, tied a string and hook on the end, and away they went. You can still do it that way, but modern equipment will make it easier on the kids—and you. The key to making sure kids enjoy fishing is to keep them busy catching fish. Kids don’t care how big the fish are or even what kind they are. They are more focused on getting a fish to bite and winding it in.

Panfish are the ideal fish for kids. They are also prolific and are aggressive feeders. Good news! On these March Madness, spring weather days, panfish are frequently found near easy-to-reach banks and are perfect for youngsters looking for action. Pin a red wiggler worm on a small hook, clip a small bobber to the line, and cast just past a limb or downed tree along shore. Stop when the bobber is within a foot or so of the underwater structure and let the worm do its work. 

Remember, fishing is not only good therapy for adults; it’s a good family sport that allows parents to spend quality time with the kids. Want to be a hero? Take the kids panfishing.

March also marks the beginning of some of the best bass fishing of the year in the Midwest. Practically any type of warming trend this time of year will start bass moving from deeper water into shallow water, first to feed, and later searching for spawning sites. 

Use a crankbait to cover a lot of water near rocky shorelines and points, or work flats where vegetation may be present. Work depths between four and about eight feet with a vibrating crankbait, just casting and reeling with a steady retrieve. Bass are very aggressive at this time of year, but the fish are likely to be more scattered. That is why a fast-retrieve lure like a crankbait can be very effective. 

Working a point can be productive one afternoon, but the next day, not you may not even catch a thing. The best advice for March bass fishing is simply to try to cover as much water as possible.

It’s a good time to hang a big bass as well. Normally, big bass are smart fish. Coming off their winter’s lean time, they are now hungry and more apt to make a mistake. 

Why are big bass smarter? To begin with, many of its brothers and sisters failed to survive, for a multitude of reasons. First, the egg survived raids by packs of hungry bluegills and other eggeating species. After hatching, the fry and fingerlings have to run the gauntlet and avoid an almost endless string of predators. Additional mortality can come from disease, bacteria, fungus, many types of parasites and infections. With all that to contend with, bass must face yet another predator—perhaps their #1 predator—man himself. 

Consider then, how gifted with survival senses and instincts a bigger bass must be. If they weren’t, they never would have made it this far. When all is said and done, and you’ve landed that smart old bass, you are then the deciding factor if this special creature lives or dies. It has come a long way, through tough times, so why not release it back into its world? That lunker was just out enjoying a March Madness day, like you.