Try some of these techniques and gear suggested by Andrew Ragas for early spring largemouth fishing.

Ultimately, bass are looking for the warmest waters they can find at this time of year. Their movements are rapid. It becomes crucial to gather as many key spots all over the lake, and to plot out a milk run of spots beforehand that can be reached and revisited repeatedly throughout the day. Once on the spot, follow your electronics and temperature gauges closely. If the water is warming, stick around and camp on the spot for as long as necessary, especially if the spot produces annually. If water remains cool, move onward to the next spot.

Here are a few must-have baits tailored to cold-water presentations for largemouth bass.

What to use

When fish are inactive as a byproduct of 40-degree water, a downsized, 1/4-ounce black/blue jig and pig or jig and craw is a top choice. Crawl the jig slowly along bottom, avoiding any unnecessary maneuvers. Pickups can be light and subtle, even with the sensitivity of a St. Croix Victory rod, so be a line watcher.

Another top choice for inactive ice-out largemouths is the Ned rig. The lightweight mushroom head jig and plastic combo may look unassuming on the surface, but its slow fall and darting action elicits strikes in even the toughest conditions. Slow swimming and gliding, and deadsticking retrieves are most effective.

Just the opposite weather and conditions brings speed and power to the forefront of my strategy. I live and die by these baits, and it isn’t necessary to get crazy.

Ripping and cranking 3/8- and 1/2-ounce Z-Man Freedom Chatterbaits and Jack Hammers through the shallows, rigged with 5-inch paddletails and 4-inch Bizz Baits Killer Craw Craws, triggers exhilarating strikes.

Burning lipless crankbaits entices aggressive, reaction strikes. This is the best cold-water, early-season tactic. The original Rat-L-Trap and Strike King Red Eye Shad are top choices. When the bite is hot, it could be the only bait you’ll throw all afternoon.

These two strategies get accomplished with my St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass Rip-N-Chatter (MGC72HM) paired with 7:3.1 high-speed Quantum PT reel. Line choice varies by cover type, but I settle for either 15-pound-test fluorocarbon or 20-pound Cortland Masterbraid.

While rip-and-burn strategies wake up largemouths, more streamlined, horizontal presentations could be favored instead. Swim jigs such as Freedom Tackle Corp’s FT Series swim jig are designed to be swum through vegetation, wood and other shallow junk. Trailers are the business end of a swim jig and play a more important role than the jig itself.

Often, the biggest largemouths to come on swim jigs will be triggered by a larger, bulkier trailer. If favoring steady retrieves, I use big 5-inch paddletails that generate a wide wobble and distinctive tail kick. If fish are responding to slow and erratic, lift-and-drop retrieves, I’ll pair the jig with a 4-inch craw or creature instead.

My 3/8- and 1/2-ounce swim jigs with trailer concoctions each get fished with the Mojo Bass Dock Sniper (MJC70HF) and Legend Tournament Bass Dock Sniper (LBC70HF). Each reel is spooled with 20-pound Cortland Masterbraid. The swim jig scores huge numbers of bass.

Subtler, more compact presentations like swimming a 3-inch Storm WildEye Shiner scores ice-out giants. Downsized swimbaits represent a new, overlooked way of catching big largemouths. It’s also a potent presentation that has not yet been exploited by the masses to catching largemouth bass during the early spring season.

In the next MidWest Outdoors Insider eNewsletter, Andrew Ragas will discuss ice-out tactics for smallmouth bass. He will also be presenting tips on using Lowrance electronics on an upcoming episode of MidWest Outdoors television, airing in April. Check local listings or catch it on the MidWest Outdoors YouTube channel soon after it airs on TV.