Published articles by Andrew Ragas. The most comprehensive bass fishing library for Wisconsin bass fishing and across the Midwest.
After ice-out, smallmouth undertake structural migrations from wintering sites to their staging locations, utilizing the lake’s contours and breaklines as their trail in order to reach these temporary destinations. Where they stage and hold until water temperature becomes ideal for invading the shallows will often be situated within a close range from their spawning
Across many northern waters, smallmouth activity begins immediately after ice-out. Where catch and release-only regulations are implemented in Michigan and Wisconsin, it’s now possible to target smallmouths in spring while other gamefish species remain closed, the Great Lakes fisheries might not yet be ready, and other states and provinces aren’t yet open.
Winter relents. Spring creeps in. Ice has finished melting, and we have open water once again. At this time, smallmouths are schooling together and stacked; programmed to undergo structural migrations to where they will stage and set-up in preparation for their spawn which could be several weeks away. This process begins well before ice-out,
Specific lake locations that conduct heat are instrumental in scoring early season bass fishing success. The areas that warm quickest are determined by underwater structure and the lake’s geography. Typically, shallow muddy bays with exposure to the southern skies, and have inflows, will warm the fastest.
When it comes to catching spring largemouths, aggressive and vibration-emitting horizontal presentations are lure choice guidelines to follow. In some other instances such as colder water and adverse conditions, slower and more relaxed works too. Lure selection for everything you should be doing during pre-spawn is going to be moving and reactionary, nonetheless.
Depending on where in the Midwest you live, the arrival of spring varies. The season can begin as early as late February. In most regions, not until mid-March through early April. And in the far northern states, early to mid-May. It all depends on the arrival of warming weather and the progression of ice-melt.
