Gotta Love Pre-Spawn

Gotta’ Love Pre spawn!!!

By Chris Yogerst

                I spent the first week of the Wisconsin fishing season in Kentucky and was finally able to get out to some of my favorite lakes this past weekend.  The fish in northern Wisconsin are in full pre spawn mode as water temperatures are around the mid to high 50’s.  Usually, given our drastic weather that occurs in May, the water stays at pre spawn temperatures for a while as we have the 70 degree days balanced out with 40 degree days (yuck!!).  

The smallmouth bass that I found were in transition around the 8-10 foot depths.  They were not up in the shallow rocks yet, but will be soon.  Most of the fish were bunched up in groups so when you landed on them you were on them good!  I found bunches of 4-5 pound smallies and even caught my personal best which was over six pounds!!  Almost all of my fish were caught on a brown jerkbait, with 12 lb fluorocarbon and a 6’6” medium action Roland Martin Tournament Grade I rod.  I did not lose a single fish while using this rod as it has a great soft action for fighting those big fish with a face full of treble hooks!  Usually smallies crush a jerkbait in the spring, but these fish were not chasing very good.  Therefore, I had to let the bait sit a while in between jerks.  If I moved it too fast they would not eat it. 

  One of the days the wind was blowing 25-35 mph and I did not feel like battling the wind on the open water for those big smallmouths.  Instead I drove to a smaller lake nearby I know has good largemouth in it.  I do not get a lot of time to fish this lake but I always try to get a day or two on it in spring before the grass grows in heavy.

  When I got there it was warm (air and water temp) but overcast.  the fish were shallow but sluggish.  This lake has a good amount of wood in it, and it took 20 casts to a log jam before a fish would grab my bait.  Eventually the sun came out and the lake came to life!  Those sluggish fish became very aggressive and just about every fish swallowed by jig before I had time to set the hook.  I caught about 10 over three pounds and several over four and one about six pounds in a matter of a few hours.  This time of year the sun is a great thing, the water is warming and the fish know that when the sun is out the water will warm up.  I caught all of my fish throwing a black and blue jig in fallen trees on a 7’ medium heavy Roland Martin Tournament Grade I rod on 20 lb. fluorocarbon.  The hook setting power on that rod was great as I was able to get all of those fish away from the cover and into the boat with ease. 

  Many times overcast days make for great fishing, and the bluebird sunny days are a little tricky.  However, in spring it can be the exact opposite.  This time of year, the sun is your friend.  You don’t have to go deep and finesse them, you can go shallow (relatively) and power fish them.  When the water is in the 50’s, and the sun is shining, the fish ARE active!!  Take this time of year to catch some of the biggest fish of the season, just make sure you release them so they can have a successful spawn add to the population of trophy bass!!