There's no such thing as too long.
"The leader helps around zebra mussels," he says. Personally, the jig-worm has evolved through incarnations involving the Persuader Curly Tail to the Berkley 4-inch PowerBait Worm to Case Plastic Ring Worms and now to a hybridized swimbait/ring worm, the Berkley Havoc Beat Shad designed by Mike Iaconelli. I think it's a big thing—having it sit horizontally instead of nose-down or tail-down. “That activity continues in cycles through mid- to late May, even into early June.”Indeed, according to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission records, Eleven of the top 30 smallmouths reported since 2012 were landed between April and mid-June, in fact.Manson seeks those springtime smallmouths first just off potential spawning areas. Enter your email below to be added to our mailing list.The Pennsylvania Game Commission released its 2019-20 deer harvest estimates. I’ve also seen smallies use wood, though,” he said.He looks for such places on maps. But don’t forget about smallmouth bass, either. That's where smallmouths are most active during prespawn. The pre-spawn for smallies – that period before they start laying eggs to create the next generation of fish – starts as soon as water temperatures reach the 40-degree range. "After the hair-jig and jerkbait days fade with warming water, I often rely on 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jig-grub or jig-worm combos. Because the fish are going to start getting more aggressive as that water warms up,” said The longer spring goes, the better the fishing gets, too.Nest building really takes off when water temperatures hit 55 or so, Manson said, with conditions becoming absolutely ideal when the water is 60 to 62 degrees. "We use similar tackle and tactics. And the fish really don’t utilize that as often as they would a clean bottom,” Manson said.He casts his tubes, then drags them back slowly, always in contact with that bottom.That leads to snags on occasion, he said. The simplest 'do nothing' retrieve works best. It's phenomenal in the 5- to 10-foot zone. It's better to be too slow than too fast in spring.Get Bit Tubes offer something a little different—something they haven't seen that adds movement at slow speeds. "The jig-grub continues to put more bass in the boat for me for some reason," Pyzer says. Sometimes longer, thinner tubes garner more strikes. But most of the time, I cast it out and if I don’t get a bite right away, I’ll bring it in a little bit, drop it down again, bring it in,” he said.He covers some water, but often using only his trolling motor or even just by drifting with the wind.When not drop shotting, Manson often fishes tubes.
Here in Canada, smallmouths are locked onto baitfish more at ice-out rather than crayfish, so horizontal lures work best early.
Both are seeing changes because of the coronavirus. Many regions in North America don’t even allow anglers to target pre spawn bass, but here in British Columbia we have numerous fisheries that are open. ""I use the Gamakatsu Micro Wide Gap Hook in 2/0 to 3/0.
Because nothing says spring like a pack of excited bronzebacks following a hooked bass to the boat.Catfish is meaty, juicy and holds up well in this soul-satisfying fried fish recipe with...In-Fisherman "Wherever you chase bass, these 10 options keep you setting hooks from ice-out until smallmouths begin to spawn. It's tied by Paul Jensen of Jensen Jigs. "Jigs and grubs are another for-sure technique, but so many people use them now that we try to find something new," he says.
Drag it, pop it up occasionally, and fish it like a tube—simple. The key, especially immediately after the ice goes off, is the pause. The hookup percentage is excellent. Can't see them. Here's what's under consideration and why in Pennsylvania. You just can’t cover a lot of water in a hurry with a hair jig.But if Manson spots fish – sight fishing in a way that’s almost like hunting – they can really produce.He casts them out, often leaving them sit perfectly still for a period of time. The spawn rolls on and on thereafter in waves.“Bass don’t spawn all at once,” Manson said. We crack a shallow runner off rocks at a good clip, then stop it for a second or two, letting it float back up, then start again. That gives the lure time to do its thing.“That marabou is going to just kind of, in the underwater current, have enough movement to attract the curiosity of fish. Work it slowly with long pauses, letting it settle. The lure popping free that way – with a sudden burst or jump – often triggers reaction strikes from smallmouths.“I actually look forward to getting snagged because of that,” Manson said.Hair jigs work all year long, he said. Bays, coves and other areas that suggest they may offer hard bottom flats then get a follow-up visit.He marks all those that produce, as they tend to hold fish year after year, he said.In the early going, fish stage on the edges of such places, in deeper water, around breaks, humps and points. It has a shorter shank, and its compact shape gets all the way in their mouth for solid hook-sets. I want it in the strike zone, doing its thing as long as possible. It's usually the last bait I throw to a spot when I've fished other lures and want to catch one or two last fish. Baitfish patterns never work as well.