Early season freshwater fishing

21 Apr Early season freshwater fishing

Late February the days start to get a little longer and the cold winter temps will break for a few days.  When the sun is out, the clear winter water gets warm fast and the fish get hungry.  They are sluggish this time of year but that does not mean they will not take a fast bait, but you have to put it close to them.

There are two go-to lures this time of year, a Mepps Aglia and a stick bait minnow, like a Broken Rapala.   Pickerel and bass will take both.  I like to stick with the Aglia #2 silver blade with squirrel tail.  Its deadly in the early spring!

If you are fishing later in the afternoon, fish the sunny side of a pond, fish will move from the shady areas to try and keep warm.  Quite the opposite of a summer pattern.  It takes a LOT of casting because you have to almost hit the fish with the lure this time of year to get a strike.  100 casts for one bite is not uncommon some days.

By mid to late march the water is getting much warmer.  If you can fish on the third day of an early spring heat wave (think upper 60s and sunny)  Chances are you can really burn up some fish.  Bass will get very active and you can pull stick baits as fast as you can crank them and get strikes.  Very fun fishing!