Written by Andrew Schadegg

Springtime is full of opportunities to catch giant fish. As the water warms up and the bass get frisky, it can be some of the best fishing of the year. Many anglers struggle to narrow down what baits work best during different seasons. It’s particularly difficult when it comes to plastics, because there are so many choices out there. Never fear! Lucky Tackle Box is here to help you narrow down your search.

Here are 4 plastics that are guaranteed to catch spring bass:

  1. Small Swimbaits – Particularly in the prespawn a small swimbait, like a Strike King Rage Swimmer or Keitech, can be a deadly search bait. Typically, a 3-4 inch version is ideal, but sometimes a smaller, super finesse approach can be effective, as well as sizing up to a bigger version. Rig it on a swimbait head, underspin or ball-head, cast it out and let it go to the bottom. Slowly retrieve it back to you, keeping constant bottom contact. 
  1. Big Worms – A lot of anglers are intimidated by big baits, but in the spring (and through the summer) a giant 10-12 inch worm can be an incredible way to catch them when other baits aren’t doing the trick. Texas rig something like a Berkley 10-inch Power Worm or the Big Bite Baits B2 Worm and work it along drop offs near shallow spawning areas. Great for postspawn fish and bedding bass.
  1. Floating Worms/Soft Jerkbaits – When bass are up shallow either getting ready to spawn, on beds or targeting baitfish, it’s hard to beat a floating worm or soft jerkbait. The Zoom Trick Worm in bubblegum, white or merthiolate colors has been a standard shallow spring technique for a long time, because it is so effective. Toss it weightless and work it back to you in small twitches.
  1. Bed Baits – You can’t talk about spring without discussing the best plastics to catch them on their spawning beds. One bait that has become a standard is the Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas WarMouth. This awesome bed bait can be rigged multiple ways and it looks like a little invading bluegill. Any craw-style bait, lizard or creature bait can be effective, however the more compact the bait, the better. Easier hooksets and less “tail-grabbing.”

If you’re hitting the lake this spring and you’re not sure what to rig up, these 4 baits are always home runs. One additional tip is to start shallow and work deeper until you start getting bites to locate where those ever-moving spring bass are at throughout the day.

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