April and May is prime time to be on the water.  Soft Plastic Lures are the lure category of choice in much of the country during this time while bass are heading shallow to spawn.  While Florida and the extreme South near the Gulf coast may be completely done with the spawn, the majority of the country will be in a spawning cycle for a while. I like to look for protected water and a sandy or hard bottom during this period.  Fish will be finishing up spawning, spawning, and getting ready to spawn in these areas.

Follow up:

If the water is still a little cool say in the 50's, dragging a big 1/2 to 1 oz football jig head with Culprit Tailgate Special can be deadly on rock bottoms as these pre-spawners love crawfish.  I like greens and browns and oranges for colors.  I usually use 15 lb Fluorocarbon line and a 7 ft or longer heavy action Daiwa rod for this method.

As the water warms up into the low 60's, I really like to wacky rig the new Culprit T-Rex.  I use a small #1 or 1/0 Octopus hook, 10lb Fluoro and a 6' 9'' medium light Daiwa Steez spinning rod.  Sometimes I will add a small nail weight in the nose to help sink the bait and give it a unique action.  Other times I like no weight, especially in ultra-clear, ultra shallow, conditions with spooky fish.

Mid 60's mean fish will be on the bed.  I try a variety of plastics to trick these fish, and I'll often have 6 different rods dedicated to bed fishing with anything from a Culprit Pro Lizard, Culprit Creature Craw or jig. Sometimes, the big old Culprit Original 10” and 12” is the ticket.  The bigger the bait, the more aggressive the bass get at times.  If I can't see the beds, and the water is stained, I just slowly fish the Culprit Fat Max worm in areas I believe bass are likely to be on beds.  I really like to key on stumps.  I'll pitch the Culprit Fat Max with a 1/4 to 3/8 weight and heavy line.

At any time in the spring you can get a big front.  This is when I pull out the flipping stick and seek heavy cover near spawning areas.  I really like the Culprit Fat Max and Culprit Creature Craw here.  You may need a heavy weight to penetrate this cover.  It can be anything from a mat of weeds to a big tree, if the fish have not dropped their eggs yet, they will hide in the nastiest cover during a bad front.

Later in May, many fish will still be in the shallows and the bigger females will be moving to deeper water.  I like to do several things here. I really like top-waters and floating worms.  I also like the 6’’ Culprit T-Rex in bright colors that will trigger strikes from aggressive males that remain in shallow water.  I also like to Carolina rig a Culprit 10'' Original worm on points for the big females moving back out.

Load up on your favorite Culprit lures and get ready for a great spring!