Swimbaits for Pre-Spawn Spotted Bass

Fellow team member Josh Tidwell and I finally aligned our calendars and were able to hit the creek. The only problem was that we were hitting one of our favorite flows the day after a massive cold front hit. With a near freezing morning forecast and wind gusts over 20 miles an hour, I expected the trip to be a bust, but beggars can’t be choosers. We dropped our Coosa HDs into the chilly water and began working the shoals and laydowns. March is prime time for catching a giant river bass, so I tied on my favorite big bass lure, Mike Bucca’s Bull Shad, and launched bombs from the stable platform of my HD. I started with a 5″ fast sinking model and quickly put two nice fish in the boat. A giant spotted bass doubled up my swimbait rod, but the hooks pulled free as I brought him boatside. A quick check revealed that my hook points had been dulled and blunted by numerous hang ups. Instead of opting to change or sharpen the hooks, I decided to upsize to the 6″ slow sink model and see if a little larger meal might entice a bigger bite. Bingo! My final two fish of the were much bigger, anchored by a 19″ 4 pound river spot. What lessons did I pull from this trip? Never be scared to upsize your bait. Most importantly, never judge the weather. I was certain that this trip would be a colossal bust, but we ended up with a very respectable haul thanks to our Jackson Kayaks!