Winter has finally broke and the water temperatures have started to reach that magical low 60 degree mark that triggers the spawn. This is all depending on where you live of coarse, but for the middle part of the county many fisheries have entered the spawn.
When you approach that 60 degree mark the shallows boom with fish activity, and the fish are looking for a big meal and/or are very protective of an area. This is good news for anglers and bad news for the bass, since this is when they are most susceptible of being caught. As far as the ideal bait selection, there is none better than the Culprit Water Dragon. Pre-spawner, spawners, and post spawners are all suckers for this bait. Culprit has re-invented the lizard to really look and perform fantastic.
The Water Dragon has numerous features to help you catch more fish, and just plain fish better than other lizard baits. Put this bait in front of an early springtime largemouth and hold on, you’re about to have some fun!
The best places to look for pre-spawners are small points in creeks arms of lakes, near spawning pockets. Fish the Water Dragon on a Carolina rig with a 2-3ft leader and your preferred weight size. Big females that are staging and waiting to move up on the beds will be the fish you are keying in on. Once they reach their beds, a Texas rig is as good as it gets fishing protected spawning coves. Use a 3/8 oz weight and 5/0 offset hook on the texas rig to start. If the fish are really shallow and preferring a slower fall you can lighten up on that weight or use a belly weighted swimbait hook. Often times the belly weighted swimbait rig is just what the doctor ordered when fish are in all three phases of the spawn, and in close proximity to each other. Rod selection will be important, so you will look to a 7-8′ MH to H action rod with 16-20lb fluorocarbon line.
No matter how you approach the springtime bite, if you get around them, bass will crush the Water Dragon. Those flaring gills and action packed legs of the Dragon will definitely do the trick!