March can be a good month for fishing. Trout streams are stocked, crappies and bluegills are firing and even on some ugly days some bass are starting to wander in and feed. There is a lot going on and there are always plenty of pickerel in the tidal flow and cast in the annual white perch and shad run.
For me, March has traditionally meant the catch and release of some of the biggest bass of the season. For the past two decades, I’ve enjoyed ice and early spring casting for hungry largemouth bass and learned to take what you’re given. On some days the fishing is great, even in 45-degree water. Other days it is very, very slow at one or two strikes per hour, even less.
Late-winter/early spring bass gigs aren’t easy, even on good days. The wind can be strong and cold, the fingers are numb and the strokes can be few and far between. The big, 5-pound class fish are thrashing sluggishly at times and unbuttoned right on the bank while the soft 12-inchers stay firmly attached. A “good” day might be half a dozen strikes in four to five hours with a lunker being the prize. A good day is 10 strikes and lands six or seven bass in the same time period, including a giant. More often, it is less than either of these results. But realistically shooting a big fish is what keeps me coming back to the early season bass game.
This past February was probably my best “second month” ever for largemouth bass in local waters. Folks on the Eastern Shore have been hitting quality bass in both mill ponds and tidal flows for several weeks because the weight of winter hasn’t been as severe here along the Mason-Dixon area. The guys have been kayaking and catching good crappie, bass and pickerel along with the occasional sluggish snakehead. Locally, March is almost, year after year, the first month for consistent bass activity in regional lakes and ponds.
Some anglers will tell you that bass won’t actively chase a moving bait when the water is in the low to mid-40-degree range. However, I have found that active fish will hit lipless crank baits like the classic Rat-L-Trap and the Googan Klutch in water even below 40 degrees. A few years ago, my “go to” lure was a slowly acquired No. 5 Mepps Aglia in shallow, sun-warmed areas with lots of wind. Recently we have encountered quality fish taking the Damiki Vault blade bait in a variety of ways. Some fish strike the lure with authority while other strikes are soft and gentle. Other fish hit the lure hard from behind, throwing several inches of slack line on your retrieve. Amazingly, you can encounter all of these strike patterns on the same day, same body of water.
We like the Vault, Klutch and Traps in the half ounce size and in the gold or silver pattern. I’m sure many different colors will work, and currently there are a legion of bass anglers who swear by the color red for success in the spring, saying that the booming crayfish populations with their reddish color, is key to triggering aggressive strikes during early spring. The other options are working as well as the Z-Man Ned Rig finesse baits are definitely picking up their fair share of bass throughout the spring development. Our recent winter success with this classic presentation led to a number of 20-inchers and specimens that couldn’t resist the subtle movements of a good plastic/jig combination.
Blade baits and lipless crank baits can be fished in two main ways. One is to cast far, let the bait settle on a tight line and then rip the lure off the bottom in short, sudden “snaps” of the arm. You can also prioritize the bait on the bottom and then maintain a steady steady retrieve. The reason we keep a tight line on the initial fall of the lures is due to the fact that occasionally you will have a bass strike the lure as it drops towards the bottom. By following a tight line, and subsequently making contact with the lure, you will feel this strike and be able to set the hook.
Slow spinning spinnerbaits and in-line spinners will also attract fish, especially shallow fish that favor slightly warmer water on sunny, windy days. Sometimes it may be best to size down to quarter-ounce lures or spinners with No. 3 blades.
Although baitcasting tackle is the bass angler’s tool, we prefer to chuck these baits with medium spinning gear and 20-pound braided lines with 12 to 15-pound clear monofilament leaders. Since most fish will move along the shorelines long casts may not be necessary. We have caught fish as shallow as 18-inches during hot and windy March days in the past. Also, don’t be afraid to fish “mud lines” which are odd edges where the wind picks up the bottom, creating a clear edge of dirty water where baitfish or bluegills can easily ambush.
This year you might want to jump the gun for spring time bass fishing — it could lead to the biggest fish of the season.
