pre spawn smallmouth

Pre spawn smallmouth fishing can give your shot at the fattest smallmouth of the season. As the temps warm with spring the bass begin to really put on the feed for spawn. The smallmouth will start to move out of winter spots and start to transition to there spawning grounds when the water temps hit the 50s.

Baitfish and cray fish are what these fish are looking for. This is the streamer junkies best time of year to be out. with temps still low you want to fish slower with flies that suspend and drop slow. Patterns like game changers Murdich minnow swinging D and leggy boy flies really excel since they can hang in the water with a sinking line or intermediate lines. Strip strip pause is the cadence I fish the fish will generally eat on that pause , as temps warm I will increase my speed of retrieve . Spring times can have big temp swings and when the water temps drop getting down to the fish is the key. I will go to slower bottom cray fish patterns. Chuck Kraft crawdads, sex dungeons , claw changers work great to dredge the bottom.

Sring can be very up and down but those whiling to put in the cast will get rewarded with some quality fish. I have a few more dates left till I lay off then fish for spawn.