It appears spring has finally arrived; the dogwoods are flowering, and those little green buds are turning into leaves. For us fishing enthusiasts, this creates a real problem, especially if you pursue a variety of fish.
We’ve been pursuing trout in streams and lakes, and now we can add large and smallmouth bass, crappies, bluegills, perch, and several other species of panfish to that list. All of these fish become quite active in the spring, and they all provide some great fishing experiences.
But while a host of fishing opportunities now exist, so does a host of “work” possibilities. The grass needs cut, gardening preparations will soon be underway, and all of those little fix-up jobs that were put off all winter are demanding our attention.
Spring, of course, broadens our fishing opportunities considerably, and we fisher types are faced with some tough decisions. Do I head out and wade a local stream for some trout, or is it time to get the boat out and head to a favorite lake for some crappies and other panfish? Or maybe I should load up all my bass fishing gear, two or three tackle boxes, and a half-dozen different rods and try to pick up some smallmouth bass along a rocky shoreline in the Susquehanna River. The truth is any one of these scenarios can provide some great fishing experiences in the days to come.
We already know that trout fishing can be pretty productive right now, but so can the pursuit of smallmouth bass. As the river water warms, smallmouths start to become more active, and a variety of lures will be produced. Leadhead jigs of one-eighth to one-quarter once, tipped with soft plastic, are always a good choice, as are Ned-rigs. Brown plastics that imitate crayfish are usually pretty dependable. I prefer fishing these lures with a medium action rod and an open-faced spinning reel spooled with about 6-8 pound test fluorocarbon line.
Largemouth bass are a little slower to become active come spring since they prefer slightly warmer water than their close relative, the smallmouth. Some good choices for largemouths in spring would be a Texas or Carolina rigged worm or crayfish imitation worked slowly on or near the bottom.
If you got your grass cut and some of those repair jobs out of the way and you don’t want to lug a lot of gear, maybe some simple panfishing is the answer. Even if you don’t have a boat, crappie fishing can be very productive from the shoreline since crappies move into wood cover and rock structures near the shoreline in 8 to 3 feet of water to spawn. Ultralight spinning gear with those good old leadhead jigs but in smaller sizes work very well. Tip the jig with brown, white, chartreuse, or even pink or orange soft plastic about two inches or less. Keep a tight line and a slow retrieve, and be ready for that slight tap-set of the hook right away.
Obviously, there is no shortage of fishing opportunities in these early spring days. Come to think of it, there’s no shortage of fishing opportunities all summer.
The problem is there’s no shortage of work opportunities all summer either, which reminds me that I have to finish putting trim around the inside of our new windows. Oh yeah, and I have to get the lawn mower running and I have some brush that needs cleared.
