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  1. #1
    Member basshole51's Avatar
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    Prespawn fishing natural lakes

    now that we can finally fish for bass on natural lakes in Wisconsin com April 1st...where is everyone going to go and how will they be targeting them? I have spent my Aprils on rivers in the past so not much experience on glacial lakes early in spring.

    The jerkbait and swimbait should be real players like in the fall....will we be able to catch "wintering" bass yet out deep?
    "Any pizza is a personal pizza if you believe in yourself"

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    #2
    Lipless crank, jerk bait will be two that I’m trying

  3. Member basshole51's Avatar
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    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by jigapig View Post
    Lipless crank, jerk bait will be two that I’m trying
    will you be targeting mid depth grasslines? thats sort of my plan as I think they will be moved off of the wintering spots as soon as ice is out...but I really don't know.
    "Any pizza is a personal pizza if you believe in yourself"

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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by b*******51 View Post
    will you be targeting mid depth grasslines? thats sort of my plan as I think they will be moved off of the wintering spots as soon as ice is out...but I really don't know.
    Yeah off the grass lines or rocky hard bottom areas 7-10 ft with the lipless bait. And going to move shallow 2-5 feet with the jerkbait. Bass can get shallow pretty quick once ice comes off especially in warming shallow bays. Usually slay these fish with small crappie inline mepps or bluefox spinners. In the 2-3ft areas along shore lines. Now that bass can legally be targeted going to try the jerkbait or even a chatterbait.Or a small topwater even. They will slurp it off the surface instead of a big strike.But if those don't work I will go to smaller inline spinners. Sometimes a smaller meal can be what they want from my experiences. Man I can't wait to get out there.

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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by jigapig View Post
    Yeah off the grass lines or rocky hard bottom areas 7-10 ft with the lipless bait. And going to move shallow 2-5 feet with the jerkbait. Bass can get shallow pretty quick once ice comes off especially in warming shallow bays. Usually slay these fish with small crappie inline mepps or bluefox spinners. In the 2-3ft areas along shore lines. Now that bass can legally be targeted going to try the jerkbait or even a chatterbait.Or a small topwater even. They will slurp it off the surface instead of a big strike.But if those don't work I will go to smaller inline spinners. Sometimes a smaller meal can be what they want from my experiences. Man I can't wait to get out there.
    thanks! Good info! never did much "crappie" fishing in the spring as I was always close to a river system but my experience on those is the same...you find sun-baked shallow water and you find the bass even in COLD water...those days when those nasty spring cold fronts come through are when it gets difficult....the river bass generally won't leave their shallow haunts but will get very tight lipped...not sure if lake bass just slide back off the drops for those events or stay put and get lockjawed too.
    "Any pizza is a personal pizza if you believe in yourself"

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    #6
    I just moved to the Madison area and my experiences from fishing in SD is that you can start catching them as soon as the ice is off in about any depth. Some of my best days ever have been 40 degree days flipping brush on the banks in a foot of water. I cant imagine the fish being much different here than the glacial lakes in SD.

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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by ksubasser24 View Post
    I just moved to the Madison area and my experiences from fishing in SD is that you can start catching them as soon as the ice is off in about any depth. Some of my best days ever have been 40 degree days flipping brush on the banks in a foot of water. I cant imagine the fish being much different here than the glacial lakes in SD.
    awesome! that shallow in clean water even? on the Miss. and WI rivers they certainly get that shallow right away but water clarity is only a foot usually. Welcome to Madtown! If you want to go fishing sometime let me know!
    "Any pizza is a personal pizza if you believe in yourself"

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    #8
    Yes. I’ve fished lake okaboji at ice off and it is crystal clear. At typical ice out water is in low 40’s instantly and temps are getting into the sixties and low seventies so the wt doesn’t really factor. Fish are shallow soaking up the sun.

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    #9
    May have to get together some time. I plan to hit a variety of lakes. I’ve moved around quite a bit and love fishing new water. Usually do the best when things are new and not fishing of memories. I’m looking forward to not having to drive 100 miles min one way to get to good waters.