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This Sunday is our first team bass tournament of the year. I thought I could get some Bass guys stoked thinking about how to target early season pre-spawn Bass. Think of it as fantasy fishing.

I'm looking for some good early season tactics and strategies for both Smallies and Large Mouth. I'll share some our ideas later.

Here are the details:

Location: Beltzville Dam, Lehighton, PA


Size: 949 acres with a shoreline of 19.8 miles

Water Temp: Low to Mid 40's

Water Level: Extremely High, 4-5' over it's banks

Forecast: Partly Cloudy Hi 52 Lo 38

Two creeks feed the lake on the east end. Large dam with lots of rip rap on the west end of lake. Structure consists of creek channels, large flats, bluff walls, stumps, coves, creeks, and points.

Tournament is a 6 fish limit, 15" minimum

Hey Grumpy,

good luck man!!

Hope you do well Don't eat too many

j/k...had to get the lads going

Thanks Wall-I-Guy,

I think everyone might be afraid to post. Hmm how would you know about early season bass tactics?

Our plans are to use suspending jerkbaits like rogues and ito 110's using long delays between jerks. We'll fish these on a point dropping down into the main creek channel.

We were also going to use kastmasters in deeper water around humps. Maybe a hair jig worked slowly.

We are going to target the Smallies.

G

I have one tactic to fish Bass, throw into the slop and weed edges....


B'duh b'duh...that's all folks

Grumpy

Find the warmest water possible ... even the shift of a couple of degrees will do. Slow retrieve long casting minnow shaped crankbaits... rig to suspend if necessary... and fan cast flat areas.

That fails I would head to the back of those creeks and work shallow cranks and spinnerbaits.

Best of luck.

pssstt ... white spinnerbaits.

Good luck.

M.T. Livewell

I would concentrate on the creeks, with warmer water entering there.

Also on bays/shore that is flooded, right at the drop off to the real lake bottom for less current and Bass bedding.

But what do I know, I caught my first targeted LM last year at Caigers.

Well we were hoping to scout out the lake tomorrow but they closed it down due to dangrous high waters. We had some real bad flooding from this past weekend's storm. They say its the worst in 50 years .

I thought about flipping around the McDonalds.

Here are some shots of the Delaware River:

Grump,I hope the water drops or it may be closed still,jigging the steep drops is a suggestion I hear alot,I don't bass fish there,too much pressure. Good luck, roughrider

I'd say hit the Mickey Dee's too....there always seems to be big girls hangin around it!...

Hey, is that the new improved "cooler of death"

I'm with RJ... got to the Mickey D's and ask them for the 'supersize' bass

Lol RJ ahahahahahaha McDee's

Grumpy, wow that's a situation all tournament anglers arnet fond of.. I've never experienced myself yet. However this is what I''ll suggest.

I would first find the warmest water possible.. Like someon mentioned a little while back.
I'd however totally stay away from the areas that are flooded. Becasue I cant see bass adapting to well to that water level. Go to the spot you normally would when the waters lower. The water seems dirty so use somthing with noise ratlles etc. Get those fish to hear your bait. Make them commit to your lure. if you find no strieks with a steady retrive slow your presentation down and fish slow.. I'd probably hit the use to be shallow trees, stumps etc. These are usually spawning bed preferences... Maybe use a bait with some bright colour to it.. Anyways would be to hard for me to adapt to because I'm not there. I'd just get out there and search and as soon as I found one of thsoe fish. I'd stick with it. Because that level of water increase will have anglers frustrated and confused..

Spence

jigging spoons near deep drops has worked well for me in the past

You definitely want to move up on structure. Particularly in areas of thin water. These areas are going to heat rapidly during the day and bass will hold in these areas.

Stay away from the fast current, slack water is best.

Use dark colours in the dirty water, they will silhouette and provide contrast . Rattles and scent will help you out.

As a secondary strategy concentrate on the north and eastern shores. These areas receive the most amount of daily sunlight and will warm quickest.

Look for areas of flooded grass and timber. Bass will move up to feed on invertebrates and worms pushed out of the soil.

Smallies will be a little tougher. The River is essentially blown out right now and they will be scattered. However if you try and concentrate on potential staging areas that they will hold on prior to spawning you might get lucky and find fish.

I've read a fair bit in Bassin magazine the last three months about prespawn bass and these are a few of the tips I picked up.

Matt

Wow, wild pics Grumpy