Spring is around the corner, and a lot of fishermen who hang up their gear for the winter can’t wait for the temps to rise. Although the enthusiasm is high, spring can be a difficult season to successfully pattern and consistently catch fish inshore. Most fish are still in transition between the deep mud and the shallow sand and grass flats, which has them spread out through the bays. Add high winds, cool fronts, the small size of the forage, and you have a tougher puzzle to put together than the other three seasons. I have put together a few tips to help you sort though this maze and hopefully land a few more fish this spring.
First and foremost, the size of the baitfish is extremely small this time of year. It is not uncommon to find dozens of small glass minnows in the bellies of trout and reds in spring. This makes my first tip very obvious. Downsize your lure presentation if you can. Obviously, this can impact one’s casting abilities, so rigging small lures in tandem can be a plus and increase casting distance.
Something else I like to use in the spring is a clear or transparent lure with some glitter or maybe one with a light translucent color. I choose these because it’s more difficult for the fish to see its actual size and gives the appearance of being smaller than it actually is. I’ve found this to be a productive alternative to downsizing my lure. While choosing a typical size trout and red lure for this application, I look for one with subtle movements. I like either a darting-style bait or a very subtle vibrating paddle lure. Strong, big vibrating tails have their place, but early spring is not one of them.
One thing I notice about schools of small baitfish is that when they are displaced they seldom dart deeper before quickly regrouping. Most of their movement is to the side and up. Due to this characteristic, I also like a light lure that has a slow sink rate. I feel this imitates the spring forage movements and increases my strikes. I like a lure you can twitch from side to side that doesn’t sink very fast on the pause.
In early spring while the fish are in transition, they will start to congregate on sandy shores with grass. This will be the main cover for the small fry. While employing these techniques and lure choices, concentrate your efforts on broken grass flats with potholes and distinct edges. Early in the season, areas like these near deeper water is where I would start.
I hope you find these tactics helpful and as the weather warms and you enjoy the outdoors, don’t forget to take a kid fishing!
Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.