Everyone has their favourite spots and preferred lakes to fish during their time out on the water. It might be because of the proximity to your home or cottage, or maybe your time during the open-water season is limited- it’s habit to return to the same areas close to you that you’re familiar with. We are truly lucky to live only a short distance away from so many different rivers and lakes. For someone wanting to try a new body of water the choices of where to go are endless.
DOING YOUR HOMEWORK
Once you’ve decided on your destination, the next questions to ask yourself are “when” to go and “what” to use. Only you can answer that question and decide what time of the year is best, but if you ask me, there is no better time than spring!
In spring, many species of fish will either be transitioning towards shallow water, or will already be there waiting for you. Keep in mind each lake will be different and factors such as water temperature, overall depth, and date of ice out will also play factors in the movement of fish within that lake during the early season. They are generally easy to locate throughout spring and on a calm day with clear water conditions you can often see them swimming around.
SHALLOW BAYS ARE KEY SPRING AREAS
Many species of fish spend their spring in or near shallow basins, bays, flats, points, vegetation, and along key spawning shorelines. Gravel-covered shorelines, sandy-bottom areas, and spots with vegetation growth are a great place to start. Try depths of fifteen feet or less, and if you know of any creeks that may flow into the lake, try taking a few casts in that area as well. They will be found where the warmest water is.
LURE CHOICES
There are so many different options when choosing what lures and presentations to use. The decisions don’t stop there either; pick a colour, the weight, and decide how you plan to work that lure. I tend to choose realistic, natural colours, however bright fluorescent options have their place, especially in stained or murky water. I’ve had success using as light of a weight as possible, with a slow retrieve. Later in the spring heading into summer I try changing to a heavier weight or larger size and experiment with different retrieval speeds. If you are angling in a large shallow bay or flat, a great way to cover water is to fan-cast all around the boat. It only takes a few minutes and the amount of water you can cover in that short period of time is very effective. Search baits are great to use this time of year because fish could be spread out anywhere within the shallows and they allow you to cover water very efficiently. The key to spring success is covering water while varying your presentation.
GAME PLANNING A KEY
Before heading out be sure to put together a game plan. Research online and try to view the different maps available, visit your favourite fishing forum, and try to find any websites linked to the lake if applicable. Gathering valuable information before heading out isn’t necessary to be successful, but it certainly helps. View your GPS unit or a paper map and pick a few starting spots. As soon as you launch your boat you know exactly where you are going and can start fishing right away. Make it only a few spots though, sometimes “over-analyzing” can work against you, especially if the area you choose to start in isn’t producing any fish. While fishing, you need to be able to change tactics and adapt to the conditions. Taking your knowledge and applying it while creating an adventure packed with new learning experiences can be very rewarding.
AMANDA’S GO-TO LURES FOR SPRING SUCCESS!
Jerkbaits:
Easily one of my confidence lures throughout the entire season. During spring, smaller sizes seem to work best. As the season transitions into summer try experimenting with larger sizes and a fast retrieval speed.
Spinnerbaits:
Northern Pike can’t control themselves when a spinnerbait cruises by. Other species will hit this lure as well, but it is especially productive for Pike. They’re fun to cast, easy to use, and a great way to cover water.
Swim Jigs: Paired with a soft plastic trailer or twister tail, the swim jig is great way to entice many different species to bite. You can swim it in a steady motion or let it drop and pop it, creating an erratic movement and possible reaction strike.
Swimbaits:
Throughout spring try a three or four inch on a light jig to keep your presentation shallow. Switch to a four or five inch when transitioning into summer with a larger jig weight when fish begin to move out.
Topwaters:
Watching that fish rocket up and out of the water, absolutely smashing your topwater is hard to beat. Late spring and throughout the summer, on all calm days I will always have one tied on. Remember to stop and pause it once and a while. If a fish is following the movement and it suddenly comes to a stop this can also trigger them to bite.
Crankbaits:
Casting shallow-running crankbaits will catch multiple species, experiment with different profiles and sizes to find what the fish want on that particular day.
Soft Plastics:
Using a three or four inch minnow on a 1/8oz or 3/16 oz jig is appealing for many different species. Twister tails and swim worms are great options as well. There are so many more to choose from; we have endless choices when it comes to using soft plastics nowadays. You can jig them, cast them, and swim them…and fish can’t seem to resist them.