Pre-Spawn Hawgs

By Scott Walker

Late March and into April can be one of the best times to catch a big Smallmouth in Missouri rivers and streams. One important reason is the urge to spawn. Before any species of fish is ready to spawn they'll put on the feed bag. There are two things that control this time period. One is water level, the other is water temperature. Water temperature is probably the most critical. The water needs to be a constant 50-55 degrees to have the best action.

The tough part about fishing this time of year is the changing water levels. Spring rains not only raise the rivers, but can make them very muddy. High water is not too much of a problem as long as it doesn't get to flood conditions, but if it's muddy water you might as well stay home and watch Bill Dance.

Look for big, pre-spawn fish close to some of the deeper holes. Most fish will be in or around woody cover staging to spawn. Make sure you check out the big rock areas as well. You may want to look at some of the smaller feeder streams that feed into the bigger rivers, too. At times these fish will go into smaller streams to spawn if the larger rivers are up and muddy. Another place that big Smallmouth seem to congregate in early spring is on the down stream side of low water bridges. Look at your county maps and you'll find these bridges on almost every stream. Don't overlook he upper reaches of these streams, either. These areas receive the least pressure and can hold some big fish. Remember, smaller streams are very vulnerable to angler harvest, so be sure to release all your Smallmouth.

In the spring most all the Smallmouth's forage foods are big. There's been no spawn since last spring and early summer, so most bait fish and crawfish are good size. To catch these big fish you need to throw big baits. One of the lures I've had the most success with is the 3" Wiggle Wart in the crawfish colors. Other crank baits work well too. If you have a 3" size you have confidence in, then use it. Spinner baits work well at this time. Try using a 1/8 to 3/8 oz. white or chartreuse with gold blades, but don't hesitate to try silver blades. Both the willow leaf and the Colorado blades will work. Typically, the willow leaf works best in clear water and the Colorado in murky.

Another lure that works well in early spring, especially in clear water is a suspending jerk bait. Use 3" to 6" Rogues or Rappala Husky Jerks. Best colors for me are black and gold or black and silver, gold when it's cloudy and silver when the sun is out.

Let's not forget the hair jig and pork combo. Use 1/16 to 3/8 oz. Jigs depending on the current. The only colors you'll need are black, brown and blue. You can match the pork color to the jig, but mixing the colors can work very well at times. Try a brown jig with a black pork etc. Size #11 or 101 are good. If your jig doesn't fall fast enough due to the current, trim the fatty part of the pork and it will sink faster.

The last lure I'll mention is the hula grub in the 3" to 5" size. Use crawfish colors, pumpkin pepper, watermelon green and watermelon red are all good colors. The Chomper's and the Yamamoto grubs are the best on the market. They're a little more expensive but I think they're worth it. I usually use a 1/4 oz. Stand up jig head, although other weights work well, too, depending on the current.

To fish these lures you'll need a little heavier tackle. I use a 51/2 to 6' light or medium light action rod in both the spinning and the bait casting type. Stay away from ultra light rods and reels. If you do it right, you'll be catching 17"+ Smallmouth that could weigh from 3 to 5 lbs. Not only that, but these fish will most likely be pre-spawn females and we don't want to stress them anymore than necessary. You want to get these fish to the boat as quickly as possible, take a picture and release them.

For reels, I highly recommend the Shimano Curado. They're a little expensive but worth every penny. I'm sure there are other reels that are more expensive and probably work better, but I don't want to spend much more than $100 for a reel. As for spinning reels, I don't have a favorite. Just get a good one with a high speed retrieve. This will help when fishing in and around current. Good line is very important. I use Maxima 8 lb. green on my bait casters and 8 lb. Silver Thread on my spinning reels.

When I throw a Wiggle Wart or similar type bait I typically cast quartering down stream or directly down stream, retrieving the bait against the current. I retrieve it just fast enough to bump the rocks or bottom, pausing at times to give the bait a wounded look. If your bait hangs up, put a little slack in your line and the current and the bouyancy of the lure will usually free it.

Because of the spinner bait's design, it's a hard lure to snag. You can throw in and around heavy cover-big fish like woody cover. Try a few different presentations. One that works well is to buzz the bait just under the surface, enough to bulge the water/ Keep your retreive speed steady. This probably looks like a fleeing minnow and triggers a reaction strike. Another good technique is to slow roll a spinner bait near the bottom. Let your bait hit the bottom and reel just fast enough to make the blades spin. A pumping retreive will work, too. Make sure to watch your line on the drop, this is usually when the fish will hit. Throw into woody cover. Hit the timber and let the bait flutter on the other side. You can even use it like a jig.

As suspending jerk baits, Rattling Rogues seem to work best. Make sure you get some suspending dots made by Storm Lure. Place as many dots behind the front lure as it takes to make the bait suspend properly. The number of dots may vary depending on water temperature. Weight your lure so it will rise slowly. When you bump a limb, stop and let the bait rise over the limb. When working this lure vary your speed until you find what the fish want. A twitch pause retreive is best and fish will most often hit during the pause.

Or, use the 3 to 5" size curly tailed grub. Use a jig head that will keep it near the bottom and use a slow, steady retreive. Keep your rod tip low and pointed at the bait. This way when you feel a strike you can set the hook immediately. Use the same colors as with hula grubs, and get some white and shad colors to imitate minnows.

Jigs and hula grubs are bottom baits, so expect to get snagged. The best way to use these baits is to make it act like a crawfish. Jigs are best fished with the current, but don't limit yourself. It's very important to watch your line. A lot of times when your lure drops over a rock or log you'll get a strike. Watch your line-when you see it make a sharp twitch, set the hook.

I hope these tips will help you catch Big Smallmouth. Remember you can't keep Smallmouth from streams until Memorial Day weekend, so handle these fish carefully and release them unharmed. Even during regular season I encourage you to release all your Smallmouth bass.

©1998 Scott Walker

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