Pre-spawn
Before Ohio bass spawn in spring, they tend to hunt for food in mid-depth pools. In the mornings and evenings, crankbaits, plastic worms, plug baits and spinners around weed lines are suitable baits. During the day, the fish are a bit sluggish but can be caught using jigs, plastic leeches and harnessed night crawlers in deeper water.
Fishing Spawning Beds
When the waters of Ohio reach about 65 to 70 degrees F, female bass will lay their eggs in relatively shallow, sandy beds. It becomes the job of male fish to project the spawning beds. While they do so, they are extremely active and will strike anything they feel is a threat to their eggs. The best baits to use during the spawn are floating plugs (examples include Hula Poppers and Jitterbugs), artificial frogs, and diving minnow lures worked over and around beds.
Post Spawn
Depending on the weather and water temperature, spring bass in Ohio will usually begin their summer feeding habits after a 2-to-3-week spawning period. Fish will stay in warmer, shallow water during the mornings and evenings and head to deeper water during the day. The best lures during this time usually involve a combination of floating lures (plugs, artificial frogs) in the shallows and deeper presentations, such as plastic worms, spinners, crankbaits and buzzbaits, as fish move as water gets warmer by midday.
