Spinnerbaits

• Spinnerbaits are synonymous with spring. While they will work all season long, spinnerbaits are among the most productive of baits in the spring. They can be cast around the emergent vegetation, boat docks and fallen timber that hold bass in the spring, and also through the open-water areas between cover, where bass feed under low-light conditions. A 3/8-ounce spinnerbait is most commonly used in the spring, though some anglers prefer a smaller bait, like a 1/4-ouncer, that is more in line with the size of the forage species at this time of year. There is no wrong way to fish a spinnerbait. You can simply cast it and retrieve it, but you are more likely to meet with success by varying your retrieve.
  
  

Jigs and pigs

• Jigs and pigs are especially productive in the spring when flipped and pitched around shallow cover like boat docks, fallen timber or overhanging trees, and emergent vegetation. The bass hiding in these places often will slam a jig and pig as soon as it hits the water. A good size to begin with is 3/8 of an ounce, though some anglers prefer a small jig and pig until the water warms up. The best bet is to try a variety of sizes and let the bass tell you what they prefer. While most jig and pig fishing involves bumping the lure on the bottom, swimming the bait through the water column also can be productive and is a good alternative to fishing a spinnerbait.
  
  

Weightless plastic baits

• Plastic baits come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from ones that mimic worms and lizards to those that are little more than a straight chunk of plastic. But all work well during the spring, especially when bass are on their spawning beds. It is easy to find spawning beds by going up and down the shoreline, scanning the shallows for depressions with bass on them. Cast the weightless plastic toward those fish and allow it to sink near the depression. You are likely to get an aggressive strike from a bass that wants the intruder out of its nest.
  
  

Topwater baits

• For most of the fishing season, topwater baits are relegated to low-light conditions, but not in the spring, when bass will hit them all day long. Topwater baits are best used over submerged vegetation, along inside weedlines, or next to cover that holds bass. On cloudy days, it is best to cast the topwater out and retrieve it slowly, while a quick retrieve is better on sunny days so bass do not have the opportunity to get a good look at the bait.
  
  

Shallow-diving crankbaits

• Crankbaits that dive from just under the surface to about five feet are especially productive in the spring. The idea with crankbaits is to cast them out and make them bump into the bottom or cover during the retrieve. When they bump into something solid, crankbaits will ricochet in an unpredictable fashion, which can cause nearby bass to bite.