Overlooked March tactics

There’s more to it than spinnerbaits, lipless baits

When it comes to March, we all have visions of a giant bass blasting a spinnerbait or that heart-stopping lipless crankbait bite, but are there things we are missing? While the spinnerbait and lipless crankbait are superb lures under the right conditions, there are a lot of days this month when they don’t work as well as alternatives.

I’m the first to admit, I love to fish fast, but what about when that big cold front comes through and leaves your spinnerbait bite in the dust?

First, let’s talk about what the fish are doing. You typically hear the fish are staging, meaning they are hanging near where they are going to spawn, waiting for conditions to get right. Typical staging spots are secondary points leading into protected pockets where they will spawn. Other places are bridges, roadbeds, edges of flats and so on — basically anywhere with deep water access near spawning grounds.

You have several options as far as presentation beyond the normal.

Hinged football-head jigs with plastic trailers have stayed a little under the radar until recently, but they are hugely effective and offer a little extra in the way of speed for covering water. My favorite is the Freedom Lures model that allows you to change out the hook to perfectly match the soft-plastic trailer you are fishing.  I typically start with the 1/2-ounce model with a Culprit Incredi-craw 3.5.  If the water is really clear, I downsize to an Incredi-craw Slim, which like the name says, is a slim offering with a smaller profile and quicker fall that is better in clear water.

Carolina rigs, while certainly still effective, are not used very often anymore. A Carolina-rigged lizard or worm was the most-popular lure about 20 years ago, but not anymore. Still, it is deadly on staging fish. One tip is to use fluorocarbon for your main line but monofilament for you leader. The extra effort is worth it, so your lure will stay off the bottom a little. I like to use plastic without salt for Carolina rigs, because salt makes lures heavier and sink faster. I like the Incredi-slim, lizards, and the Culprit T-rex worm.

Finally, perhaps the most overlooked is a flutter-style spoon. This bait is typically used in the summer for offshore fish, but if you get lucky and find a mega-school that has pulled up and is feeding, you can get some of your biggest fish with these large spoons. Fish them on heavy line like 20-pound fluorocarbon, and on a medium-heavy action rod. Simple cast it out, let it hit the bottom and pull up slowly — maybe a little faster than a worm — and then let it sink back down. This is not a good bait in cover, so a clean point or roadbed is best.

Certainly, don’t abandon your main baits in March, but understand there could be more options than you’ve thought of before you head out.