Riprap banks and large rocks near deep water are a great place to locate prespawn bass. By casting to the riprap with a thinner bodied crankbait with a wide round bill and retrieving it back to the boat is a great way to find the prespawning lunkers drawn to the warmer rocks. Retrieving the crankbait at a slow to medium speed is a must for the still somewhat lethargic bass. Anglers do the best when fishing a crankbait that is running deep enough to bounce off the rocks on the retrieve. The wider rounded bills are best suited for knocking the rocks. One trick to fishing rocks it to keep the hooks sharp on the crankbaits. Prespawn bass often bite lightly and a sharp hook increases the chance of landing a rock pile renegade bass. 
Another prespawn hang out is submerged wood. It is very likely that stumps and laydowns near deep water drop offs and creek channels will be holding bass. The wobble of a fat bodied crankbait is a well suited choice for fishing wood cover. A short square bill will bounce, knock and reflect off the wood very well. Again it is hard to beat a crawfish color in the prespawn season of late winter as bass will often search for early emerging crawfish in this season. By casting a square billed crankbait along the length of the trunk of a downed tree, and allowing it to bump and knock the branches and limbs will get the attention of any bass that may be hiding near the tree. Most bites come as the lure is deflected off the cover so be ready for a fight.
Remember that the bass is a bit less active in the cold water, so do not give up to easily. As the old saying goes, “never leave fish to find fish”, be patient and repeat cast to a good looking piece of cover. My friends know that I am always looking for innovative fishing products that catch bass to share with others to help them catch bass. A few months ago, Mystery Tackle Box introduced the WackOjig to thousands of people and many of them recognized the unique innovation. The jig first caught the eye of my wife Donna. Being a tournament angler, she quickly realized the amount of time
Often beginners to the sport of bass fishing will fish the banks and visual cover like docks, stumps and so on. Some days this works very well, and other times they will not catch a single fish. And when they catch a bass, the next time they are on the water, they will return to the same spot, with the same lure even during a different time of day, month or season and wonder why there are
One of the best tactics is to match your lure to the local forage the bass are eating. Match the size, color and shape of the forage as closely as you can, and it will produce bass. This is very important in clear water. In the north a tube mimics gobies very well, and in the south and Midwest with the correct color can appear as crawfish or a baitfish. Determining what the forage is and
In late spring following the spawning activities of bass, the shad and bluegill will be spawning in relation to docks, rock ledges and riprap banks. One of the most productive baits that can cover more water quickly and stay in the strike zone longer in these areas is a crankbait. When fishing these areas boat position is a critical part of your presentation. The key to catching post
Now the water has warmed up and the spawn has almost passed, bass move from the beds to feed. The warmer water of the post spawn era has increased feeding activity bass that have been guarding their nest. Recuperating largemouth are not yet chasing fast moving baits and will stay in areas that provide quick access to and from deep water partially due to changing weather patterns and the
Growing up on Dale Hollow Lake, in Tennessee, fishing with his family in the shadow of legendary bass angler, the late Billy Westmorland, gave young Mark Bilbrey a solid foundation in the sport of fishing. Mark became an Eagle Scout through conservation projects on Dale Hollow lake and other area parks. He received a skipper certification through the USCG at the age of eighteen navigating and fishing Dale Hollow Lake. Now, after many years as a businessman, Bilbrey has completed professional fishing guide training at Foley/Belsaw in preparation for a future in the industry. A registered Master Angler in Tennessee, and an Ambassador to the World Fishing Network he shares his tips, techniques and stories in hopes to help teach new anglers how to locate and catch fish. His articles have been featured on the web sites of the North American Fishing Club, Monticello Big Bass, and Catfishing Journals. Mark was recently on ESPN Radio's "Set the Hook!" with Pat Rose talking about, what else? Fishing!. Bilbrey holds memberships in several fishing organizations including Pro Staff Positions with lure manufacturing companies and is a member of B.A.S.S., NAFC, and FLW. His passion for sport fishing has been recognized in a promotional video on the World Fishing Network and he was recently selected as "Ambassador of the Year" by WFN. Also a member of The B.A.S.S. Council an exclusive online community made up of bass anglers from across the U.S. who are interested in sharing their opinions. As a member of the B.A.S.S. Council he has the opportunity to tell B.A.S.S. what he thinks about ideas, and provide valuable input through surveys. He credits his passion for fishing to his wife Donna and his childhood fishing with his father, Billy Bilbrey, his three older brothers and to his cousin Jack Huddelston, owner of Dale Hollows, Horse Creek Dock. Visit my web site at http:/markbilbrey.com
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