March Madness is here not only on the court, but on the water. Its Bassmaster Classic time as well and the madness has begun in those southern states. Here is a quick look at what to have in the box and on the water.

If the fish are suspended I am rollin with a Jerkbait. Jerkbaits really work better when the water is colder, so they’re great in early March, when we are subject to water temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s. Fish can be lethargic, and a jerkbait will suspend right in front of them. At this point the fish have moved up and wont return to their winter hideaways, although if they have moved up to solid structure they will turn off that hard structure and suspend back in deeper water. The colder the water, the slower my retrieval action. I will still mix up my actions with a jerk, jerk, jerk pause motion and even mix that up. If its not working, mix it up, speed it up, slow it down.

Crankbaits come into play when I see fish relating to the bottom or to some kind of cover or structure on the bottom. The nice thing about a crankbait is how much water you can cover and the many different water levels you can reach. I will follow in the crawfish colors of reds and browns and anything in between. Wood and rock are your obvious targets and if your lucky enough to find that early grass your in business.

Honestly, I will fish a jig anytime of the year. I am looking for those targets of course, brush, standing timber, stumps, beaver huts, you name it, a jig is a good choice. Matching the color of crawfish I see is also the ticket here. Taking a quick trip up shallow and tracking down a few crawfish is a good way to get an idea of what color you need.
Tie these guys on and go catch some March Madness Bass.
Tightlines my friends!
I’m the Bass Dude!