Springtime largemouths are sometimes lured to secluded places where they often take refuge amid dense cover like buck brush, willows and laydown logs.

Heavy rains had fallen a month or so prior to the tournament, flooding the 100s of acres of new-growth weeds and grasses that had sprouted on flats, shorelines and backwater fields over the past summer. With the lake level slightly above normal and the spawn in full swing, I felt certain I knew the areas that would hold bass for the duration of the three-day event. They’ll be in just about every secluded pocket, canal and inlet you can find. That’s where the warmest, clearest water is going to be.

Having logged more than 15 years of guiding experience on the 90,000-acre East Texas impoundment, I knew better than to waste valuable practice time checking “ace in the hole” spots. Instead, I elected to go in search of a trumph card – an out-of-the-way place where other competitors unfamiliar with Livingston’s rugged terrain would not dare go. I can’t remember the name of the flooded field. But I do remember it took us better than 45 grueling minutes to get there once we left the lake proper. It was unbelieveable. When my boat wasn’t sliding over a laydown log, we were standing on the bow trying to rock it off of a stump.

At one point, I actually had to jump overboard into knee-deep water to push the 20-foot rig over a shallow rise that surrounded a wide-open flat about a 1/4 acre in size. The gin-clear water was maybe three-feet deep and was cluttered with dense patches of dead grass and weeds, much of which was matted on the surface. It was an attractive place, indeed, the type of spot that’s just begging for a Slug-Go, weedless frog or floating-style lizard. But what made it even more appealing to me was the fact spawning bass were everywhere, bucks and females alike. Was it worth the trouble?

Here’s a rundown of some of the better places to look for springtime largemouths when their biological ticker starts beckoning them towards the shallows to spawn:

Secluded Pockets and Coves

Just about any isolated pocket or cove will be apt to attract spawning bass. But find one with some sort of creek or drainage running through it and you’ll boost your odds considerably. Bass use these as highways to travel to and from shallow water. Something else to key on is the location of the pocket itself. Generally speaking, those pockets that were protected from cold north winds during January and February will hold water that may be 5-10 degrees warmer than in other areas. These types of places can be found just about anywhere, depending on the “lay” of the individual reservoir. On reservoirs that lay north to south, pay close attention to pockets branch off the northwest shoreline. On lakes that lay east to west, pockets and backwaters along the northern shoreline can be extremely good. It’s always a good idea to study what type of cover is available in secluded pockets. Depending on the reservoir, that could be could be hydrilla, laydowns, stumps, willow bushes, flooded grass or buck brush. But don’t rule out sandy or gravel banks, either.

Inside Grasslaines and Weedbeds

Inside grasslines are formed when lakes containing hydrilla drop several feet below normal for an extended period and then begin to rise. As the lake rises, hydrilla beds that were once visible along the shorelines are flooded and subsequently submerged by new water. The depth of the inside grassline will depend entirely on how much a lake rises after the fall. Springtime bass love to relate to inside grasslines. Pre-spawn fish use them as a holding spot or “staging” point as they wait for water temperatures in the shallows to warm to a sufficient degree. The inside edge of the grass also provides fish with cover to ambush bait fish lured to the warming shallows. In addition to inside grasslines, pay attention to pond weed, cattail and bulrush. Both pond weeds and cattails tend to grow in patches. Pond weed grows offshore at depths of 0-3 feet and is noticeable by small, elongated green leafs that appear to be floating on the surface. Cattails and bulrush are tall and stalky and they grow along shorelines.

Boathouses and Piers

Boat houses and piers deserve special attention during the springtime, especially on reservoirs where there is not much available in the form of aquatic cover. Docks with styrofoam bases are alright, but those with wooden pilings tend to be better. Bass like to hold tight to support pilings of these wood structures. Plus, you can cast and pitch lures underneath them. Just about any dock or pier will hold spring time largemouths, but those that are situated on points or close to a creek channel can be especially good. You’ll also want to be on the lookout for rod holders bolted to these structures. That’s a tell-tale sign the owner may have a brushpile submerged in front of the dock, and that means bass are more apt to be present.

Roadbeds

Old roadbeds that run through a reservoir will often harbor great numbers of bass during the springtime. These can be county roads, highways or old farm roads that were flooded when the lake was inundated. The crown of the road provides the fish with a hard, bald surface on which to spawn and feed, while the bar ditches and/or stump lines that run alongside them provide bass with additional structure. Springtime bass will be apt to congregate anywhere up and down a roadbed, but the entry point into the reservoir should definitely not be overlooked right now. Two years ago a friend took me to such a place on the extreme upper reaches of Sam Rayburn Reservoir and we hammered the bass. In 30 minutes we caught 20-30 fish in the 2-4 pound range – all within an area no larger than 10X10!

Windy Points

Virtually all points are worthy of a few casts this time of year. But windy, mainlake points deserve a very honest effort. Wind blows in various forms of plankton, which in turn attracts bait fish such as shad and bream. Common sense says bass won’t be far behind.

Laydown Logs

Laydown logs and fallen trees are great targets to chunk at during spring. Not only do they provide the bass with cover, but they also may put off a little extra heat on warm, sunny days. This can be a boon during early spring, when water temperatures are still fairly cold. Anglers should always try to fish their lures parallel with a laydown rather instead of to and fro. That way you’ll be able to fish it in its entirety. It also is important to give fishy-looking logs a thorough lashing. Work them down both sides and from all different directions before moving on.

Humps and Ridges

Many anglers are of the belief that all bass go to the bank during the spring. This is totally false. On some reservoirs bass can find everything they need on shallow humps and ridges on the mainlake. Among those prerequisites are food, cover and a solid bottom on which to spawn. Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend are a couple of Texas lakes notarious for yielding big stringers from such places this time of year. Problem is, the locales can at times be tough to find. That’s where a good topographical map comes in handy. Anglers should target humps and ridges situated in water ranging 4-8 feet deep, preferably those that located close to a creek, river or other deep-water source.

Odd-Ball Places

Ever caught bass out of a 50-gallon drum or behind a beaver dam? My friend has, which just goes to show you how unpredictable bass can be. “One time I was fishing along the this bank and I saw a 50-gallon drum on the bottom, about three feet below the surface,” he said. “I threw my worm at the barrel and a second or two later I felt a thump, so I set the hook.” Problem was, the bass didn’t give; something was holding it back. “I moved in closer to see what the deal was and found a hole about the size of baseball on the side of the drum” . “My worm had fallen in the hole and the fish was inside the drum, but it was too big to fit through. Knowing the 4 1/2-pounder could go a long way towards propelling him into his first BassMaster’s Classic, he beat on the rusty drum until the hole opened wide enough to allow the bass to come through, amazingly without cutting his line. “I’ve caught some bass off some pretty weird stuff – old lawn chairs, flooded picnic tables, culverts – but that has to take the cake,” he said. He also has caught bass from secluded still waters behind beaver dams. “That’s a great place to find spring bass that haven’t been disturbed,” he said. “Most guys aren’t going to go to the trouble to get their boat over a beaver dam. But I’ll do it in a heart beat if I suspect there are fish back there.” I don’t doubt it a bit.

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