Getting Ready for the Spring Spawn

Getting Ready for the Spring Spawn

By Ben Leal

Spring in Iowa, and anywhere in the country, is a pretty busy time for our fishy friends who reside in area lakes. Warming water temps signal walleye, crappie, and bass that it’s time to start moving to shallow spring haunts. Walleye are the first to transition to shallow water for the spawn. And I do mean shallow! Walleye can be found in a foot of water at times, especially at night. Crappies are not far behind; they will also transition from their deep wintering holes to shallow cover. Bass will soon follow as water temps continue to warm, giving them the signal that it’s time to move in and start digging out beds for the spawn.

As each of these species moves into shallow areas of lakes to spawn, they offer anglers some opportunities to catch quality fish and quantity. And at times, the number of fish that can concentrate in a specific area can be staggering. We’re going to explore this transition time and offer tips and tricks to keep chasing after your favorite quarry.

Selective Harvest
Before we dig into some spring fishing strategies, I wanted to touch on the importance of selective harvest, especially during the spawn. As we’ve noted, walleye are the first to make that move to shallow water. They will be aggressive feeders as they prepare for and ultimately spawn. There’s no doubt that you may find yourself landing a personal best. Females are usually the larger of the fish being caught and, in my most recent experience, can top 28 inches. These are the fish you want to C.P.R. (Catch, Photo & Release). As the walleye spawn gives way to crappie and bass, it’s important to remember that these larger females are an essential factor in the fishery’s future. Fish are a renewable resource and great for the table…being selective in your harvest will help keep our fisheries viable far into the future.

Walleye
When you’re thinking about chasing after walleye as they transition from their spawning areas, plan on dressing warm. Surface water temps should be between 45 and 52 degrees, which translates to cool air temps. You can find these fish on hard bottom flats, off rocky areas that may hold baitfish, and where the sun warms the water first.

Walleyes are basically lazy fish. They don’t like to chase bait very far and are always looking for an easy meal, so find out what the main forage species is in a given lake and then find the walleye. There are times when the forage fish are suspended in the lake, and the walleyes usually are not far away. A shallow diving crankbait can be a good option in the spring. Still, quite a few anglers will rely on a favorite jig with either a grub trailer tipped with a minnow or just a minnow alone.

Vertically jigging also works, especially during the day as the walleye stage off their shallow spawning areas. Slow and steady can get the job done as you work the bait through the water column. Using a medium action rod with a fast action tip allows you to feel the bite, which is the all too familiar thump for walleye. Once you feel that, give it a one or two-count hesitation, and set the hook! There’s no doubt that the action can be fast and furious, but also be prepared for those times where fish suddenly become tight-lipped.

Crappie
Crappies are one of the most sought-after gamefish here in Iowa in the spring. While walleye are not far behind or even top crappie as the prime target for spring fishing, weather can be a factor in keeping anglers on or off the lake. Walleye spawn during some of the coolest days and nights of Iowa springs, while crappie wait for warmer climes to make that transition, typically when water temps creep up to between 56 and 64 degrees. Crappie hold tight to cover and are shallow during the spawn; however, like walleye, they’ll make a move to deep water as the water temps begin to climb.

Minnows are the most popular bait to use for spawning crappies. The key here is to find the depth that the crappies are either suspended at or hovering over their spawning beds. Slip bobbers are a great option under these conditions. You can play with the depth where you’re presenting your bait, and once you’ve found that sweet spot, mark it! You can use small jigs with minnows to search for crappie; just continue experimenting with the depth. This is also a great time of year to get young anglers and novice anglers introduced to fishing. Crappie can be voracious feeders, and when they bite is on, it’s more like catching than fishing, important for those young anglers.

If you’re fishing from a boat, another good tactic is to either slowly troll with a minnow imitation bait or drift with a minnow under a bobber. Once you’ve had a couple good bites in an area, either drop a pin on your electronics or throw a marker buoy out. Either way, you’ll be able to find your way back to the same spot and get into the fish.

Bass
Right on the heels of the crappie spawn, bass will begin to transition to their spawning areas as water temps climb between 55 and 70 degrees. One of my favorite things to do is chasing after spring bass as they sit on their beds. One of bass anglings legends, Guido Hibdon, perfected the art of sight fishing for spawning bass. Many years ago, while living in the southwest, I attempted to employ this tactic on an Arizona lake. Spying a nice-sized bass hovering over a bed, I grabbed my spinning gear and slowly crept up to the water’s edge. I made a few casts with a small crawdad imitating plastic to no avail. However, one last cast that bass picked up my bait and started swimming off. I reeled in the slack and commenced with setting the hook like I had a marlin on the other end. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had loosened my drag, and the hook set created a bird’s nest an eagle would have been proud to use. And as you can imagine, the fish won that battle.

Spring fishing for bass is a time to slow down your presentation too. While they are opportunistic eaters and will lash out at a swimbait or topwater bait as a reaction, these fish typically are lethargic. While I may have lost in my initial attempt at site fishing, I too perfected it to my style of fishing and have brought quite a few nice bass to the boat. But hang on; warmer water temps and explosive bass fishing is not far off.

Spring fishing in Iowa can be some of the best throughout the year. Always be prepared for changing weather conditions. The fish will move into a typical spawning pattern with a few warm days. If a cold front moves in and changes the surface water temps by a few degrees, these fish may move off to deeper staging areas and wait it out. High-pressure systems that follow will shut the fish down for a few days. Enjoy the resources we share in Iowa and introduce young and old alike to the sport we all enjoy. Tight Lines All!