It’s the time of the year.

It’s been a long, long winter. You haven’t casted a line in months. You’re sick of being inside and have tied enough flies to last you for years on end.

However, there’s hope in sight. The frigid temperatures are starting to rise and the ice on your favorite river is starting to melt. 

It’s time to actually start fishing again. 

The late winter/early spring time is an exciting time for anglers. You’re ready to start chasing fish after a winter of cold, fishless days and you can’t wait to wet a line again. Having a plan and understanding smallmouth behavior in the pre-spawn will maximize your chances of catching fish early in the spring.

So where are bass in the early pre-spawn season? We touched on smallmouth behavior during the pre-spawn in Smallies on the Fly, but let’s dive deeper here. In this article, we’ll go over pre-spawn smallmouth behavior, gear, and strategies to catch early spring river smallmouth bass.

Also, check out our review of “Smallmouth: Modern Fly-Fishing Methods, Tactics, and Techniques” by Dave Karczynski and Tim Landwehr

Understanding Smallmouth Bass Behavior in the Early Spring

Just like us, smallmouth bass are excited to shake off the winter blues and get moving around again as the weather warms up in the early season. They’ve been lethargically slumbered in their deep water wintering holes for months and are itching to procreate. As water temperatures start to inch up, smallies will transition out of their winter haunches and work their way towards the shallows where they like to spawn.

However, the water temperatures won’t quite let them begin to spawn just yet. Just because Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow doesn’t mean that water temperatures instantly shift to ideal. 

While the air temperature may start to climb, it takes days for water temperatures to rise because heat transfers through air much faster than it does water. Because of this physical property, even though air temperatures may feel like spring time, it may take longer for the water to rise. In general, once you get several days of warmer weather, the water temps will begin to reflect the warmer air temperatures. 

While the weather may start to warm up, spring is notorious for unpredictable weather. Several days of sunshine could be followed by cold temps or even snow. With that volatility, bass will likely be near their deep-water haunches, but not necessarily stuck down in their dwellings. 

Think about how humans might act on the first few days of spring weather. Probably excited to get outside the house, but not ready to go out in shorts and t-shirts for a flag football game. You’re probably gonna venture outside and enjoy the nice weather for a little, but you’re not convinced spring is here to stay and will return home once the sun goes back down. 

With the rising but still cold water temps, smallies move slowly in the early season pre-spawn. Their metabolisms haven’t quite ignited and they know they have some time to before they can spawn, so they’ll be moving slowly.

Knowing that smallies will be deep and moving slowly, let’s dive into what gear and flies we need to target these fish, then discuss what to do with that gear to get them to bite our flies.

Essential Gear for Early Spring Smallmouth Bass Fly Fishing

Fly Rod

A 6 weight is a great all-around smallmouth weight, but during the pre-spawn, I like to bump it up to a 7 or even an 8 weight.

The increase in line weight will help you handle the intermediate or full sinking lines you’ll likely be throwing during the pre-spawn. You can certainly use a 6 weight if that’s all you have, but the added stiffness of a 7 weight will help you be more efficient casting those heavier lines in a full day. 

If your river is shallow, a 6 weight will work great if you are using a floating line. If you are fishing deeper, larger rivers and need to get down the water column, up the weight of your rod and line to save your wrists and arms. A full day of throwing sinking lines wears on you fast and heavier gear helps minimize the effort of every cast.

A heavier weighted rod like a 7 weight will also help increase the distance you can cast. Pre-spawn smallmouth won’t necessarily be tucked under shallow water structure, they’ll likely be spread out in deeper water transition areas. This means that we need to cover as much water as we can searching for fish and throwing longer distances maximizes the amount of water we can cover. Accuracy is always important, but with pre-spawn fish it’s more about covering vast amounts of water trying to find fish than it is about pinpoint accuracy. 

Rod selection is important, but not as important as the next vital piece of gear…

Fly Line

Having a variety of fly lines is vital in fishing the pre-spawn. With relatively colder water temperatures, smallies are likely to be holding in deeper water. If you get a day or two of warmer temperatures, they may begin to explore the shallows looking for spawning grounds.

During the early season pre-spawn, it is best to have a floating, intermediate, and if your river is deep enough and you’re fishing from a boat, a full sinking fly line. 

The floating line will let you effectively fish water the shallower depths if you are fishing an abnormally warm day or two and the fish are venturing toward the skinny stuff. You’ll also be able to fish a little bit deeper with a weighted fly on a floating line. If you’re a wading angler, a floating line paired with a versileader will be a great setup for added versatility. 

The intermediate fly line will be perfectly suited for fishing deeper waters. These fly lines will help you get down deeper much faster than a floating line so you can fish transition areas most effectively. I generally like to fish intermediate lines that have a sink rate like 1.5 or 2 inches per second so I can get to the middle column of the river quickly, but not so quickly that I get hung up every cast. Two inches per second may not sound like a lot, but because we’re generally fishing pretty slowly, the line gets deeper than you think.

There are times for a full sinking line, mainly fishing larger, deeper rivers and if you are out of a boat. If you need to get down very deep, the full sinking fly line is the only way to get your fly down there efficiently. Full sinking fly lines are a nightmare if you are wading as the excess line will sink around you and your feet, making casting impossible. While those times may be rare to a wading angler, having a full sinking fly line is important to have- it may be the only way to get hooked up.

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The Lamson Liquid 3-Pack is one of the best deals in all of fly fishing. It comes with a quality reel and 2 extra spools, meaning you’ll have the ability to fish 3 different lines depending on the conditions.

While it’s best to have all three lines for versatility and matching the sometimes unpredictable patterns of early season smallmouth fishing, if you’re looking for one fly line to fish the pre-spawn, I would go with an intermediate fly line, or a floating line with a versileader attached. You’ll be fishing almost exclusively subsurface and most of the time you’ll need to be getting down deep where the fish are holding. 

Flies

The first step in understanding pre-spawn smallmouth flies is accepting the fact that you’re gonna lose a bunch of flies. We need to fish towards the bottom during the early season to get to the fish, and fishing the bottom means hooking the bottom. It’s just part of the game. So maybe save the Gamechanger you just bought or spent an hour tying the night before for later in the spring when the weather warms up and the fish are in the mood to chase. For now, stick with the flies you won’t mind sacrificing to the bottom of the river.

For pre-spawn flies, Wooly Buggers (shocker), minnow patterns, and crayfish patterns are key. When fishing the pre-spawn, just like any other time in fly fishing, it’s more about presentation than fly selection. What separates the pre-spawn from other times of the year is that whatever fly you choose must be fished slowly and towards the bottom when the water is cold and more aggressively as the water warms up. These fish are not in full chase-mode yet and don’t want to spend a ton of energy hunting down prey. They certainly will when the weather warms up, but early in the season, tie on your favorite fly, maybe with some weight to it, and fish it slowly, methodically, and towards the bottom of the river.

Strategies for Success

As we’ve learned, smallmouth bass will be slow during the early season. With colder water temperatures, their metabolism hasn’t turned on yet, nor have they turned the feed bags on yet for the spawn. Similar to us humans going outside on the first warm day of the spring, smallmouth bass are “stretching their fins” early in the season. 

Smallmouth bass will become more active once the water begins to warm up. This usually happens after several days of consistently warmer weather when smallies become confident that spawning water temperatures are approaching. This pre-spawn phase can be one of the best times of the year to catch smallies because of this. Smallmouth bass will need to consume a ton of energy for the spawn and will feed heavily up until it’s go-time for procreation. 

Reading Water Temperature

If you’re in an area where your river freezes over, smallmouth can be caught once the ice begins to melt. Up until the mid-40 degree mark, smallies will be slow and sluggish, but also hungry. They’ll want to venture out of their winter haunches but will do so lethargically. They won’t quite be ready to chase down bait or fast moving flies, but will readily inhale an easy meal. During this time of the year, fish slow and fish towards the bottom.

As the water temperatures reach the mid-40s, the pre-spawn phase will begin and smallmouth bass will actively feed. During this time, their metabolism will start to rise and they’ll know they’ll have to start eating before the spawn. This pre-spawn patterning happens up until the 60 degree mark when they spawn. With water temperatures between the mid-40’s and 60, fish accordingly with the water temperatures: the warmer the water, the faster and more water you should cover. The colder the water, the deeper and slower you should fish.

Locating Pre-Spawn Smallmouth Bass

The earlier the season, the deeper the water the better. Smallmouth bass will be near their winter haunches, usually towards the deepest part of your river. As temperatures rise, they’ll progress out of these areas and towards shallow water. Areas that provide depth and access to shallow waters are called “transition” or “staging” areas and are a favorite target for anglers during the early season. These transition areas give smallmouth the option to explore shallower waters to spawn and deeper water for warmth and safety. Ledges that have a sharp gradient between deep and shallow water are important targets during the early season.

Additionally, during this part of the year, smallmouth bass will seek out the warmest parts of the river, especially on notably warm days. Shallow water heats up the fastest, so it’s possible smallies will check out these spots on a very warm day, likely later in the afternoon. Rocky structure is also an important target. On warm days, rocks heat up and retain the sun’s energy very well, so it’s not uncommon for smallmouth bass to hang around rocky structure and soak in warm the rocks can provide.

Learn more about scouting rivers using your computer or phone in How to Use Satellite Images to Catch More Fish

Presentation Techniques

As we now know, fish activity will be dictated by water temperatures. The colder the water, the deeper and slower we should go. The warmer the water, the more aggressively we can fish.

When fishing in colder water, fishing as close to the bottom as we can is vital. This is a great time of the year to fish your flies slow and methodically. Thinking of “crawling” your flies is effective and it’s also a good time to throw your fly under a bobber and let it drift naturally with the current. I love crayfish patterns during this time of the year, not only because smallmouth love them, but also because crayfish naturally swim slower than baitfish and you’ll be presenting them with a natural appearance when fished slowly and methodically.

When fishing warmer water towards the spawn, fish more aggressively. Smallmouth will want to stock up on calories and will be willing to chase down prey to do so. I like to start with a strip-strip-pause method to begin, adding pauses and varying the aggressiveness of the strips until fish respond. Baitfish patterns are the go-to as the spawn approaches and you’ll be able to fish them with varying retrievals until you dial into what the fish want that day.

Conclusion

The early season and pre-spawn phases are an exciting time to catch smallmouth bass on the fly rod. Unless you’ve taken a trip somewhere warm, it is likely the first time you’ve been out fishing in a while and the first time fish have seen flies since the fall. Being prepared with the right techniques paired with your renewed energy will help you catch more fish during this time of the year.

In this article, we reviewed key factors in targeting smallmouth bass during this time of the year. Early in the season, smallmouth bass will be close to their winter haunches and begin to venture out toward the shallows as water temperatures increase. Find the deepest parts of your river that have access to shallower water, like ledges and humps, and you’ll be sure to find smallies hanging around.

Fishing slowly and towards the bottom as the water is still relatively cold is key to catch smallmouth on the fly. Their metabolism hasn’t quite turned on but they won’t turn down an easy to consume meal. As the water temperatures rise, they’ll begin to pack on the calories to prepare for the spawn and begin feeding more aggressively. Fish crawdad patterns on a sinking line when the water is cold, then explore aggressively retrieved baitfish patterns as the water temperature warms. 

Now you have all you need to catch smallmouth on the fly during the pre-spawn. Get out there and catch a hog!

What early season pre-spawn techniques have worked for you?