Best Baits to Throw in February
February, finally! The wait is over. The length of daylight is currently increasing at a rate of about 2 minutes per day. That may not sound like much, but over the course of the month, the net gain is about an hour more of daylight. And the fish know it.
For much of the Southeast, February is the month when bass shake off their winter slumber and reboot their brain. For a brief period of time, they seem to forget about the trinkets that pierced their lips last year. The longer days now begin to lead them towards the bank. It only takes a couple of warming trends to push them into a pre-spawn demeanor, making them more defensive.
Due to these factors, bass become aggressive. They are more willing to chase lures and bite. Presentations do not have to be perfect like other times of the year. The window of vulnerability has opened wider. February is the time to give the spinning rods a break and spool up some fresh fluorocarbon on the baitcasters for some winding lures.
Suspended Jerkbaits for Pre-Spawn Bass
But before we get to winding too fast, a suspending jerkbait is a great transition lure from winter to the pre-spawn. As long as water visibility is greater than about a foot, it can play. Water clarity of about 2 to 5 feet is prime. They can be used over points, timber, and dock cables in highland impoundments and over submerged grass in lowland impoundments or natural lakes. Suspending jerkbaits allow the angler to experiment with different cadences and pauses to get an idea of the fish’s mood. If the water temperature is still below 53 degrees, longer pauses might be necessary. Above 55 degrees, and you can pick up the pace.
When it comes to suspending jerkbaits, Japanese versions have long been the hot commodities due to their detailed finishes, weight transfer systems, and stable suspension in the water. Many consider the Megabass Ito Vision 110 to be the gold standard of suspenders. Lucky Craft’s Pointer 100 and 78 are also suspending staples. In recent years, Shimano’s World Minnow 115SP has dazzled anglers with its unique “Flash Boost,” which gives the lure a life-like quiver, even during the pause.
Since these Japanese gems made by Megabass and Lucky Craft landed in America in the 1990’s, other solid options now abound in this popular bait category, including the Yo-Zuri 110 SP DB3, 6th Sense Provoke 106, Spro McStick 110, Rapala PXR Mavrik 110, and the Berkley Stunna 112.
Most of these baits also come in deep-diving versions, usually identified by a “DD” or “+1” in the name. The large selection of stunning colors for jerkbaits can sometimes be confusing. As a rule of thumb, lower water visibilities and overcast conditions call for flat or matte pearl colors. In clearer water or sunnier skies, the ghost or phantom colors are better.
Lipless Crankbaits and the “Trap” Strategy
When it comes time to winding, one of the all-star pre-spawn lures is a lipless rattling crankbait. Traps are especially deadly in vegetation after the brunt of winter has knocked the grass down, creating hard edges, large voids, and open gaps. Once the current washes away the dead, stringy stuff to reveal the crispier live stalks, it’s prime for “snatching a trap,” over the grass.
Some of the proven classics in the lipless category include the Bill Lewis Original Rat-L-Trap, the Strike King Red-Eyed Shad, the Lucky Craft LV 500, the Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe and the Spro Aruku Shad 75. To read more about getting the most out of the pre-spawn trap bite, click here https://deepdiveapp.com/blog/rattle-battles-call-for-tricky-traps/
While grass lakes are more conducive for lipless rattlers, those who fish clear, grassless, highland impoundments can find a similar tight wiggle with flat-side crankbaits in February.
Years ago, in order get a good flat-side crankbait, you had to travel to Tennessee and find an artisan who handcrafted these unique lures from balsa wood in a secret shop in the hills. Anglers who were willing to hunt down these “handmades” had a distinct advantage when cranking cold water. The downside to those true flat sides was their durability. Due to their balsa base and thin profile, they were prone to breaking.
These days, large-scale lure manufacturers have closed the gap in mass-producing flat sides by using plastic and compressed foam materials that emulate balsa. The debate between true balsa handmade flat sides and factory-produced models will always go on. Factory productions tend to cost less and offer better castability and durability; however, balsa purists will argue that nothing can beat the wiggle of pure, plastic-free balsa.
The upside of production models is that the availability of flat sides is now greater than ever. Berkley’s Frittside 5, Strike King’s Hardliner, Evergreen’s Flat Force 4, and Spro’s Little John 50 are just a few examples of flat sides that are readily available.
For true Balsa purists, Rapala’s Ott’s Garage series, Bagley’s Flat Balsa B and Black Label’s Hickster will give you the true balsa experience.
Chatterbaits for Early-Season Bass
No early-spring fishing is complete without some Chatterbait action. Waddling a vibrating jig around in 3 feet of stained water makes bass fishing great again.
The Z-Man Chatterbait is the OG of vibrating jigs, with the premium model being the Evergreen Jack Hammer. Proven colors include green pumpkin, black and blue, BHite delight, Brett’s bluegill, and fire craw.
The Jack Hammer works with just about any style trailer. If you like boot-tail swimmers, Z-Man’s 4-inch Diezel Minnow or a 3.5-inch Crush City Mayor pair nicely with a Chatterbait. Flapper-style trailers like Z-Man’s Billy Goat or Strike King’s Menace are better at keeping the bait up a little higher over vegetation. To bulk up a Chatterbait profile, consider a Yamamoto Zako or a Z-Man Razor Shad. For a more subtle trailer, try the Z-Man Chatter Spike or a Crush City Freeloader.
Swimbaits for Big February Bass
Finally, February is prime time to throw swimbaits for big bass. With water levels still down for winter pool, chucking large boot-tail swimbaits along 45-degree banks and over main-lake points in reservoirs can be the most heart-stopping action February offers. The bites might be fewer and farther between than scoping a minnow, but when one telegraphs the line, you’ll have something to brag about.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chris Zaldain is an expert in the big swimbait department. To see some of his pointers on how to catch a personal best bass on a big swimbait, click here. https://deepdiveapp.com/blog/now-is-the-time-to-catch-your-biggest-bass/
Proven open-water swimbaits include the Bass Mafia Daingerous LD 7 and LD 8.5, Megabass’ Magdraft, and Berkley’s CullShad. In the weedy waters of Texas or Florida, Texas rigging a boot-tail swimmer with a large gap 5/0 offset hook is a better play. Reaction Innovations’ 5-inch Skinny Dipper, the Gambler 5-inch Big EZ, and the 6th Sense Divine 5.3 swimbait are all solid options.
February is here and bass are emerging from hibernation – now is the time to take advantage of their susceptible state.
