Fishing Fussy Pre-Spawn Bass in Clear Water!

Hello, everyone! Today, I’ve driven ~1 hour north with my crawdad (plastic jon boat) in attempt to avoid the bass spawn. If I can, I try to avoid fishing spawning bass & just let them do their thing. But since I’ve just driven an hour north, I’m not going to turn around now after launching. This pond is basically a shallow, clear weed bowl & it’s mostly a numbers pond. So, the plan to start is to fish around the perimeter of the pond & see what kind of quality bass are shallow. And if the bigger fish (females) aren’t shallow, that means they’re still out deep in the weeds with perch. I run through a bunch of lures + techniques to catch the bigger females with some success. So, come along with me, as I try to dial in a bite on some fussy pre-spawn bass in clear water!

Today’s fishing gear…

*Boat Set-up*
Boat: Coleman Crawdad (buy used locally)
Bed Extender: Darby Extend-A-Truck w/ roof rack pads
Motor: 55 lb Minn Kota Endura C2 (similar)
Inflatable Life Jacket: Onyx TW AM-24 All Clear (similar)
Battery: Dakota Lithium 12V, 54 Ah
Net: Tackle HD Telescopic Landing Net
Gloves: NRS Gloves (XL, they run small)

*Milk Crate Set-up*
Crate: Black Milk Crate + black 3-rod rack (attach w/ screws + zip-ties)
Pliers: 6.5″ P-Line Adaro Jr. Aluminum
Forceps: Dr. Slick 6″ curved forceps (similar)
Lanyard: Black coiled fishing lanyard (2 for tools above)
Tackleboxes: Plano Waterproof Stowaway 3440
Soft Bait Pouch: SPRO Mesh Soft Bait Pouch (Large, Gusset)
Towel: Booms Microfiber Fishing Towel

*Ned Rig Spinning Combo*
Rod: 7′ Shimano Zodias Spinning (L)
Reel: Daiwa Tatula LT (3000)
Handle Upgrade: Gomexus TPE Power Knob
Line: 10 lb Berkley X9 (Lo-vis Green)
Leader: 8 lb Maxima Ultragreen
Jighead: Arsenal Deadly Nedly Tungsten Ned Heads (1/10 oz, 2/0 hook)
Lure: Duo Realis Wriggle ND Slim (3″, Rock Melon CS)

*Crankbait Combo*
Rod: 7’0″ Shimano Intenza Glass Casting (Medium, Mod-Fast) [new model available]
Reel: Daiwa Fuego CT (Lefty, 8.1:1)
Line: 30 lb Berkley X9 (low-vis green)
Leader: 15 lb Maxima Ultragreen
Snap: Decoy Egg Snap (Size 2)
Lure #1: SPRO John Crews Little John MD 50 (Green Pumpkin)
Hook Upgrade: Mustad KVD Triple Grip 1x Strong, 2x Short (Size #4)
Lure #2: Bill Lewis ATV Crank (1.5, Green Gizard)

*BFS Cranking Combo*
Rod: 6’6″ Jenko Double Down BFS Casting (ML, Mod-Fast)
Reel: ARK Fishing Gravity BFS Casting (GBFSL, 8.1:1)
Line: 10 lb Sufix 832 (low-vis green)
Leader: 8 lb Maxima Ultragreen
Snap: Decoy Egg Snap (Size 1.5)
Lure #1: Shimano Macbeth Flat (Clear Green Craw)
Hook Upgrade: Mustad KVD 1x Strong, 2x Short Triple Grip (#6)
Scent: Pro-Cure Super Gel (Crawfish)
Lure #2: Rapala Balsa Extreme BX Brat 6 (Carbon)
Hook Upgrade: Mustad KVD 1x Strong, 2x Short Triple Grip (#6)

*Reverse Rig Spinning Combo*
Rod: 7′ M Dobyns Sierra Spinning (NOT the micro series)
Reel: Shimano Stradic 3000 (old version – new FL or FM are great)
Line: 10 lb Berkley X9 braid (Low-vis green)
Leader: 6 lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid (same diameter as 10 lb fluoro & about as strong, too)
Lure: Z-Man Big TRD (Goby Bryant) w/ nail weight glued into flat end
Weight: Eco Pro Tungsten Nail’em Weights (1/16 oz.)
Hook: Mustad TitanX Wacky/Neko Rig Hook (2/0)
Hook Upgrade: Hand-tied fluoro keeper on the 2/0 hook to keep the bait up on the hook