They say fashion is cyclical, and the same is true for bass fishing tackle and techniques. Young gun Beau Browning puts this on display by tying on a big jig and giving us a clinic on how to fish skirted jigs for magnum prespawn bass. While moving baits like crankbaits, swimbaits, and bladed jigs get the attention, going old school with a big jig, albeit with some twists, yields impressive results once you land on that wad. Browning dives deep into trailer selection, the different methods to trigger bites with a jig, where to find the motherload, and his preferred rod setup for slinging led and driving hooks.
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THE ART OF PRESPAWN JIG FISHING
Browning demonstrates the versatility of jig fishing for bass, showcasing its effectiveness around different types of cover, such as flooded bushes, grass, rocks, and docks. He highlights the importance of understanding the lake’s conditions and stresses the need to adapt your jig and trailer color to the primary forage and water clarity.
JIG FISHING TECHNIQUES AND TACKLE CHOICES
Browning prefers a compact yet beefy setup, combining a half-ounce Strike King Structure Jig with a Z-Man Hella CrawZ. Why? With the impending spawn, Browning thinks prespawn bass shift into defense mode against larger forage they perceive as a threat — think bluegills, crappies, and shad. Sure, they’ll eat finesse presentations, but his biggest bites usually come on larger baits. How you work the jig is another story. Browning mixes his retrieve up between dragging, hopping, and stroking. You’ll be surprised by how many bass respond to stroking a jig, with many eating on the fall. Proof that you can trigger reaction strikes in cold water.
JIG PRESENTATION FINE-TUNING FOR PRESPAWN BASS
Browning’s approach isn’t just about selecting the right jig and trailer; it’s also about fine-tuning the color and action to match the conditions. He discusses the importance of color selection, favoring natural tones like green pumpkin and hues of whites in clearer waters when bluegill and shad are on the menu and classic darker colors like black and blue in dirty water or low-light conditions. Regardless of how he fishes his jig, he prefers a trailer with some action and bulk, but not too much. The Hella CrawZ is the perfect complement of action and body. For example, if the bass want the jig drug across the bottom, Browning still wants a trailer that has some action.
PRESPAWN BASS LOCATION
For Browning, prespawn bass location centers on channel swings or deep-water edges that meet shallower spawning flats. As he states, look for the spot where deeper water access points interset the spawning flats. Better yet, add a sweetener like an inside turn, ditch, or lead-in bank. These areas hold bass throughout the spring, either prespawn heading it or post-spawners heading out. Don’t constantly obsess about sight fishing bedding bass on the flat unless that’s all you can put together.
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