The mornings are getting lighter, and the sun is getting warmer, so it must mean spring is on its way. March is normally the first month of the year when we start to get excited about what is ahead of us bass fishing-wise. It's now time to get things together and look forward to the lighter mornings and the calmer weather conditions. In the past, we haven't had very many bass in March, but if we have caught one, it's been a good size. If you are not aware, it is still catch and release for UK anglers fishing for bass in March, but that is lifted in April to 2 bass per angler per day. If you have any questions on this, the information is on the GOV website.
Generally, in March, it depends on what the water temperature is. If it has been a mild winter, which it has, then the sea temperature might be around 11 ° C, which will encourage bass to come closer to snack on small fish or crabs. As long as the sea clarity is good, you have a great chance of capturing something close to the shore. The strength of the sun warming up the sea will help with the movement in the water of smelt and fry, especially in darkness. Our experience dictates that our 6" Cornish Sticks or Slugs with a weighted or weightless hook work well in March, mimicking small bait fish.
Also, our 5" version lures can be fished at any point in the tide, but around low tide is recommended as there is just something about that tide that's appealing to a bass. The first hour or two of the flood tide is also a great time, just after low tide. The bass are just sat in gullys or in and amongst weeds waiting for the tide to come over their heads and small fish to start moving. The bass are on the hunt as soon as that tide starts pushing for anything that moves. We stock lots of colours, and it's worth chopping and changing to see what colour works best. All you need to do is swim something that matches what they are eating in front of them, and they will pounce it.
How:
You can fish our lures in 1 ft of water at a medium to slow speed with a couple of twitches to lure bass in. We also like the retrieve and “pause” action, especially on our paddletails. Sometimes, on the 1-4 sec pause, you will get a knock or a massive take, and you will know about it. The key is to change the colour as much as you can and cover as much ground as possible, but take a look in the water and see if you can mimic a colour that you can see. We have had so many swirls of bass attacking these lures in shallow water but we do cover as much ground as we can. The bass are generally right under your feet, but you must explore to ensure every spot is covered.
Try rock hopping along the coast, searching for a nice gully or two to present these lures in front of the bass' eyes. Or moving along the estuary not staying in one spot too long, maybe using these weedless lures with a weightless weedless hook. A good set of waders are a great investment for this to stop you from getting wet, but please don't go in too far as you might scare them away. Think like a bass: Where would I put myself if I were a bass on the hunt for food? In March, they will do as little as possible for a snack, so it's far easier to just sit behind some cover and let the food come to you rather than wasting energy hunting for small fish that's just not there.
When:
Well we love an ebbing tide especially in the estuary. There are potentially some big bruisers patrolling the river in March so ensure your knots are well tied. We do particularly well and have done over winter using our weighted 3" Craws. This year we are going to fish them all through the year and see how they perform.
Tight Lines
Bass Lures UK
3 comments
bass lures
Fantastic advice! Understanding water temperature and bass behavior is crucial for successful fishing. Your detailed lure recommendations for different conditions are incredibly helpful. Looking forward to your monthly updates! Tight lines indeed! You can visit : https://bassmasterselite.co.uk
Robin
Serious bass candy!
Lyle
Love the look of those!
Having the colour options too is a massive bonus especially this time of year when clarity isn’t guaranteed.