One of these days soon, the cooler temps of March will give way to warming April days...and that means freshwater bass fishing will begin in earnest! Catching largemouth bass on Cape Cod in April can be really productive at times, but your success will vary depending on the weather. Since it's early spring and the ponds are just starting to warm up, by April, the bass should be transitioning into pre-spawn mode, meaning they’re moving from deeper winter spots into shallower areas to feed up before spawning. Here's how to find and catch them effectively:
1. Where to Find Them
✅ Shallow Flats Near Deep Water – Bass start moving from deeper areas(12-20 feet) into 3-10 feet of water.Look for longer stretches of shallow water that terminate at a meaningful drop off. If that bottom is rocky or dark colored, you should find bass hanging out there.
✅ Rocky or Muddy Bottoms – Dark bottoms will grab and hold sunlight which will raise the temperature of the water a degree or two above the rest of the pond. Once these areas warm up , this will begin attracting baitfish and then, the bass. This relatively small uptick in temps is all it takes to activate otherwise sluggish bass in the early spring.
✅ Look for staging areas near spawning flats. If you fish the same ponds all the time, you know where you have seen the bass beds in May & June. Fish these areas first....
✅ Laydowns & Submerged Structure – Bass still prefer to relate to structure at this time of the year for protection from predation and for ambush feeding... but they also like fallen trees, stumps, and docks because these are typically darker objects and they will hold heat at this time of year.
2. Best Baits & Lures
🎣 Jerkbaits – Suspending jerkbaits (like a Rapala Rip Stop ) mimic sluggish baitfish and work great in 45-55°F water.
🎣 Crankbaits – STRIKE KING HYBRID HUNTER CRANKBAIT works well when bass are feeding aggressively in early spring.
🎣 Jigs – A 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz jig with a craw trailer is great for flipping into cover.
🎣 Spinnerbaits– BOOYAH TANDEM BLADE SPINNERBAIT can be fished slowly and present a big , easy dinner for a winter starved bass.
🎣 Soft Plastics – Texas-rigged creature baits or GARY YAMAMOTO 5" YAMASENKO WATERMELON CANDY work well when bass are finicky.
3. Key Fishing Tips
✔ Slow Down – If you think you are fishing slow- fish even slower. Early spring bass are still in sluggish metabolism mode, so slow your retrieve, especially with jerkbaits and jigs.
✔ Fish Midday – Water is warmest in the afternoon, making bass more active. Mornings can be really tough in April until you get to the end of the month. Night time temps can still be downright frosty until May....give the pond some good hours of direct sunlight to warm up.
✔ Use Natural Colors in Clear Water – Green pumpkin, shad, or craw colors work well.
✔ Target Sunlit Areas – Bass will gravitate to warmer, sun-exposed spots.
✔ Be Patient – April bass can be tricky, but they’re feeding up before spawning, so persistence pays off.
Read more tips and articles on goosehummockshops.com
Shop the mightyfish.com for spring time bass gear
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