Spring in Texas means the bass are waking up and the water is warming up, so your lure choice should cover depth, cover, and speed. Here’s a practical, Texas-ready plan to put more largemouth in the boat this season.
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Texas-rigged soft plastics — 6 to 7 inches, weedless or with a light weight. Colors like green pumpkin, watermelon red, and pumpkinseed mimic the local forage. Rig with a 3/0 hook and 1/8–3/16 oz weight to feel the bottom and tick through sparse brush. Great for all depths and around docks or sparse grass. 💧
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Lipless crankbaits — 1/2 oz or 3/8 oz, run along grass lines, along ledges, and around flooded cover. Pair with natural crawdad or shad colors. Cast, reel steady, with a few pops to trigger bites on warming fronts.
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Swimbaits (4–6 inches) — paddle-tail swimbaits are money for big prespawn fish and post-spawn cruisers. Use weedless or light cover to pull through grass and laydowns. Consider natural crawdad hues or shad colors. 🪼
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Jigs with a craw trailer — 1/4–3/8 oz around docks, rocks, and thick cover. Go with green pumpkin or brown pumpkin colors. Slow drag with short hops helps you ride the edges of structure where Texas bass herd prey.
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Spinnerbaits (1/2 oz) — windier days and cloudy skies love a white or chartreuse blade near grass and around shoreline structure. A fast, steady retrieve with occasional pauses can light up active spawners.
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Topwater lures — early morning or late evening in sheltered bays or coves. Walk-the-dog and popping variants excite bite windows when water temps tick up.
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Crankbaits (shallow to mid-depth) — use shallow-to-medium divers to hit 4–8 feet along points and around brush; pick natural colors to match prespawn forage.
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Crank-and-drag combos — sometimes a slow, deliberate drag with a light wiggle is all you need to coax bass from cover as fronts move through Texas.
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Quick tactics by water type:
- Grass edges: Lipless crankbait, bladed spinnerbaits, and swimbaits work best; keep it tight to the edge. 🪶
- Open pockets and points: Swimbaits and shallow cranks shine; use longer casts to meet fish that have moved shallower with warming temps.
- Docks/wood: Texas rig and jigs excel here; you’ll often find fish hugging the cover waiting on baitfish to move in.
- Clear water: Natural colors and slower presentations tend to produce more bites; fish get picky with color, line visibility, and subtle action.
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Weather note: Texas springs swing from warm sunny days to fronts that drop temps quickly. When warm trends hold, expect better bite windows in mid-morning to early afternoon. When fronts roll in and temps dip, back off the speed and slow-roll near cover—bass often tighten up and suspend.
Pro tips:
- Start with a light, probing cast to locate active fish, then tighten up as you find warm pockets or schooling activity.
- Switch colors seasonally with forage: greens/browns for crawfish, blues/silvers for shad.
- Pack a small rotating roster of lures so you can adapt fast to changing conditions.
Want more ideas? Check out these quick guides and gear picks:
- YouTube: Top 5 Spring bass fishing Lures - Prespawn
- YouTube: The BEST SPRING TIME LURES! ( Bass Fishing Tips )
- YouTube: Early Spring Bass–March TOP 4 Baits!
- YouTube: Top 6 Springtime Bass Lures | Shaw Grigsby's Winners
Product picks to add to your Texas spring box:
- Delong Lures 10" Pre-Rigged Weedless Swim Bait – Twister Tail Soft Plastic Bass Fishing Lures, 5-Pack
- Yum Lures Dinger Classic Worm All-Purpose Soft Plastic Bass Fishing Lure - 5"
- Googan Baits Texas Rig Bundle - Complete Bass Fishing Kit
- Berkley PowerBait Power Worm - Pumpkinseed, 7in
Get out there, trust the pattern, and let those Texas bass show you what kickin’ spring really looks like. Tight lines and big bites, partner! 🎣🐟
