GO WITH THE FLOW
Rapala OG Slim
Bass Pro Shops Bomb Craw
Berkley Pit Boss
Berkley J-Walker
THE FULL FLOW
We ’ ve already heard plenty about why rivers are ideal in spring and how to mitigate their small inconveniences . It ’ s now time to run through the entire spring transition with the help of both pros to guide you .
Since each river is different – particularly the rivers both pros fish – we ’ ll break down a couple different scenarios to hopefully cover elements of the rivers near you .
PRESPAWN
WHERE TO LOOK
DeFoe : Warm-water runoffs , be it from industrial pipes to water running into a river coming off warmer asphalt . Wherever it is , because it ’ s typically coming from the shore , it ’ ll warm the water closest to the bank the most .
Poche : The first cover inside a backwater , be it grass , stumps or laydowns . Nothing too deep , and the closer to the bank the better .
SPAWN
WHERE TO LOOK
DeFoe : Zero current . Maybe it ’ s behind a log in an eddy or behind a rock in a backwater , but usually DeFoe looks for cover to provide an extra current break , even in places with little current to begin with .
Poche : A flat , hard bottom in less than 3 feet of water with sand and preferably some wood .
POSTSPAWN
WHERE TO LOOK
DeFoe : A good population of bass won ’ t leave the backwater after spawning , instead choosing to gorge on bluegill coming in to spawn . But some , especially smallmouth , will head back out toward the main river to be near the current . Those will then gravitate toward the cover closest to the current near the mouths of the backwaters .
Poche : The same places Poche looks for prespawn fish are where he ’ ll go in the postspawn window .
LURES AND PATTERNS
DeFoe : If he ’ s beating the bank , he ’ ll start by covering water with a Rapala DT4 or OG Slim . If there ’ s a piece of cover on the bank , he ’ ll pitch in a 1 / 2-ounce Terminator Pro Series jig with a Bass Pro Shops Elite Chunk . If neither are getting bites , he ’ ll slow down further with a 3 / 16- ounce VMC Rugby head with a Bass Pro Shops Bomb Craw trailer .
Poche : There ’ s a lot of cover in the river Poche fishes , meaning he tends to flip a green pumpkin Berkley Pit Boss on a 3 / 0 hook and a 3 / 8- ounce weight , with the goal being a subtle , compact offering . If he has more open water , a small squarebill crankbait gets the nod .
LURES AND PATTERNS
DeFoe : A wacky-rigged Bass Pro Shops Stick-O worm is DeFoe ’ s go-to when pitching to targets , but if it ’ s extra shallow , he ’ ll always try a topwater , like a popper or frog , to try to coax a reaction bite .
Poche : This is when he likes to drag a worm or pitch to targets . “ You won ’ t be able to see the beds , so you have to trust what ’ s going on . Dragging a worm can help you feel when you might be in a bed , while I ’ ll make repeated pitches to a stump or laydown where I think a bed should be . Just know if you catch a bass , especially a small buck , immediately pitch back to that spot because he ’ s probably not alone .”
LURES AND PATTERNS
DeFoe : This is topwater and flipping time for DeFoe , with either a Storm Cover Pop or a Texasrigged worm . Out toward the current , he ’ ll again go with a crankbait like a Rapala DT4 or DT6 .
Poche : Both pros are in total alignment on postspawn patterns , as Poche also likes topwaters and pitching ( though he always has a swim jig tied on , too ). His topwater of choice is a Berkley J-Walker in Bone – he admits that he hasn ’ t tossed the old Heddon Tiny Torpedo in quite awhile , but he knows it would still work . After all , as unpredictable as rivers can be , the bass in them tend to like what they like , year after year .
58 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2021