Another walleye opener has passed, and yet another year goes down with little to moderate interest for this fisherman. That’s because this weekend’s opener touches dearer to the heart.

The 2007 bass fishing season opened Saturday and most likely with little notice. Not that there aren’t a good deal of us who love to chase the ol’ bucket mouth. But it is becoming quite clear to me these days that I’m living in the state of walleye.

Who knew?

So walleyes aside, let’s turn our attention to some spring bass fishing and a few tactics one can use to pull in a lunker or two.

First and foremost, we live in Minnesota. Just because 50 and 60 degree weather feels like a tropical paradise to some summer-hungry fools, it doesn’t necessarily feel the same to the bass. Water temps are key at this time of year, and while the water has warmed significantly, a good supply of jig-and-pig combos or plastic worms or tubes couldn’t hurt.

The trick here is to slow down. Don’t be afraid to work the trolling motor so slowly you feel like a dock is an island as you sweep past. Try throwing Texas-rigged worms under docks, against rock shorelines, off points, near stickups, under trees or around brush piles.

On one area lake east of town, my fishing buddy and I make it a habit to visit the bay every trip to the lake. First we work the docks on the south side of the bay, and then we nestle back in the far corner and anchor down. Between the docks and stickups on that far side of the bay, we’re guaranteed to pick up a few bass — it never fails.

We work this bay slow pretty religiously, regardless of the time of year, because finesse fishing can mean a good day’s catch in our favorite fishing hole. But over the years of fishing this bay, I’ve also learned that jig fishing or worm fishing can pull a bass out of the thickest of cover.

I’ve often heard people argue that you should fish spinner baits or buzz baits to locate the fish before dropping down a worm and finessing a bass or two out of the area. I don’t buy that theory.

Fishing for any fish comes down to style. I loathe walleye fishing because I find it absolutely boring to sit in a boat with a line in the water, and all I’m able to do is give it a jig here, a bounce and a hop there. And the fight of a walleye compared to a bass or a northern is ... well, boring.

I love casting — there’s nothing so rewarding as to drop that bullet weight and worm snug against the joint of a branch and trunk of a fallen tree. I love to skip worms and tubes under docks, and I love pitching jigs deep into weeds or brush piles.

People who fish spinner baits exclusively want to fish fast. And while there is nothing wrong with this approach, remember that the bass are still a bit slow. But if you must fish either of these baits in the near future, keep the following tips in mind:

• Most people simply cast spinner baits out and reel them back in. This is the easiest, and probably most effective way to use a spinner, but don’t be afraid to let the spinner bait bounce off the lake bottom every few cranks. Doing so can trigger a strike from an aggressive bass or northern.

• Try reeling your spinner for about 20 yards, and then give a good jerk with the rod. Let the spinner drop down like you are jigging it, then retrieve it for another 20 yards or so.

• I can’t say enough good things about buzz baits if the conditions are right. Early in the morning and late in the evening when the boat cuts through the glass-like surface and slides into position next to a shoreline, you can bet a buzz bait is coming out. The calm conditions entice insects to land on the top of the water, which in turn temps bass to strike the surface.

This is buzz bait territory. And a good buzz bait, preferably a triple-blade bait, can be coaxed across the top of the water slowly with a high rod tip ... bloop, bloop, bloop — bam!

All this talk has got me itching to get out and fish. Saturday’s outing yielded a 2-pound northern. Hopefully Monday’s outing will yield some bass. You can bet I’ll be working slow for a lunker, and I hope to see some of you bass faithfuls on the lake doing the same.



Doug Monson is a Free Press copy editor. To contact him, call 344-6352 or e-mail him at dmonson@mankatofreepress.com.