The pre-spawn mistake most bank anglers make

(how depth and temperature can put you on fish weeks earlier)

Author

Keith Lusher
February 25, 2026

Hey, Keith here.

Pre-spawn bass fishing is where a lot of bank anglers quietly miss their window.

Not because the fish aren't biting, but because we commit too hard in one direction.

We either stay stuck in winter water too long or rush the bank to throw an SPRO Frog. 

Right now, bass are in transition. They are not deep. They are not on beds. They are staging, feeding, and waiting.

That short window can be one of the best chances all year to catch quality bass from the bank—if you understand how water depth and temperature work together.

The sweet spot lives between those two extremes.

Today, I want to show you how to stay in front of that movement and why shallow water plays a bigger role than most anglers realize.

BEST LINKS

What I looked at this week

Deals of the week

  • Bass Pro Shops has a 13 Fishing AL13 Spinning Reel regularly priced at $170 marked down to $59.97.

  • Cabela’s has a pack of HTF Ned Tails marked down from $3.49 to $1.97

  • Walmart marked down a Berkley Flicker Shad from $5.49 to $3.38.

DEEP DIVE 

How pre-spawn bass really move and where bank anglers should focus

A few years ago, I spent an afternoon walking the bank of a small neighborhood lake that usually produces early fish.

The day was a warm one with the sun shining. 

I worked the bank hard with a BOOYAH Pond Magic Tandem Spinnerbait, fully expecting something to blow it up.

Nothing did.

Instead of leaving, I positioned myself on a small point and cast horizontally, running the spinnerbait along the shoreline about 10 feet off the bank.

The bait tracked through slightly deeper water, just off the flat.

Thump! 

I set the hook and reeled a thick two-pound largemouth onto the bank.

That moment changed how I think about pre-spawn water.

The fish I expected to find cruising the shallows was actually holding just off the bank, setting up in the same area she would use to spawn a few weeks later.

If I had to summarize how to locate pre-spawn bass in one word, it would be halfway.

During the pre-spawn, bass will often stage just beyond the first ledge, about 10 yards off the bank.

These bass aren't deep, and they aren't shallow.

They're somewhere in between, typically in a range of 8–15 feet.

That depth gives them flexibility. Spring weather is unpredictable, and a strong cold front can drop water temperatures quickly.

By holding in slightly deeper water, bass can slide back to more stable temperatures when conditions change, then move shallow again as soon as things warm back up.

How to stay in front of pre-spawn bass from the bank

Pre-spawn bass follow a predictable path as water warms. Staying ahead of that movement is less about fishing faster and more about fishing smarter:

  • Fish the middle ground near warming shallow water, not the extremes.

  • Focus on subtle depth changes close to spawning areas, such as ditches, drains, and first breaks.

  • When the weather is in the low- to mid-50s, target just off the edge. Once temps reach the upper 50s and low 60s, fish push shallow fast.

  • Match color and line to water clarity, and be patient. Bass stop along the way before committing shallow.

Choose lures that fit the moment

Once you're in the right place at the right time, around the right fish, lure selection becomes about timing and presentation. Pre-spawn bass will eat, but they prefer baits that look natural when paused:

  • Baits that stay in the strike zone and still look good on the pause draw more strikes.

  • Mid-depth, suspending baits are ideal during this phase.

  • After a cold front, suspending jerkbaits like the Lucky Craft Pointer or Strike King KVD Jerkbait are hard to beat with a simple reel-and-pause cadence.

  • As water warms, spinnerbaits such as the Strike King Premier Plus or Z Man Original Chatterbait and mid-depth crankbaits like the Bandit 200 Series help cover water and trigger reaction bites.

  • Match color to water clarity. White or black in dirty water and natural finishes in clear water.

The KVD Suspended Jerkbait hangs in place and gives pre-spawn bass time to commit.

Select the right line for the conditions

Line choice should be driven by water clarity more than anything else during the pre-spawn. In clear water, monofilament or fluorocarbon hides better than braid. 

Berkley Trilene makes a quality product at an affordable price. Go with the 12 lb. mono when fishing clean water. 

When the water is stained or muddy, braid will give you more power and won’t be as visible. My go-to brand for braid is PowerPro. The 20 lb. will give you enough power without showing up in the water.