Unlock the springtime bass bite by adding this color

Hey, Keith here.

As anglers, we're told to "match the hatch," but in spring, we often reach for shad patterns, when bass are actually keyed in on crawfish.

Crawfish display vibrant red and orange colors in spring as they filter through muddy bottoms and molt their shells. Bass have learned to recognize these colors as high-protein meals when they need energy for the spawn.

Don’t miss the crawfish connection. 

The right shade of red—matched to your water clarity—can make all the difference when water temperatures hit that critical 50°–55° range.

Today I’m going to show you exactly how I choose my springtime arsenal of red lures. 

Fellow Fishing Fanatic of the Week 🔥

The Fishing Fanatic of the Week is Mike Russo! Mike was targeting bass on the Fox River when this ole' cat decided it was hungry! 

Thanks for sharing, Mike! 

Want to show off your awesome catch? Then reply to this email with your favorite fishing picture, a little about yourself, and how you caught the stud!

BEST LINKS

What I watched this week

• Orange lures for early spring bass fishing (Bassmaster)

• Best bait colors for spring bass fishing based on region (Red Angle Fishing)

• Bass hack: why red lures CRUSH in the spring (Karl’s)

• The invisible red theory (Bass Resource)

• The truth about RED colored bass lures. When and where brighter is better! (Sonar Fishing)

Deals of the week

• Tackle Warehouse is offering a 13 Fishing Origin F1 Baitcast Reel for $39.97 from $69.99. 

• Discount Tackle is having its Spring Classic Sale with loads of lures reduced, including Z-Man, Berkley, Yo-Zuri, Rapala. 

• Amazon marked down the Ugly Stik Dock Runner rod and reel combo from $24.99 to $15.94.

DEEP DIVE 

The "red zone" approach to spring bass

About 15 years ago, I was bank fishing at my neighborhood lake in April, struggling to get a bite on my usual springtime patterns. 

The water had warmed to about 60°, but my confidence baits—baits I always throw—weren't producing. 

About 30 yards down the bank, an older gentleman was steadily catching bass—I counted at least six—while I hadn't had a single strike.

After watching him land his seventh bass in an hour, I couldn't take it anymore. I walked over and politely asked what he was using.

With a knowing smile, he held up a Texas-rigged black craw with red claws. "Anything with red on it," he said.

Since I didn’t have a craw with red on it in my tackle box, I found a black lizard with a red tail. 

Lo and behold, I put four bass on the bank within the hour. 

That experience completely changed how I approach spring fishing from the bank. Now, red and orange accents are a huge part of my spring arsenal.

The science behind the strike

Right now, bass are searching for food with high protein. Not to mention, they haven’t seen crawfish all winter, making them highly appetizing. 

As water temperatures reach the mid-50s, crawfish emerge from their winter hideouts and begin their spawning cycle. During this period of activity, crawfish display vibrant red and orange hues due to two factors:

• Molting season: During the early spring molting phase, crawfish often take on a reddish-orange appearance.

• Diet and environment: When crawfish first emerge, they filter through muddy or clay-like bottoms for vegetation. This results in a reddish tint to their shells.

Putting red to work

Seasonal timing

• Early spring (50°–55°F): This is prime time for red/orange in most waters. As soon as water temperatures cross 50°, start incorporating these colors.

• Mid-spring (56°–60°F): As the water warms, transition to more natural crawfish patterns, but maintain some red/orange accents, especially in your trailers.

• Late spring (>61°F): By the time temperatures reach the low 60s, you'll want to reduce your red/orange emphasis as bass begin to focus more on spawning and then on shad patterns.

As spring waters warm and bass grow more aggressive, the right red lure at the right moment can make all the difference.

Whether you're throwing a lipless crankbait, chatterbait, jig, or spinnerbait, incorporating red into your pre-spawn arsenal can significantly increase your chances of success.

• Crankbaits: Red square bills are great for warmer, stained waters where their erratic action and wide wobble mimic disoriented crawfish perfectly. In clearer, colder sections, I like red Series 3 or 5 crankbaits with a tighter wobble that won't spook more cautious bass. 

• Lipless crankbaits: Red Rat-L-Traps are extremely versatile, effectively covering water from shallow flats to deeper staging areas around 20 feet. Their tight vibration and loud rattling sound create the perfect combination of visual and audio cues that bass can track even in murky conditions.

• Chatterbaits: Red or orange vibrating jigs with matching trailers produce a unique thumping vibration that mimics both crawfish and injured baitfish. The blade's design allows it to slide easily through grass without snagging, making it perfect for working early spring vegetation. 

Add a red craw-style trailer to enhance the profile and slow the fall rate, giving lethargic pre-spawn bass more time to commit to the strike.

• Jigs: Brown or green pumpkin football jigs with red accents or trailers are great when worked along rocky points and ledges where pre-spawn bass stage. The football-shaped head maintains continuous bottom contact, stirring up silt like a foraging crawfish. 

I’ll pair these with bulky red rage-style trailers during the pre-spawn to present the substantial meal that female bass are looking for as they prepare for the energy demands of spawning.

• Spinnerbaits: Silver/nickel blades with red kicker blades (small added blade) or red skirts provide the flash and vibration needed to attract attention in varied water conditions. The combination of metal flash and red coloration mimics both baitfish and crawfish, giving bass multiple feeding triggers in one package.

The science behind why red works so well in spring may be debatable, but the results speak for themselves. Whether it triggers a response to wounded prey or matches emerging crawfish, adding red to your spring arsenal is the simplest adjustment you can make for dramatically better results.