Needing to get the cob webs off my gear and cure my spring fishing fever, I headed down to pool 4 of the Mississippi River to go chase some early spring bass. We started our day looking for some 50 degree water that had the bass snapping recently with the warm temperatures we've had. Well as luck would have it....a cold and windy April day greeted me this morning.

So after quickly realizing that the warm water shallow bite was no longer in effect, we went searching out a new pattern and game plan to catch my first bass of 2010. Our next approach was to locate areas that had submerged timber with deeper water on it. Shortly after making this switch, we got our first bass of the day! To coax these bass into biting, I used a 1/2 oz. black & blue RC Tackle jig. This sized jig was the perfect weight to get my bait down to the bottom where the bass were holding.

We continued this approach of looking for timber with deep water on it the rest of the day and it paid off, with the end result being a successful day of bass in the 2 to 2.75 lb. range, along with this brute of a largemouth, which is was my first bass of 2010...not a bad way to get the year started!!

The main to my success today was using my new 7'2" Wright & McGill Skeet Reese "Jig/Worm" rod. This rod allowed me to feel every little twig and movement my jig made. These early spring bass weren't hitting the jig hard, so with this rod I could feel the lightest bite.

If you are looking to get a cure for your spring fishing fever, grab a jig and go flip up some early season bass on the river!

Be sure to check out my Website for information on my tournaments and events that I am attending.