Zone 2 – April
With 24 years fishing coast-to-coast as a top-level competitive angler, Lew’s and Strike King pro Todd Faircloth weighs in on how he approaches spring fishing in Zone 2, which spans from California, east through Upper Texas, all the way to the Atlantic through the Carolinas.
“April is one of my favorite times of year in this zone as water temps are in the 60's, which is ideal for identifying fish in all three stages of the spawn,” the Texan offers. “Shallow water is the key for me. As a general rule, bass will spawn first on the northeast side of the lake on larger bodies of water. The southern end is where you'll find spawners towards the end of April and early May.”
Faircloth looks for spawning fish in deeper main lake pockets in late April as the water takes longer to warm up. He pays attention to water level more this time of year than any other. This is because spawning bass seem to prefer stability. Rising water is typically better as bass will still find stable enough conditions and plenty of cover. Falling water levels make things a bit tougher, as bass will be forced to relocate or continue moving until water levels stabilize.
“I try to locate cover such as bushes and willow trees when the water is high enough for fish to utilize them. If the water is low, that's when I'll look for any sort of grass such as haygrass or hydrilla. Basically, anything they can use as shallow water cover if wood closer to the bank isn't available,” Faircloth says. He instructs that regardless of whether fishing to California Delta or South Carolina’s famed Santee Cooper, anglers should first concentrate their time in April fishing shallow protected pockets, paying close attention to moon phase, water temperature, and lake level. Faircloth keeps a keen eye for areas where the fish have limited options for cover, noting that isolated laydowns, bushes, and grass patches can hold multiple fish in a single spot if cover options are limited.
Ocho 5" Stick Bait
BAIT 1: 5" STRIKE KING OCHO
Faircloth fishes this soft plastic with a 1/8 oz. weight and 3/0 offset hook. It is his primary tool around brush, willow trees and grass.
If the water is stained, Faircloth prefers Green Pumpkin Ocho. In stained water, he switches to Junebug Ocho. For muddy water, Faircloth will favor Black Blue.
Faircloth fishes the Ocho on a Lew’s 7’1” Greg Hackney Signature Series Rod to pull fish out of heavy cover, pairing it with a Lew’s HyperMag 7.5:1 reel.
He fishes the Ocho rig on 16 lb fluorocarbon line.
KVD Finesse Worm 6.5"
BAIT 2: 6.5" STRIKE KING FINESSE WORM
Faircloth wacky-rigs his finesse worm with a weedless hook to offer a softer, lighter presentation around timber and vegetation.
Faircloth’s choice for clear water is Red Bug Finesse Worm, while he opts for Watermelon Red Flake if the water is stained.
He switches to a Lew’s 7’2” Signature Series Spinning Rod with Medium Action for the light presentation and pairs it with a HyperMag 6.2:1 Spinning Reel.
For the spinning combo, Faircloth fishes 16 lb braid with a 12 lb fluorocarbon leader.
KVD Sexy Frog
BAIT 3: KVD SEXY FROG
This weedless topwater killer is one of Faircloth’s top choices when fish are holding in thick grass or wood.
He opts for Spring Frog in clear water, and switches to Black if the water is stained.
Faircloth pitches the KVD Sexy Frog on a Lew’s 7’3” Hackney Signature Series Rod and a HyperMag 8.3:1 reel.
He spools the combo with 40 lb braid for aggressive fishing in thick cover.
Rage Bug 4"
BAIT 4: STRIKE KING RAGE BUG
Faircloth uses the Rage Bug when fish are holding deeper in heavy cover or grass, opting for a 3/8 oz. weight with a 4/0 straight shank hook.
If the water is clear, he will throw Green Pumpkin, while more stained water calls for Black Blue Swirl.
He pitches and flips the Rage Bug on a Lew’s Hackney Signature Series Rod, paired with a HyperMag 8.3:1 to pull fish out of heavy cover quickly.
Faircloth spools his combo with 20 lb fluorocarbon line.
Thunder Cricket Vibrating Swim Jig 1/2oz
BAIT 5: STRIKE KING THUNDER CRICKET
When covering heavy cover quickly, Faircloth throws the 1/2 oz. bladed jig with a Blade Minnow trailer.
He opts for Green Pumpkin in clear water. If the water is stained he will throw Bruiser, while he will switch to White if the water is muddy.
Faircloth fishes the Thunder Cricket on a Lew’s 7’2” Hackney Signature Series Rod, paired with a HyperMag 7.5:1 reel.
He spools this with 20 lb fluorocarbon line.
SHOP ZONE 2 BAITS