Zone 3 – March
Strike King pro Andy Morgan explains why March is such a diverse month in Zone 3.
“Temperatures are from 45- to 55-degrees with clarity varying from clear to stained in most locations,” says Morgan. The water clarity is a huge predictor of success, Morgan shares. “March is a very diverse month, with fishing locations anywhere from flats to creek channels to main channel depending on water clarity,” Morgan advises. When looking to fish in cover, Morgan has a few key locations for anglers to check first. “Cover will be anything from grass to grass edges, wood, rock and sometimes simply bait fish,” concludes Morgan.
If the water is clear, Morgan prefers Natural Shad. In stained water, he switches to Chartreuse Sexy Shad. For muddy water, Morgan will favor Strobe Shad.
Diving up to 7-feet, the KVD J300 has great castability, 3D eyes, and premium black nickel hooks for lethal action. Anglers from coast to coast keep the J300 on the boat deck at all times.
Morgan’s choice for clear water is Natural Shad, while he opts for Chartreuse Sexy Shad if the water is stained. Strobe Shad is Morgan’s first choice if water is muddy.
Lethal action and the perfect combination of roll, wiggle, and flash, the KVD J300 Deep dives up to 11-feet and has a proprietary weight transfer system for increased castability.
He opts for Natural Shad in clear water, and switches to Sexy Shad 2.0 if the water is stained. Morgan opts for Fire Craw when in low-vis conditions.
Andy Morgan worked with the Strike King team to create the best flat-sided crankbait on the market. The thin body design of the Chick Magnet and the circuit board lip impart a tighter wobble and an exceptionally lifelike action to the lure.
If the water is clear, he will throw Natural Shad, while more stained water calls for Sexy Shad 2.0. Fire Craw is Morgan’s go-to in muddy conditions.
A smaller version of the award-winning Chick Magnet, the Chick Magnet Jr. dives up to 6-feet and maintains the tight wobble and enhanced water displacement for attracting more bites.
Zone 3 – March
This time of year, you'll experience lakes that still have stained to dirty water conditions that are typical for the pre-spawn. Those conditions are beneficial because fish won't get as good of a look at your bait as they do in clear water conditions. However, many lakes in this zone have already cleared up, so in these clear water conditions, Tristan is hoping for wind to break up the surface and add a little bit of stain back to the areas he's fishing.
McCormick is always looking for and paying attention to current in March. Lots of current congregates fish in specific areas instead of bass being super spaced out. Tristan always says, “More current equals more bites!” The main cover he’s looking for is offshore ambush points such as long points, stumps, and gravel.
If the water is clear, McCormick prefers Blue Glimmer. In stained water, he switches to Chartreuse/White. For muddy water, he will favor Fire Craw.
McCormick prefers the Tungsten Thunder Cricket in ½ oz because it’s a great pre-spawn/staging search bait that covers a lot of water. It is also a similar body profile of a gizzard shad and catches both largemouth and smallmouth.
McCormick’s choice for clear water is Oyster, while he opts for Delta Red if the water is stained. Sexy Shad is his go-to in muddy conditions.
The Red-Eyed Shad is another great search bait for the pre-spawn. Variability in retrieval styles makes it very versatile this time of year.
If the water is clear, he will throw The Deal, while more stained or muddy water calls for Pearl.
The Z-Too is a perfect match the hatch bait for gizzard shad in Zone 3. McCormick will throw the Z-Too on a Rage Jighead for livescope fish, especially as a follow up to a KVD J300 Deep or Thunder Cricket.
He opts for Sexy Shad in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Phantom Watermelon Red Craw, while he will switch to Chili Craw if the water is muddy.
The KVD 4.0 Squarebill is great for covering water both on the bank and offshore bars. It is also great for staging fish in the pre-spawn time frame looking for a bigger meal.
In clear conditions, Tristan uses the Blue Red Pearl, while in stained water he throws Slick. In muddy water, he prefers Golden Shiner.
Tristan reaches for the Spotlight Sonic Coat Split Minnow every March because its subtle split-tail action perfectly matches the small baitfish bass key in on during the prespawn, especially when the water’s still cold and the fish won’t chase aggressive presentations.