March Tackle Warehouse Staff Picks

I find this specific bait and size to be so effective for March bass fishing because it perfectly mimics the profile and swimming action of a shad or panfish. This month, bass are often feeding on shad in preparation for the spawn, or they are actively spawning and defending their beds against panfish intruders. The Geecrack Bellows Gill Swimmer perfectly imitates both and effectively triggers fish in either stage.

The Bellows Gill Swimmer works great around shallow pockets, tullies, boulders, and wood. When fishing stained or dirty water, I usually opt for a weedless screwlock underspin. If I’m fishing cleaner water and/or around lots of bed fish, I will opt for a weedless screwlock swimbait hook without a blade. Rather than switching baits if I happen to come across spawning fish, my first pitch to the bed will be with this bait. Its nose-down attitude when paused is perfect for bedding bass, especially those positioned within heavy cover.

My favorite colors for March bass fishing with the Bellows Gill Swimmer are Cinnamon Shad, Electric Shad, and Muddy Gill. I like to keep my presentations very natural with this bait!

Some of my most memorable days have come when fishing overcast, rainy, or pre-frontal conditions on lakes in the San Diego area. I’ve caught a lot of quality bass on the bait, with a largemouth in the 6 lb class being my biggest.

I exclusively fish the 4.2” size in March and usually rig it on a 6/0 Owner Flashy Swimmer Weedless Underspin or Owner Beast Hook. For line, I recommend Seaguar 20 lb Tatsu fluorocarbon, as fishing lighter line may not be able to withstand hauling a big fish away from heavy cover. My go-to rod is a Daiwa Tatula 7’4” H XF casting rod paired with a Daiwa Tatula 150 Casting Reel in a 7.3:1 gear ratio.

Prespawn cranking here in North Georgia can be extremely effective, especially in rainy, windy, or prefrontal conditions. The SPRO RkCrawler 55 is great for getting a reaction bite from both active and inactive bass holding in prespawn depths of 10–15 feet.

My preferred presentation involves making a long cast to the bank around chunk rock and rock transitions. Paralleling the bank in that 10–15 foot depth is also very effective. Regardless of casting angle, I find a lot of success using a fast retrieve with occasional pauses mixed in.

The RkCrawler 55 in a red color scheme is my preference this time of year, but a shad imitator, like Cell Mate, can also be very effective. In highland reservoirs, Phantom Green is also a huge producer for me.

The RkCrawler 55 has helped me land a lot of memorable fish over the years. In March on Lake Lanier, I caught two 4 lb spotted bass back to back as well as largemouth up to 6 lbs. In prespawn conditions, this bait is almost guaranteed to catch my biggest fish of the day.

My favorite rod for throwing a RkCrawler 55 is a Shimano Poison Adrena 7’2” med-heavy glass. Great for long-distance casting, this rod has the right balance of flex and sensitivity to help me differentiate between fish and cover/structure while keeping hooked bass securely pinned. Rounding out my setup, I like the modest 7.4:1 gear ratio of the Shimano Curado HGM and fill the reel with 12 lb Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon. On a sidenote, I also tie on a 33 lb Owner Hyper Welded Quick Snap to facilitate fast color changes.

The varied fishing found in March makes it a great time to gain confidence in the neko rig. Depending on conditions and location, March bass can be deep, shallow, glued to cover, or roaming open water. The versatility of the neko rig lets you easily change colors or swap nail weight sizes to effectively fish different depths and conditions. The rig also gives the Neko Fat Worm a unique posture and action that bass have a hard time resisting.

Although the neko rig is known for its effectiveness in shallow water, I also like throwing it with a heavier weight for fishing out deep. Wherever I’m fishing a neko rig, I typically drag and shake the worm along the bottom very similar to how I’d work a shakeyhead or Texas rig.

My favorite colors in the 5” Daiwa Yamamoto Neko Fat Worm for clear water include Green Pumpkin Black Flake, Mimizu, and Brown Purple Laminate. In dirtier water, Black and Blue Flake has been a standard producer for me.

Two of my favorite fish catches of all time have been on the neko rig. I caught a 9.5 lb largemouth fishing a mountain lake in north Georgia. She came from some pretty deep water and put up one of the best fights I've ever had. My second favorite catch was a 5.4 lb spotted bass on Lake Lanier caught off a rocky bank in March.

My typical setup is a 7’1” Medium 852S G. Loomis NRX+ Jig and Worm spinning rod paired with a 2500 Shimano Vanford spinning reel. I’ve been a really big fan of the Seaguar JDM PEX8 Lure Edition Braid in 21 lb test, as it’s a super thin and long-casting line that has a ton of strength. I’ll then attach an 8 lb Gamma Edge fluorocarbon leader. I switch between two hooks: an Owner Weedless Sniper Finesse Neko Hook and a Ryugi Talisman Wacky/Neko Hook, both in a 1/0 size. I prefer to use G7 Worm Protect Tubes to keep my baits from easily tearing, with a 7 mm size fitting most standard stick worms.