Big Stone Lake Largemouth Bass (Pre-Spawn Fishing Patterns for Big Bass)

Big Stone Lake has quickly gained a reputation in recent years as being a trophy bass destination. Pre-spawn regularly produces six and seven pound largemouth bass, with recent tournaments weighing in well over thirty pound five fish bags. Th The recent explosion in Big Stone's popularity can also be partially attributed to its lack of any closed fishing season. Being a border water with South Dakota, Big Stone Lake is one of the few fisheries in Minnesota where bass fishing begins at ice out. The main reason for its newfound popularity however, can be attributed to curly leaf pond weed. This invasive plant was introduced to Big Stone Lake sometime around the last decade, and it has really taken to its new home. Large expanses of this vegetation have taken over much of Big Stone Lake's basin, creating a nuisance for many property owners along the lake. There have been some positives though. Curly leaf pond weed seems to be clearing up the water, and provides a massive amount of habitat for a booming perch and panfish population. The booming panfish population has fed Big Stone's bass well, growing one of the healthiest populations of big fish in the area. What the curly leaf provides, it can also take away. By mid-summer expansive weed flats tend to disperse the bass population, making fishing much tougher. Pre-spawn provides a unique window of access to these trophy fish, congregating them on shallow structures each spring. Due to Big Stone's size and massive amount of structure, I tend to opt for moving baits while covering water on bass trips. Spinnerbaits, chatter baits, and square bills, are all popular choices when water temps rise up into the 50's. Right after ice out, more subtle moving presentations tend to do better. Flat sided crank baits such as shad raps, and flicker shads, in the shallow variations can produce fish on every cast when the conditions are right. Later into the pre-spawn period, weeds become more of a factor. Bait selection needs to be modified, swim jigs are an excellent choice at this time. Beating the bank is arguably the most effective way to fish Big Stone, and swim jigs excel at this task through efficiency. Occasional cold fronts are the plague of spring fishing. Slowing down and picking apart structures entices lethargic post frontal bass. Jigs and craws on lay downs, or weightless senkos on weed lines get finicky bass to bite. Good Luck Fishing! Ryan