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Early season is a bass bonanza

Very early spring is one of few times smallmouth and largemouth bass will be in the same area – the shallowest of water right tight to shore. Stephen Walker, of St Cloud, Minn., traveled to northwestern Wisconsin recently for this shallow-water smallmouth bass. (Photo by Dave Zeug)

If you think you’re in water that’s shallow enough, you’re probably still fishing too deep. I’ve caught countless bass this time of year within 6 inches of shore in water less than a foot deep. The shallower the water, the faster it warms up, especially on south facing bays because they’re the ones that get the most direct rays of sun. I guess you could say they’re like us. After a long, cold winter, the first days of warm weather is what we crave.

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