Ryan Kelly

It’s common knowledge that water temperature plays a critical role in spring fishing.

Large concentrations of fish will position themselves in the warmest water available. This often will be the farthest point upstream in a river system, or the northernmost bay or shoreline in a lake. These areas can be extremely popular, so when crowds take over, here are my top three secondary options for spring fishing.

One bait that always works in summertime is leeches. Leeches are the most consistent bait for the open-water season. Before guiding full-time, I spent a decade in the bait and tackle business. Working at a large bait shop revealed to me a common misconception among most anglers. When buying leeches, “bigger is always better” isn’t the case. Here is how I select leech size.