Pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., shows off his second-place catch of 14 pounds, 8 ounces during the opening round of 2010 Forrest Wood Cup competition. Photo by Gary Mortenson. Angler: Jason Christie.

March 21, 2011 • Jason Christie • Archives

A lot of guys tend to fish too deep for too long in the spring. By the time they figure out that the bass have already taken off for the shallows to spawn, they’ve missed a lot of good fishing. Most of the year bass don’t move too quickly, but they move surprisingly fast in the spring. When it gets closer to spawning time and the water reaches the 50- to 55-degree range, it’s better to start out fishing shallow and move deeper if you have to.

Usually the north side of a lake warms faster because the afternoon sun stays on it longer, but that’s not always the case. A lot depends on where the shallower flats are, and what type of bottom and cover is there. When I feel like it’s time to start looking for bass on the flats, I’ll rig up a Bomber 5A or a Fat Free Shad crankbait. I want something that allows me to cover water quickly and I don’t spend too much time in one place. It doesn’t take long to figure out if you’re in the right spot.

Any lure that you can use to cover a lot of water in a hurry is a good search bait, because this time of year when they’re coming out of deep water, they’re not too picky.

— Diet Mountain Dew pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla.