Early Prespawn Bass Fishing! Tips, Baits, and BIG Bass!

Come along for an awesome day on the lake with Matt and Adam! Matt is visiting Southern California and the bass here are transitioning ahead of the rest of the country. The prespawn bite is wide open! The guys employ a variety of techniques, with the majority of bass being caught on shallow crankbaits... except for that BIG one!

Prespawn is one of the best times of year to catch bass! They can be caught on a variety of power fishing techniques, as long as you keep pursuing active fish. Adam knows these waters well and it doesn't take long for the duo to start catching quality fish! The main plan was a combination of shallow and mid diving crankbaits, but when the guys went out deep for a few minutes they struck gold with a 7 lber on a strolling bait!

Below you'll find links to the exact baits and gear the duo was using through the day. We've included the exact colors for each bait, details on hooks and jigheads, as well as some of the travel gear Matt employed to fish effectively while traveling across the country.

RECENT VIDEOS FEATURING ADAM HINKLE...

•Adam Hinkle Joins The Tactical Family: https://youtu.be/sy2aVavAUB0

•Packing For A Fishing Trip + Travel Tips: https://youtu.be/RKC9QIIRcKc

SHALLOW CRANKBAITS...

•Berkley Frittside 5 HD Crankbait: https://bit.ly/4hcwfXJ

Color: HD Green Craw, HD Blue Craw

•Berkley Frittside 5 Crankbait: https://bit.ly/4gLRM98

Color: Brown Craw

•Bill Lewis ATV 1.5 Crankbait: https://bit.ly/41o3ctj

Colors: Green Gizzard, Rootbeer Craw

MID DIVING CRANKBAITS...

•Spro RkCrawler 55: https://bit.ly/2NFPA5t

Color: Phantom Green

•Megabass Super Z–3: https://bit.ly/3HDg7wc

Color: Phantom Green Craw

STROLLING BAIT...

•Hog Farmer 5" Stroll Shad: https://bit.ly/3ALs7OI

Color: Ghost Minnow

•Dirty Jigs HD Tungsten Guppy Head: https://bit.ly/3WCfvSn

Size: 1/4 oz

TAIL SPIN...

•Damiki Axe Blade (3/4 oz): https://bit.ly/2w2uB9t

Color: Black Holo

MATT'S TRAVEL CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– Megabass Valkyrie World Expedition: https://bit.ly/3J1gchq

Model: 6'8" Medium

Reel– Daiwa Tatula SV TW 70: https://bit.ly/3ZcBbCZ

Line– Daiwa Hidden FC (12 lb): https://bit.ly/3ILKXH0

MATT'S TRAVEL STROLLING COMBO...

Rod– Shimano Zodias 7'5" Medium heavy: https://bit.ly/414SSrX

Reel– Shimano Stradic FM 2500: https://bit.ly/4hkHxdn

Line– Seaguar PEX8 Braid (22 lb): https://bit.ly/3UEhhl2

Leader– Seaguar Gold Label (10 lb): https://bit.ly/3UqrUbi

BUDGET FRIENDLY CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– St. Croix Black Bass 7'4" Medium Hvy Mod: https://bit.ly/41ntbDB

Reel– Shimano SLX A 150 (XG): https://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line– Seaguar Red Label (12 lb): https://bit.ly/2LOVEwA

TACTICALBASSIN LURE DESIGNS (AND APPAREL)

We have a variety of custom lure designs and apparel available! Everything from Swimbaits and crankbaits, to apparel and merch! See it here…

•TacticalBassin Apparel and Merch: https://bit.ly/3ZxEI0z

•TacticalBassin Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

TacticalBassin Is Expanding! Meet Adam Hinkle!

We're expanding in 2025 with bonus content featuring some of our closest friends! Meet Adam Hinkle, a serious bass angler from the San Diego area in Southern California. Adam brings a unique perspective to the Tactical Family, having grown up in California's "Big Bass Era", and constantly adapting both power fishing and finesse presentations to the clear, pressured waters of Southern California.

Today Adam is showing how different Southern California can be from the rest of the country in "Winter". A hoodie and a shallow crankbait can get the job done on a crisp San Diego morning. Despite the temperate climate, there are many aspects of fishing in this region that translate to the whole country, and Adam is going to help us stay connected to those trends. Expect to see him featured a few times a year in bonus videos, along with the other members of our newly formed "Tactical Family" team of anglers.

Below you'll find links to the exact baits and gear Adam was using, as well as some widely available options that are very similar to his custom gear. All the link go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item.

CRANKBAIT...

•Berkley Fritside 5 HD Crankbait: https://bit.ly/4hcwfXJ

Color: HD Green Craw

ADAM'S HOMEMADE JIG...

Jig Skirt: Dirty Jigs Replacement Skirts: https://bit.ly/3Xu0BwC

Jig Head: Boss Mini Ball Head (3/8 oz): https://bit.ly/4aeiBRK

ADAM'S CAROLINA RIG...

Bait– Zoom Baby Brush Hog: https://bit.ly/2bnpCRx

Color: Watermelon Red Flake

Hook– Gamakatsu Offset Round Bend (Size 3/0): https://bit.ly/3BVoabb

Swivel– Spro Power Swivel (Size 6): https://bit.ly/2ay0p7d

Weight– Picasso Tungsten Cylinder (1 oz): https://bit.ly/3E2CSxo

SIMILAR CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– G Loomis IMX Pro 906C CBR: https://bit.ly/2FQj6CZ

Reel– Shimano SLX 150 DC (XG): https://bit.ly/2LWzw2Q

Line– Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon (12 lb): https://bit.ly/3Cje0Rw

BUDGET CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– St. Croix Black Bass 7'4" Medium Hvy Mod: https://bit.ly/41ntbDB

Reel– Shimano SLX A 150 (XG): https://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line– Seaguar Red Label (12 lb): https://bit.ly/2LOVEwA

TACTICALBASSIN LURE DESIGNS (AND APPAREL)

We have a variety of custom lure designs and apparel available! Everything from Swimbaits and crankbaits, to apparel and merch! See it here…

•TacticalBassin Apparel and Merch: https://bit.ly/3ZxEI0z

•TacticalBassin Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz