Assunpink Lake ?

[Anthony]

My kid and his friend (both 17) may go there on Sunday for some bass fishing. they will be fishing from a boat. My son is not really big on fishing so if any of you can give some tips on what lures he should be throwing and any particular locations would be a great help. He will be using my spinning rod with braid and a mono leader.

thanks tony

[youngdumbandfulloffish]

Texas rigged worm, football jigs, swimbaits. I haven't been bass fishing yet this year or even near a lake but my guess is that the water is still cold and they haven't started to move up to spawn.

Look for cover and drop offs near shallow areas where bass my make beds.

The best advice to give your son is patience and slow down.

[Chrisper4694]

if he's on the fence about fishing, i would def suggest not going now! the water is so cold that the speed you have to work the lure is basically non existent. The slowest jig or live bait or wait for a few warm days...i've been to a few different places recently and the bass are lethargic haven't even had a bite from a small one anywhere!

I heard this from two different people so i'm assuming it's true: they had a big contest at assumpink 2 weekends ago i think and not one fish was weighed in...not one!

Find the warmest water you can and use live bait or the slowest lure/jig you can muster up the patients to use.

[Jigman13]

I'd use slip floats w shiners & fatheads suspended and right off the bottom this time of year around structure. Water is frigid. Find drop offs, timber or weedbeds on the finder and fish baits of various sizes until something commits. If water hits the 40s at the Pink, you'll prob bag some crappie and slime darts.

[oelgnal1]

Tony,
I think that Chrisper4694 hit the nail on the head and since you want your son to enjoy himself, you should try when the water temps get to about 60. Your odds of a good day will go up considerably. Good luck.

[Bruce Litton]

To catch bass (and pickerel) this early, live-line shiners. If you're really interested in lures instead, you can try crawling a Beetle spin on bottom deep, if cold. Spinner doesn't really have to turn, the way it sort of jaggles is enough. But with a 7-foot rod...maybe a football jig right on bottom real slow, but pickerel may hit an in-line spinner fished slow...so will bass, possibly, if the water temperature is increasing, if it's a warm afternoon Sunday, it's just possible a few straggler bass will come out of depths. Assunpink has a creek channel that's productive...

[Bruce Litton]

If it does get warm, better than in-line spinners (larger) perhaps--suspending jerkbaits like Husky Jerk by Rapala, if you find shallows closely adjacent to that creek channel or other deep water. You can fish a suspender really slow as well as experiment w/motion. Or if you can find a suspending crankbait, getting it down deep among the rocks along the dike and working it slow might work. I've heard of situations when bass in 47-degree water whacked crankbaits retrieved fast, but never experienced it. My guess is that the 47-degree water warmed quickly, and if I recall, in bright sunlight.

[Bruce Litton]

Hair jigs or tube jigs. The hair moves subtly in cold water, just as soft plastic tube tentacles do. It can be a matter of using a pretty heavy football head, good on those rocks, though you'll likely snag a few, and just trying to shake the jig in place. Seems a pretty futile effort, but if a bass happens to be nearby...I once ice-fished Assunpink & caught a bass right in front of the spillway. If it's cold, bass may be bunched in deepest water. I've caught open water winter bass on jigs and Beetle Spins, in-line spinners too. Even a Rebel Minnow at the surface, but this only in warming ponds. To do it with lures is a meditation.

[liveitup1.75liter]

SLOW roll a rattle trap..

[team heat]

There is a hole about 50 or 100yards to the right of the boat launch that is 8 to 13 feet deep.this is the deepest water i could find except for maybe near the dam.this hole is right along the shoreline so the kids should have no problem getting to it.Ive caught crappie and largemouth bass in it.If the fish are still hunkered down down there they just might have a good day. hope they enjoy themselves.Keep us posted on how they did.