Freshwater:
Bass
While waters inland will still be quite cold in March, any residual ice from the winter should begin to disappear with warmer days and higher sun. Lakes and ponds, particularly their northern sections which get the most sun, should begin to open up and/or warm up.
At this time of year, slow-moving baits are still going to be the go-to for our local waters. A favorite bait for this time of year is a deep diving jerkbait, particularly one that will get down to 10-15’ deep and suspend. Long casts along steeper shorelines are a good tactic to start with. This is where bass are likely to have easy access to movement within the water column throughout the day. As the sun warms shallower water, they’ll move up to feel that warmth but may retreat to deeper water as the day goes on. This is where a deep diving jerkbait will be really helpful, as you’ll be able to get the lure in front of the bass at a nice moderate depth where they may be suspended or moving up and down with the day’s sun.
Football jigs in black/purple, green pumpkin, and crawfish colors are great this time of year as well. Slowly bounced along the bottom, often with some sort of trailer bait attached, is a good way to get those early-season red-lipped largemouth.
Other baits to consider this time of year are Ned Rigs, chatterbaits, smaller spinnerbaits, and suspending slash-baits.
Target areas for largemouth this time of year are often focused on early growth weed beds, where bait and oxygen are both around in plentiful supplies. It’s also smart to start spending time picking apart large laydowns and other wooden structures. Rock shorelines on sunny days are also worth checking with the aforementioned jerkbait, as the rocks will retain warmth from the sun and draw in fish seeking the heat, however brief or minor it may be.
Pike are also a popular target this time of year. Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, and large inline spinners are always popular. Finding the giants is always a tougher proposition and usually entails covering a lot of water and taking long casts so that strike-weary pike have time to follow and attack. If pike won’t hit, we all know that their dear friends, and many anglers’ mortal enemy, the chain pickerel, will be more than happy to oblige and at least bend the rod.
Trout
Trout fishing during this time of year can be absolutely excellent. Most state stocking programs will have finished up their winter rounds, and many local lakes, rivers, and streams will be at their best these next couple of months. A variety of baits will work for spin anglers, including trout worms, Powerbait, inline spinners, small spoons, and almost any small Rapala diving minnow or jointed minnow that you can get your hands on. Bring a few color options with you, as there are times of the month when certain forage will be more prevalent due to sun hatches and events of that nature.
Saltwater:
Striped Bass
March will always be a tough month for local populations of holdover striped bass, but it is the time of year when it’s worth putting in some time to find them since they’ll be a bit more willing to bite than they would have been in colder January and February months.
Generally, striped bass that stay over in our local waters will be concentrated within the river and creek systems at the shoreline. This doesn’t necessarily mean they will be close to where a given river or creek dumps into the open saltwater though, so don’t immediately target the mouths of these spots (that would be a better focus in May).
To find holdover striped bass spots, you’ve truly got to put the work in. A popular refrain this time of year is that 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. And it could be argued that those numbers are more like 95% of the fish in 5% of the water. Simply put, these fish are often schooled up tight and usually near the bottom. While it may seem natural to focus on targeting them around noteworthy structures that are visible above the water, it’s also true that smaller subsurface potholes and ditches will attract these stripers. Deeper water is warmer in the deep winter months since it’s not exposed to the freezing air near the water’s surface.
Start by identifying some deeper holes in whichever body of water you want to explore, and head for those. If you have it available, side-imaging is incredibly helpful this time of year. Typically, you’re in the water so shallow that a sonar return is going to be from such a small space below your vessel that you aren’t really getting a true understanding of the life in the area. Side imaging is the savior here, sending you information from up to 150 feet out on either side of your vessel. That’s where you’ll start to notice some marks worth casting at.
Once you’ve identified life that’s worth casting at, it can, unfortunately, be just as tough to get the stripers to bite this time of year. The exception to that is going to be any stretches of unusually warm days. That can get them chewing pretty well as they sense warmer weather at the surface.
To target holdover stripers this time of year, the preferred tactic is to go small, using baits around 3” to 5” at most. Popular baits are 3” Zman Diesel MinnowZ, Lunker City Fin-S Fish, Yo-Zuri Mag Darters, and small saltwater Rapala X-Raps. Any variation of a smaller paddle tail or fluke is a great place to start. For weight, you can opt to throw something weightless if you’re in shallow or finding stripers near shoreline structure. If you need or want your bait to get deeper, a 1/4oz jighead is usually a winner.
Color-wise, most anglers prefer natural colors this time of year, as the water is usually relatively clear. However, as always, the color bait you choose should reflect both the clarity of the water being fished and the color of the forage that’s likely available. When in doubt, pearl or bone-colored baits will almost never steer you wrong. A pearl bait with a splash of brown, purple, or blue is always a good choice as well. This time of year, many anglers opt to keep it simple with colors. This is particularly prescient because you’re going to be retrieving the bait slowly, so the stripers are going to get a good look at it. In that case, natural colors often outperform brighter more radical colors which could be better in more stained water or in warmer water where a reaction strike is a distinct possibility.
Your retrieve in cold-weather striped bass situations should be nice and slow. If you’re using hard bait, offering some brief pauses is a good idea to give the appearance of a dying baitfish. If you’re using a weightless soft plastic a snap-snap-pause cadence is usually a good option.
In terms of gear, many anglers prefer lighter, longer rods in the early months. These offer two advantages. One, and the primary reason for using a long, light rod, is that most of the baits you’re using are light, so casting them a solid distance and imparting the right action on them is key. Additionally, a softer-tipped rod will let you feel bites better, since cold-weather bites with stripers, as with most fish, are usually softer and less aggressive, so you’ll want to avoid using a stiff rod which will impact both your casting distance and increase the likelihood that you pull the bait right out of the striper’s mouth when attempting to set the hook.