Find and Catch Spring Bass | Tokyo Rig Tips for Tough Bites

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As anglers, we’re usually optimistic that bass will be going gangbusters. More typically, we have to grind it out for a handful of good bites. Rapala’s Dan Quinn has such a day and shares his system for pitching soft plastics into bushes and laydowns using the Tokyo Rig.

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Spring is known for rapid shifts in water temperature, and a fast warmup isn’t always ideal. Dan explains how an 8-degree water temp increase in just two days shut down his spinnerbait bite. His solution was to slow down by fishing prime laydowns and bushes on banks leading into spawning pockets.

While many pitching setups with work, Quinn prefers a Tokyo Rig and thin plastic around hard cover for its easy-in, easy-out attributes. He recommends fishing the outside first, then making a few pitches into the heart of the cover. Negative bass will often position on the bottom in the thickest portion of the cover. Quinn shares his go-to rod setup and why he prefers straight fluorocarbon in this scenario.

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