After bass leave the beds, their next job is to protect the newly-hatched offspring. This makes them skittish and protective, but it can also make them extremely aggressive. Fry guarders can be some of the most irritating fish to chase – they should be easy to locate and aggravate, but that’s not always the case.

ZOOM Pro Micah Frazier

ZOOM Pro – Micah Frazier

“I look for little protected areas in the backs of pockets,” said Georgia pro Micah Frazier. “Think of places close to where you’d expect to see them spawning. Lots of times you’ll see a little cloud of fry or even see them jumping out of the water. If you can get close enough, you’ll also see the bass underneath.”

He’s not likely to bomb a big jig or a gaudy spinnerbait Into this delicate mix. Instead, his favorite lure to tempt these fish is the original Zoom Trick Worm, rigged wacky style.

“Those fry stay up in the water column,” he explained. “This is a lure that looks natural and doesn’t just crash to the bottom. It works best when you can see the fish.”

He fishes the wacky rig on an Abu-Garcia Revo SX spinning reel paired with an Abu-Garcia Veracity rod. There are many good wacky-style hooks available, and a Size 1 or 1/0 model threaded through an O-Ring makes the presentation complete.

While many of Zoom’s most popular colored springtime Trick Worms are gaudy patterns – think Bubble Gum, Bruised Banana, Limetreuse, Merthiolate and good old “School Bus” Yellow, Frazier keeps it simple. His pair of favorites consist of the two very natural patterns of Watermelon Red and Watermelon Candy. He said that depending on water color you might substitute one of the many shades of green pumpkin, but keep it simple. These fish want to protect their brood, and as long as you don’t make any unnatural moves they should be fairly easy to catch.