April bass fishing in upstate pa

Question
I am going largemouth fishing April 20th,21st. Average temps 60 day 40 night. I will be fishing a private 7acre lake that is 20 feet deep at most. My question is - can I use top water baits this early in the season. Any help or bait suggestions for fishing this early would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Answer
Paul,

I hope that this message finds you well. Being that fishing topwater is one of my favorite methods of bass fishing, I am glad that you asked this question. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a lunker bass jumping out of the water acrobatically to attack a topwater lure.  As April brings warm weather, it brings activity back into the bass. If I were you, as the sun is setting following a warm afternoon, try throwing out a buzz bait or popper to get the attention of the bass. Don't let 20 feet of water discourage you because bass will sense vibrations on the surface, even if they are on the lake bottom. Try casting over structure such as logs or rock piles because the bass will be congregating there in their hunt for food. The ideal place to cast would be into a school of shad that has been pushed to the surface of the lake by bass. If topwater does not work, try using crank baits or spinnerbaits as they are loud and flashy, which is what you want to use as bass try to regain the weight they lost over the winter. I hope that my suggestions are what you are looking for, and that they bring you success.

If fishin' was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Good Luck!
Slammin Sammy