It doesn’t matter that  temperatures have been below average, or that another winter storm might be headed our way. It’s late March, and regardless of weather, it’s one of the best times of year to catch a big largemouth bass.

Right now, big bass are hungry from the long winter, and are looking to eat heavily before it’s time to spawn. Also, since most lakes were covered with ice since January, many of these bass haven’t seen a lure for three months, making them a bit more gullible than they will be in late April or May when the lakes and ponds see much more angling pressure.

I hit the water this weekend just hoping to feel something the sharp hit of a bass attacking an artificial lure. I was pleasantly surprised when 15 minutes into my trip on Saturday, a beastly largemouth crushed a bluegill-colored KVD 1.5 crankbait as I swam it over a submerged point. The fish hit at the end of the cast, and wouldn’t budge after I set the hook. On the light spinning gear, the fish put up a tremendous fight, despite the frigid water temperatures.

I love shallow-diving crankbaits. They are easy to fish, and are downright deadly, especially in the early season. This is the second year in a row I caught a 6-plus-pound largemouth on a shallow-diving crankbait in late March.

I stuck with the KVD 1.5 for another hour, working around the pond’s shoreline in my kayak. When I neared another point, I had another hit, and a 5-pound largemouth fought to shake the crankbait free.

Taking the hint, I started kayaking around to the points that jutted into the pond. Just about every one held fish.

On Sunday, the wind laid down enough that I brought my fly rod to try out some of the flies I’d been tying over the winter. I used a weighted streamer that is hideous to look at, but has a nice action in the water. After 90 minutes of casting, no largemouths had given their stamp of approval to my creation. I was getting ready to give up on the fly rod when my fly line twitched as I was letting the streamer sink. I lifted the rod and 4½ pounds of bass came cartwheeling out of the water.

The big bass season is just getting started. If you want your best shot at a 6-, 7- or even 8-pounder, fish the freshwater hard over the next few weeks.