Terry “Big Show” Scroggins is a character. After painting cars for 16 years in the family auto body biz, the veteran Florida professional bass angler loves to pour his own soft plastic lures, build his own fishing rods and grill meat for his buddies.

Plus, he’s filled with a Tundra full of timely one-liners that will make you howl with laughter.

One of his best, “If I tell you it’s Easter, you’d better hide your eggs.”

When Easter arrives in spring, bass fishing gets hot. Scroggins dishes out non-negotiable truths about how to catch spawning bass about the same time Peter Cottontail comes hopping down the bunny trail.

Be Aware, Buy Good Eyewear 

You have to find and see the fish first, of course.

“The first step to catching bass around the spawn is taking time to know if the fish in your area are pre-spawn, spawn, or post-spawn," Scroggins says. "Around my house in Florida, bass start spawning in late January and February, but in New York it could be June. So you have to pay attention, and know if bass are actually on the beds or not.

“If you know for certain fish are spawning, buy the best pair of polarized sunglasses you can afford. Look for beds in super shallow water in the backs of creeks, flat bays, and shallow pockets. But you need to realize not all beds look the same, based on the bottom substrate and water clarity. Some spawning beds look almost orange, while others can look tan or white, and some look nearly black."

Learn to Trust Spinning Tackle 

The phrase "go big or go home" might be modified to "go big and go home empty-handed" in spring.

“If you’re fortunate to spy a big bass on a spawning bed, don’t assume you need 20-pound line and a baitcasting reel to catch her,” Scroggins said. “I catch 90 percent of my spawners with a spinning reel spooled with light line, and a 7-foot medium action rod from Mud Hole. Not only can you finesse the lure better on spinning tackle, but lighter line is less detectable to finicky spawners.”

Lure Selection: Scroggins' Secrets

Like many veteran anglers, Scroggins has been through trial and tribulation with spawning bass that taught him a lot about what to do or avoid. This includes his lures, which he's narrowed to three out of efficiency and success with them.

“A lot of times you have to offer a single spawning bass a variety of lures to make her bite," says the Toyota pro. "It’s crazy how the same fish will snub their nose at one lure, but turn and attack a different lure on the next cast. If you have a tube, a wacky rigged 5-inch Senko, and a skinny 6-inch straight tail worm, there’s a really strong chance that fish will eat one of those three."

Alan McGuckin is Director of PR for Dynamic Sponsorships, a Tulsa-based company with clients including Toyota, Carhartt, Quantum Fishing and others.