Not all bass spawn at the same time, but the main part of the spawn occurs from late May to mid-June, with water temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees. Additionally, a good crankbait can vibrate in the water getting bass to take notice even when the water is still cold from winter. When fishing from a canoe or kayak on a small private lake or from a high-peformance bass boat in a major reservoir, anglers make the most of this season by fishing the deeper channels leading to shallower areas. As water temperatures warm through March, bass will become more active. Largemouth bass tend to be fairly inactive through winter, holding in deep water and only feeding when food is presented directly in front of them. Your email address will not be published. | Copyright 2023 On The Water, LLC. Changing up the fishing routine by going earlier in the morning, at night, or during cloudy days are the best times to find that elusive bass past the spawning period. Of course, if you want a rundown of the best times to get out during the spawn with up-to-date weather information and plenty of other resources, check us out at BassForecast! Fishing for early pre-spawn bass, such as in the month of February, can seem difficult to an angler expecting to catch a lot of fish. These baits have been proven time and time again with tournament wins as Mother Nature cranks up the pre-spawn feeding of bass. One of the best early spring destinations for largemouth bass anglers in mid-Ohio is Kiser Lake, according to the bass biologist. Winter ends, spring is here, and the bass wake up just like the anglers! We have no ice during the winter months in Mississippi and Louisiana in winter. These fish head to points, drop-offs, rock piles and other cover with access to both deep and shallow water, and might also use docks as cover. Since starting out as a writer in 2009, he has written for USA Today, the National Parks Foundation and LIVESTRONG.com, among many others, and enjoys combining his love of writing with his passion for hiking, biking, camping and fishing. Great! Bass warming up in the shallow spawning areas and cold temperatures of the early spring shallow water are actively looking for food, but many fish tend to still be sluggish and slow depending on the water temperatures. Once you know everything you need to know, you'll make for a more fruitful bass fishing season. They are excellent crawfish and creature imitation baits; bass cannot resist slow moving crawfish meals in late winter and early spring. After the spawn, the larger female bass will move off to the outskirts of the spawning area to recuperate from the stresses of the spawn while the smaller male protects the eggs and fry. If youre in the middle of the spawn, these beds are the only places youll find bass. If you live in one state for years and determine the spawn start date the first year, you can reasonably rely on it; give or take a day or two, of course. Here are the 4 parts of his system: Understanding prespawn moves. There is still plenty of feeding going on, though. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023. So, heres an in-depth guide covering everything you need to know about spawning season; from when it happens to how to fish it. As you can see here, the early spawners are the furthest south, with most northern states not seeing spawn activity until the summer months. This slow warming trend along with longer days with more sunlight help the bass know when to begin to move toward spawning areas. Cast a frog into the weeds, pausing and twitching the bait at any openings. Dying (brown) weeds will deplete an area of oxygen, and bass will not linger in these places. Master the subtle nuances of the sidearm cast for increased accuracy. This will depend on their location, as the northern bass will be entering their pre-spawn season much later than the southern bass populations. Summer bass fishing can be tough. Marlin is back in the game with the re-introduction of the classic 336 and 1894 lever-action hunting rifles. Post-spawn bass hold in shoreline cover as the spring weather stabilizes. A cold front also means they will feed less as they move to and from the shallows to their deep lairs, waiting until the water temperature maintains around 60 degrees. Here are the rivers and lakes in each of Ohio's five Wildlife Districts that Zweifel recommends anglers consider when testing the waters for active largemouth and smallmouth bass this month. The bass are highly protective of their eggs, and if you have a drop-shot rig with a YUM Dinger, Senko, craw, and or anything else you can rig up properly, youll tick them off pretty quickly. Jeff Knapp is an expert fisherman, guide and outdoor writer whose work is widely published across a range of sites including Tackle Village. And why should you care? Kiser is one of 11 lakes in Ohio that have a three-fish split limit on bass, a regulation that allows anglers to keep only two fish less than 14 inches, and 1 fish greater than or equal to 20. Action heats up at midday in the autumn, so dont worry about getting out at the crack of dawn. I found it verry good info I needed Thanks, Great article with a lot of good points to try. Nailing the right timing for spawning season can be difficult for beginners and understanding how to fish properly during this period can also be a bit of a hurdle for some. With all the fresh bass going into a feeding frenzy, theyll want smaller food that they can actually fit in their mouths. Very informative and I believe will be helpful. Use black and blue in stained water and pumpkin or watermelon in clear water. There is a combined-species daily limit of five for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, and the minimum size may be 12 or 15 inches depending on the specific waterway. Bass find a sturdy, hard bottomed area to build a nest to begin the spawn. If you dont see bait, work the jerkbait over deep points, humps, channels, and steep slopesbass will suspend in these areas. With the vast difference in weather from sea to shining sea, the schedule of when bass spawn varies for anglers in different states. You can either try tossing in a suspending rig or go for bottom-feeding bass instead. But when do bass spawn? Spawning season for bass is between February and June. Turn the legs and thighs of a freshly killed gobbler into comfort food for a chilly spring night. Crawfish provide valuable protein needed to survive through reproduction, bedding and guarding a nest. Its guaranteed to bring some fast-paced action to any angler who hits the water with the right technique, and it only lasts a few weeks. Many of these structures are not visible and must be located with electronics. Spawning is a natural habit of largemouth bass that occurs every springtime when they come to shallow waters and make nests at the bottom of the lake, pond, or river. Largemouth bass fishermen should consider slower water near the main channels, backwaters, shallow creeks and channels and canals, as well as any woody cover or early emerging weeds. In essence, its a prep period that gives the bass a chance to stock up on nourishment, build their spawning areas, and get ready for the main show. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Pre-spawn bass will almost always migrate to these deeper areas near their spawning grounds as they wait for conditions to become suitable for the spawn. Those areas that have warmer water temperatures first will have spawning sooner. If you use appropriate lures and arent afraid to venture to different spots on the lake or pond, you still have a fair chance to catch some of these freshwater fish. As the water gets colder, bass will start ganging up on steep slopes; you can leave flat shorelines alone once the water is in the 40s and 50s. The bass will stack up in prime areas and you can catch them one after another. Wakebaits in a bluegill pattern have taken some huge fish for me; a War Eagle finesse spinnerbait and Rapala Rippin Rap also work wonders. "The diversity of habitat is amazing; there are lots of side channels and creeks that come in, and spillways below the dams, and woody cover and rocks for smallmouth and largemouth alike to thrive.". Ohio Game & Fish: Ohio's Finest Spring Bass Hotspots, Ohio History Central: Northern Largemouth Bass, Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide: Seasonal Habits of the Largemouth Bass, All About Fishing: Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass. You can either try tossing in a suspending rig or go for bottom-feeding bass instead. what a dumbass, At least he knows how to write a sentence without using international characters, Great articles. A lake point close to a spawning flat is another hot spot for pre-spawn bass. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. In deep reservoirs void of cover, bass often spawn on ledges or shelves along steep ledges in creeks. Fish these structures with drop-shot rigs, football-head jigs, Carolina rigs and crankbaits. Bass spawning includes the smallmouth, largemouth, and even the mean mouth bass, which is special to Texas. Visit pleasanthillpark.mwcd.org for maps and more information. Marlin is back in the game with the re-introduction of the classic 336 and 1894 lever-action hunting rifles. Topwaters and soft plastics shine during the time right before the spawn, with soft plastic worms, lizards, and creatures being effective once bass are on beds. The exact date and time vary dramatically because it's not based on time. Spawning duration depends on location; sometimes, its as short as three weeks. | Along with water temperature, spring largemouth location is driven by spawning behavior, so fishing can be broken down into three stages: pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn, with largemouth exhibiting different behaviors and holding in different locations through each stage of the spawning process. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Now that you know the answer to when do bass spawn?, lets talk about the bass season. They wont be leaving their nests to eat, and you can pretty much expect them to be fairly passive to fish passing by, and yes, your fishing attempts. Once things start warming a little more during the pre-spawn, they will start coming closer to the shoreline and building their nests or spawning beds. Football jigs, in particular, feature a flat-bottomed jighead designed to keep your bait sitting upright on the bottom, creating a natural presentation that remains in the strike zone. I just love how the idiots who want to look like they know what theyre doing have to mention the picture he chose to use doesnt match the season. Fishing in the north is much different than in the south. Another bonus is that few anglers are still fishing at this time of year. Jigs, jerkbaits and a variety of soft plastics can be effective during this period. Once the main spawning season starts, they wont be able to leave their beds unattended, or they risk losing all of their eggs. Prespawn Fishing: Where. Fish are ectoderms, meaning they are cold blooded, and water temperature influences their metabolic and subsequent activity rates. 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