Spring Bass Fishing During the Pre-Spawn

Several weeks before bass actually spawn, they will begin to move into the shallow water as it begins to warm up. The males come in first, and will begin feeding when the water temperature gets into the 50 degrees. If the weather cools down, the bass will retreat to deeper water until it warms up again. This cycle may occur several times during the pre-spawning period.

But when the water temperatures get into the high 50s, bass will begin the binge. This is where you will be able to catch lots of fish, just by being in the water and tossing good solid bass lures. Focus on the shallow areas where there are changes in the bottom structure, and preferably where there is good bass cover.

Catching the Fish During the Spawn

When the temperature gets into the middle 60s, the female bass will deposit their eggs. After they deposit their eggs, there will be a period of time where the females retreat and recuperate, before coming back in to feed. But the males are in charge of protecting their young in the spawning ground, and thus if you get your lure near one them, you could get a defensive strike, and pull in a good fish.

Focus on fishing likely bass spawning areas like a patch of bulrush weeds or other good cover area in shallow, warm water. Work your baits slow, and give them plenty of lure action while you do.

Post Spawning Spring Bass Fishing

When the water temperature gets above 70 degrees, normal bass activity will commence. You’ll find them feeding in the shallows at times (usually morning and evening), and in the deeper, cooler water for most of the day. Middle to deep running crankbaits and bass fishing worms will be the likely candidates for fishing the post spawn.

The southern states may see a spawning period of anywhere from February to April in a typical year. But with cooler temperatures in northern states, the spawning period might just be a few weeks, beginning some time in May and finishing up in June. Whatever your case may be, being out on the water fishing during the pre-spawn, spawn, and post spawn for largemouth bass is definitely exciting!

So what made this tank so great for pond bass fishing?

There were several factors that made this pond great for bass fishing. First, it wasn’t a very deep pond, and it was located in the south (Texas) where warmer weather prevails. This combination is excellent for the promotion of bass population and size. Water temperatures of about 60 – 80 degrees will begin to draw the bass into shallow water, and they will commence in heavy feeding. As a result, bass ponds in the south have longer seasons where this water temperature is prevalent, and thus the bass will grow much faster than in northern areas.

Second, aside from its location and depth, the vegetation in this pond was just excellent for bass. There were bulrushes and tree limbs both submerged and above the water’s surface. This provided excellent cover for  the bass, but there wasn’t too much vegetation to allow bait fish to escape. So the bass had open areas and vegetation areas, and thus there were lines between the two where bass could easily ambush their prey.

Third, this pond was closed to the public and wasn’t fished very often.  So the bass were allowed to grow year after year, and were not thinned out by many anglers. So you could say that we “had these fish all to ourselves”, and it meant that we generally caught lots of fish.

Fourth, this pond was stocked only with bass and perch. So there weren’t many other predators like catch fish that would disrupt the population growth of the bass. And the perch provided an excellent source of food for the bass. And again, with the vegetation being sparse, bass had good spawning grounds that they could easily protect against the perch hunting down their eggs and fry.

I cannot explain the appeal of having an 15 + inch bass on the other end of your line. If you see them come to the top and shake that head, and it is your first time, you will probably be hooked on it for the rest of your life. I like catfishing too, but just the fast paced nature of hunting down the largemouth bass with lures is enough to keep me occupied and happy for hours at a time.

Make sure to check back tomorrow as I’ll show you Pond Bass Fishing Hot Spots: how to fish your pond(s) for bass during the different times / seasons of the year. See you then…