Fishing for Spawning Bass

The bass may spend several days selecting their nest sites. The beds are usually in 1 to 4 feet of water, but can be deeper in clear water. Bass in open areas often select a site on the sunny side of a submerged log or large rock. Since the spawning bass seldom nest where they can see another nesting male, the beds are generally about 30 feet apart. They may be closer if weeds, boulders, sunken logs or stumps prevent the males from seeing each other.

Largemouth bass spawn when the water reaches 63° to 68°F and temperatures remain within this range for several days. Cold fronts may cause water temperatures to drop, which interrupts the spawning bass and delays the spawn. But just a couple days of bright sunny conditions will rapidly heat up the water and the fish's sexual drive.

The Spawn
Spawning occurs as the male and female move over the nest with their vents close together. The male bumps and nips the female, stimulating her to deposit the eggs. Then the male covers the eggs with his sperm, or milt.

A female spawning bass lays from 2,000 to 7,000 eggs per pound of body weight. She may deposit all of her eggs in one nest or drop them at several different sites before leaving the spawning grounds. After spawning, the female recuperates in deep water, where she does not eat for 2 to 3 weeks.

The male hovers above the eggs slowly fanning them to keep off silt debris and to circulate oxygen-rich water over them. He does not eat while guarding the eggs, but will attack other fish that swim near the nest. The male will not attack slow-moving objects, such as a crayfish or even a plastic worm. Instead, he gently picks up the object and drops it outside the nest.

Sunfish often prey on bass eggs or newly hatched fry. In waters with large sunfish populations, the panfish can seriously hamper spawning bass reproduction. A school of sunfish surrounds a nest, and while the male chases some away, others invade the nest and devour the eggs or fry.

Bass eggs hatch in only 2 days at 72°F, but take 5 days at 67°F. Cold weather following spawning will delay hatching. If the shallows drop to 50°F, the fry will not emerge for 13 days. At lower temperatures, the eggs fail to develop. A severe cold front sometimes causes males to abandon the nest, resulting in a complete loss of eggs or fry. From 2,000 to 12,000 eggs hatch from the typical nest. Of these, only five to ten are likely to survive to reach 10 inches in length.

Fishing For Bass "On The Bed"
When the conditions are right and the bass are spawning, it is a prime time to head to your favorite waters. The first trick is to find the spawning bass. The upper end of the lake usually warms first and that is where the spawn generally begins. The backs of creeks, coves, and sloughs where there is semi-clear water and a firm bottom are the optimum places to start your search. Remember that the north and west banks receive the most sunlight; therefore will harbor the most fish.

Probably the biggest asset to bed fishing is good eyesight. Quite often you'll hear bed fishing referred to as "sight fishing." A great tip for beginners is to slowly troll down the bank while keeping all noise and movements to a minimum. Look for circular spots on the bottom. These will resemble a clean plate, with a silted bottom all around. You need to have a pair of high quality polarized glasses with you. These cut the glare and allow you to see small details.

Once a bed is spotted, the next step is to determine the nature of the fish. Pay close attention to how it reacts to your presence. When you approach the bed, does it travel a long way before returning to the nest? How far does it go? Does it move into a different position, or does it stay "locked on the bed"? The general rule is that the farther a bass travels when initially observed, the less likely it is to bite on that day.

The bass that stay locked on the likely a waste of your time to fish for them. A pair of bass means one thing -- they are in the process of spawning. It's rare to even get them to notice a lure, let alone bite one.

When you find a bed with a "locked on" bass, it is time to fish. Most of the time a bass won't bite right away. It takes a lot of patience and attention to detail to catch them.

Observe how the bass moves at the lure. Does it react differently when the lure lands in a certain spot? This is usually called the "sweet spot." That's the area of the nest that the bass is guarding the most. Once you locate the "sweet spot," just keep repeatedly working it. Try different lures and retrieves, among other things, until you find what he wants. Often if you just leave the bait on the nest and don't move it, the bass can't stand it and has to get it off the nest. Then you got him!

Should the fish get hooked, but come off before you can land it, don't worry. That happens in sight fishing. The bass doesn't pick up the lure very firmly and you don't always get a good hook-set. Often the bass will pick up the lure by its tail, the sinker, or even cross ways in its mouth. It's simply trying to move the intruder out of the way instead of eating it. Without polarized glasses you may never even see the bass pick the lure up. Most times you never even feel the bite. That is why they call it sight fishing.

Conservation
First and foremost practice catch and release! Remember, if you are just fishing for recreation, any bedding fish caught should be returned to the water. These spawning bass are the future of our fisheries, and we have to protect them. Tournament anglers fishing for spawning bass must take every precaution to ensure the safety of the bass. Be sure to regularly add "Stay Alive" or another livewell additive to the water in your boat. Run the aerators constantly, and check on the bass in the live-well often.

Thanks for reading.

Good fishing.

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