Pre-Spawn is the time of year before bass move up onto their beds. It’s usually late winter or early spring, but really depends on weather patterns in your part of the country. Generally, you’ll start seeing bass in “pre-spawn” mode when the water temperatures start to rise from the mid 40’s into the 50’s.
What should I throw for pre-spawn bass?
Prespawn Baits: Jerkbaits
Cold water and jerkbaits are the bassin’ version of peas and carrots. They have a realistic minnow profile, erratic action, and suspend on the pause – which is irresistible to pre-spawn bass in water below 50 degrees.
Where do you find pre-spawn bass?
Here is a look at eight spots for finding prespawn bass in early spring.
- Transition Banks In Reservoirs.
- Sandy Shores.
- Hydrilla.
- Big Rocks.
- Northern Shores.
- Rain Runoffs.
- Tributaries And Feeder Creeks.
- Sunken Brush Piles.
How do you fish Prespawn?
Targeting resident prespawn fish is pretty simple once you find them. Spinnerbaits, squarebills, vibrating jigs and lipless cranks work extremely well depending on the type of cover you’re around. And you can even get on a good topwater bite with something like a buzzbait if there’s a warming trend.
What time of year is best for topwater bass fishing?
Topwater fishing is one of the best ways to catch bass during late fall, early spring, and late spring when they are in their spawning areas. Topwater baits will often entice a reaction strike from the bass during this time, creating some of the most memorable fishing moments.
How do you get a big pre spawn bass?
The best way to locate a good pre-spawn area is to start looking for areas such as shallow pockets and flats in the back of a creek. Once you’ve located a good spawning area, you can work your way to a nearby creek channel, ditch, point, or even brushpile. Docks are great places to find these pre-spawners as well.
What is the best early spring bass bait?
Here are some of the best early spring bass fishing lures to try this season:
- Suspending Jerkbaits.
- Lipless Crankbaits.
- Jigbaits With Crawfish or Grub.
- Plastic Worms.
- Tubes.
- Drop-Shot Rigs.
- Best Technique for Suspending Jerkbaits.
- Best Technique for Lipless Crankbaits.
What temp is pre spawn?
50 to 58 degrees
The Prespawn
Generally speaking however, smallmouth bass will exhibit prespawn characteristics in waters ranging from 50 to 58 degrees, while largemouths will do the same in water temperatures ranging from 55 to 63 degrees.
What temperature do smallmouths spawn?
around 60 degrees
The prespawn period is typically when water temps are between mid 40 degrees to upper 50’s, with the “Magic Number” being around 60 degrees for smallmouth to be in full-blown spawn mode.
What is the best bait for spawning bass?
If you are targeting spawning bass on beds, these are the best bed fishing baits to throw.
- Flipping jig with a craw trailer.
- Bladed jig with swimbait trailer.
- Swimbait in bluegill color.
- Green pumpkin tubes in 4- and 5-inch.
- Carolina rigged craw in natural or dark colors.
Where do bass go right after spawn?
After the bass spawn, bluegills move into the same areas and set up shop. This is a great time to catch big bass. Bass will wait at ambush points during bluegill spawning and readily eat lures worked past these points.
What time are bass most active?
In Conclusion. Most times of the year, bass fishing is best around dawn and dusk. Focus on the hours of dawn until around 8 am and 5:30 pm until dusk in the late spring, summer, and fall. During the late fall, winter, and early spring focus fishing efforts around midday for bass.
When should you throw a Buzzbait?
Most people fish buzzbaits for bass in the spring, the summer and the early fall. However, I like to fish a buzzbait in the fall and the winter, especially in the Deep South where I live. The water temperature there generally doesn’t get so cold that bass won’t stop taking a topwater lure even in late January.
What is the best color frog for bass fishing?
Select frogs in black or dark hues for fishing in muddy water or sunny days in clear water. The best frog colors in clear or stained water with overcast skies are chartreuse and white.
When should you throw a chatterbait?
Also known as a vibrating jig or bladed jig, the chatterbait can be fished from late winter through the autumn months, with spring being the most productive time of the year.
Do bass remember being caught?
Species such as northern pike and bluegill are known as poor learners and often will strike again only minutes after being caught and released. Other fish, such as largemouth bass, channel catfish, stripers and carp, have better memories. “The channel catfish has a very strong memory,” Hill said.
What colors do bass like in the spring?
Springtime colors should be shad and crawfish-related whites, white/chartreuse, reds, and browns. Summertime means hot days and higher water temperatures. Bass will move near shore early to feed and then return to open water around creek channels or deeper structure.
When should I start bass fishing in the spring?
When the water is warm, between 55- and 65-degrees Fahrenheit, largemouth bass begin to spawn. Bass start to feed massively during pre-spawn, which generally occurs when the water is between 48 and 55 degrees.
What colors are bass attracted to?
The cellular composition of the largemouth bass’ eye is tuned to respond to two colors: red and green. Bass can see these colors well, and make decisions with high selectivity based on these colors.
How do you catch bass in February?
Anglers need to search the flats and higher up on the points when the floodgates are open at both ends of the lake. The flowing current and accompanying stained water brings bass out of the deeper water. Throw in a couple of warm days and fish will follow baitfish back to the coves.
How do you catch bass in 50 degree water?
Jerkbaits. One of the best lures you can use to catch bass in 40-50 degree water is the jerkbait. It really shines when bass are cold and not aggressive enough to chase other moving baits. But the key to using jerkbaits in colder water is to jerk it very, very slowly.
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.