Patterning Bass: The Four Stages of Spring

This portion of the prespawn is my favorite time of the year to catch fish; They are generally in a feeding mood and when you find them they should be stacked.

When the water begins to warm into the mid to high 50's, bass begin their migration to spawning flats. During this period, bass are very point oriented and will stage on long, main lake points (especially points with grass on them) and on outside grass lines. My favorite baits to use during the first stage of the prespawn are lipless and standard crankbaits and Secret Weapon spinnerbaits.

No matter which bait I choose, I like to retrieve them slowly enough so I can feel them making contact with cover or ticking through the top of the grass. If my bait gets hung up, I will rip it out and keep on going. Both the contact with the grass and the ripping will create an erratic motion in your bait and the bass will knock the fire out of it.

There are a lot of articles and "how-to's" written about fishing seasonal patterns that all seem to lump prespawn movements into one phase. I believe prespawn movements should be split into two distinct stages since the fish are in different places and in different moods.

As the water begins to warm a little more, bass will move from main lake points towards spawning flats and stage on secondary points and inside grass lines. At this time, the fish are in scouting mode for the spawn; You will see a few cruising the flats, but most of them will still be in groups relating to the points and grass lines. Since they are getting into spawn mode, the fish are not in a feeding mood so a slower lure presentation is in order.

I like to drag a Vertical Lures football jig or a Texas-rigged worm along the grass lines and through the deeper sections of flats. A Wacky rigged weightless worm is also a good choice.

By now the water temperature has climbed into the 60's and bass have made their final move into the shallows and shoreline areas. The smaller males will be the first to move in and build nests, while the big females will cruise the flat and hang out on the perimeter of the nest. Areas with a hard bottom consisting of gravel, sand, and rocks are prime spots for bedding bass.

Once the big females move in and lock onto the nests, they become difficult to catch. They have stopped eating and are consumed with task of guarding their eggs from predators. Your bites will usually come out of frustration, or they will just pick up the bait and move it off of the nest.

Sight fishing is key during this time of the year so you will need a good pair of polarized glasses; I like the Hard Kore from Kaenon Polarized. I will slowly cruise prime spawning areas looking for light colored spots in the sand, "fanned out" gravel areas, movement, or, the best indicator, fish. Once I locate a fish, I like to use either a Texas or wacky rigged weightless stickbait or a dropshot rigged with some type of finesse worm.

Bed fishing is a lesson in patience and sometimes frustration, but you can be rewarded with some of the biggest fish of the season.

When the water temperature climbs into the low 70's bass enter the post spawn - a notoriously tough transition and the time of year when many anglers begin to question their abilities and ask, 'where did they go'?

After the eggs have hatched, the smaller males will stay on the nest and guard the fry for 7-10 days while the spawned-out females will seek refuge from the rigors of spawning by moving out of the shallows.

Post spawn fish will be scattered throughout the system: some will be scattered over the flats, others will be patrolling the deeper areas of the flats, and some will move to deeper water; following the migration routes they used during the prespawn stopping at secondary points and grass lines. The key words to remember are scattered and lethargic. Although the bass are lethargic and not in a feeding mood, that does not mean they can't be caught. You can still catch a few using the techniques applied during the second stage of Prespawn.

The good news is the post spawn only lasts a couple of weeks so don't get discouraged. Once the post spawn has ended, bass will begin moving into their summertime holding areas and feed on a more regular basis. Tubes, floating worms, creature baits, craws, topwaters, and buzzbaits cast tight to likely holding cover can produce reaction bites from Post-spawn/ Pre-Summer transition bass. If you prefer to fish jigs or carolina rigs, they can also produce fish - especially in deeper water.

I hope this article was helpful and that you will be able to successfully apply some of the information to your next fishing trip. Click here to read the second chapter of Patterning Bass: A Seasonal Outline of Tactics Summertime Haunts and Hideouts.