Paul Roberts

I don't own a boat anymore. I fish from shore and from a float tube. Gosh, where to start... guess it'll be generalizations/tips: -Fish paralell in early season -when bass are shoreline related. -Fish more perpendicular in summer. In most waters, with depth or size, many bass move away from shore in summer. I carry (at least one) 7ft spinning rods with large spool reels filled with 15 or 20lb braid at these times. -Explore different waters. Some are easier than others (fish population size, fish education level, number of ambush points, fit your style, etc...). -Identify primary food shelves -shallow areas with food. -Identify time of year and bass' likely behavior at that time -Fish low light (sky, water surface) -Stealth can make or break your fishing, especially under bright (high visibility conditions), and/or if the bass are fished over very often.

No structure/cover can be a challenge. If there was no fishing pressure it can be a blessing. But one problem, from the presentation end of things, is that lures retrieved away from cover/structure can simply look stupid to educated fish. The trick is to obscure lures, and make them look vulnerable and catchable. A few options to think about (and try): -Obscure lures with speed and/or erratic retreive (a la KVD). -Ambush Points. Bass are not effective ambush hunters, but this concept simply refers to exisitng micro-structural elements that obscure lures and/or make them look vulnerable. The surface film: Try topwaters, realizing this is usually a low light method. The bottom: No structure, bang bottom anyway. This'll obscure lures fakeness and trigger fish due to errratic action. Take advantage of attraction, versus triggering: Straight rythmic retireves attract fish, but rarely trigger them to strike (thus the erratic part is needed). But attraction is an important part of presentation -to be taken advantage of. Try this: Walk trolling. Use an appropriate crankbait, cast it out and troll it wihle you walk around the pond. Just the long period of rhythmic action can trigger fish -maybe because a trolled bait is more apt to pass an active bass, maybe it mesmerizes, maybe because it starts to leave a given bass' beat and it's the "now or never" motivation factor, I dunno, but that duration of rhythmic action catches bass (likely it's all of these). Then, add some triggering on top of that (especially after you've already presented to the fish -made a few circuits around the pond): Direction changes (you'll probably notice that you'll catch more fish at the pond corners), accelerations, erratic twitches, bump bottom, waking plugs (surface film), etc... Try a deeper lipped plug to bump things you missed with a shallower one. I think sometimes the bottom (and ambush point) finds us, rather than us choosing the appropriate lure! "Guess they wanted the deep firetiger with the red hook" No, silly, they wanted to eat! Something vulnerable and catchable (in their face), but not "a lure". After you've caught some fish, and catch rate falls, switch lures, (subtle at first -maybe color , then full lure type change later on). Lures don't catch fish, anglers do.

I have to comment: BINGO!!! Nailed that one head on, Roger. Too much voodoo out there. (I can hear the Twilight Zone theme song now).

I guess I don't see the separate camps. Agreed. Recognize though that I didn't say that sunlight spooks bass, only that the difficulty in catching them under bright sun could obscure an angler's interpretation of post frontal bass behavior. See above response. I think I already responded to that one. I see, I think...Of course, temperature and oxygen are directly related. But whether it's temp alone or not is a pedagogical question, not a very practical one unless you can find very high temps with super-saturated water very highly unlikely, especially in largemouth waters. Thus upper temperature limits are valid measurements. Of course DO is involved; It is integral. Not sure of your point. Can you provide a practical example why an angler might ignore temp measurements beyond the upper limits? I can think of one but it doesn't fit your argument. But DO could potentially be very important at more normal temperatures,and this can be an issue for anglers. Temp alone would not provide this. The disagreement centered on whether fish will move in response to temperature. And my response is, for all practical purposes: Yes, fish WILL MOVE to avoid high temp (and the always associated O2 depletion), and even to trim their metabolic requirements. There are plenty of studies demonstrating this. Agreed, but for clarity for readers: This is valid only if enough time is allowed for water to give up or absorb the heat. Water is notoriously stingy with heat in both directions. Thus the need to look at trends over time, rather than the given temps at any one time. Good closing, Roger!

CJ, Yup, biologically speaking, which does say a lot. But, be glad you have all those options available to you! You'll see a lot of those options, and more, as you travel to new waters. I'd love to address each of your points, but I'm running out of time here. This topic sure encompasses a lot of ground. Maybe I'll get a chance later on this evening, or others will pick it up. I'm going to be out of town for a week, flying out tomorrow AM.

Roger, I'm being cursory with cold fronts here in this thread, even though it is certainly relevant, for several reasons: I've got more observing to do, and because there is so little out there in the scientific literature that offers anything definitive even in terms of observations. I've read the accounts of divers and telemetry studies, and the results are so inclusive. Angler's observations and discussions I'm a bit skeptical of simply because angling is not always a very good sampling method in terms of fish behavior, and I'll clarify, in one way, shortly. Further, and interestingly, this seems to be an angler's issue, and not of interest to icthyologists of any sort, as far as I've discovered. Doesn't mean that it's invalid, but that is interesting. Maybe I'm just overlooking appropriate research. The observations you mention where bass were observed with heads buried in vegetation and tail up following a severe cold front would be the most definitive, or better, most intriguing observation going. But I need some real verification on this, from the horse's mouth so to speak. Who did this, when, and what were their records like. No reflection on you, please. I have great respect for your knowledge and thinking skills they are quite apparent. This observation would be huge, if it indeed was the way it was portrayed by the writer. I fully realize the seeming contradiction, but I'm not ready to go into it here. Believe me, cold fronts are on my mind, and I've some ideas about how it works, but I need more observations to wrap it up or discard it. As to my agreement with Raul: I don't believe that sunlight is the entire answer -at a physiological level. I do believe though that that brilliant sun so greatly affects angling effectiveness that it obscures possible behaviors in the bass. Thus, I agree with Raul , very much, from an angler's perspective, but there is likely more to it from physiological/behavioral and ecological perspectives. Very likely, a sufficiently COLD front could put bass down in a physiological manner, as was described in that lone IF article. But, how would an angler (without optics or diving) know given the following: Start a thread asking, How do I deal with cold fronts? I'll save us the time and summarize: -Fish deep -Fish heavy cover -Fish slower -Use light tackle -Down-size What do all these things have in common? These all are answers that would fit (like a glove) how to present to spooky bass under bright sun. Admittedly, though, with the possible exception of heavily stained or muddy water. Where I am in Colorado, I am blessed with very consistent weather patterns: clear nights and brilliant sun in the morning giving way to overcast every afternoon. The response by the bass to lures is almost a 180. Every morning I'm fishing under brilliant blue skies, and in my shallow waters I can see how the bass respond to my presentations. Here's what happens on EVERY cast: The lure flies through the air and the bass (and sunfish) bolt! So I cast VERY high to avoid this. Then the lure, and line too(!), land on the water they bolt! The line cutting the water on the retrieve causes them to bolt (only in clear water). Interestingly, I've devised ways of catching at least some of these fish they are catchable if you could get a lure near them. Now, what might one do? Here are some good answers: -Fish deep -Fish heavy cover -Fish slower -Use light tackle -Down-size I have to wonder, if what is deemed post cold front behavior (in a lot of cases) could be largely explained by the above? Thus, my agreement with Raul. Here's where I agree with you, but it's a matter of degrees (no pun intended). The magnitude of the cold front, of course, is a real issue a front that can actually affect the thermal mass of summer water, APPRECIABLY. Unfortunately I have virtually no good data on this, nor have I seen any. What would really help is if I could get some guys to start taking some temps for me in specific instances. I've attempted to get on-line anglers to do some observing in the past but it hasn't amounted to much, so I'm reticent to ask. First, you might ask, Who the hell are you anyway some kind of crackpot? Second, it's time away from fishing but not a lot. But I'll put it out there anyway: I could use temperature profiles in mid-summer (surface temps 78F or higher) from surface to bottom every time you go. If we're lucky we'll hit some post-frontal days (LOL), and see what happens to the temps and how far they penetrate. If you're game, shoot me a PM and we'll arrange something. Your specific points and my responses: 1) Sunlight does not bother the eyes of bass, that's why Nature didn't supply them with eyelids. When bass go underneath a dock, they're not hiding from sunlight, they using the shade to conceal their broad outline (ambush). Bass, especially large bass prefer the bright midday sun for optimal visibility. AGREED. 2) Althouth sunfish do not actually pursue sunlight or heat, they enjoy the solar gain and bright light a warm-front will bring to them. AGREE WITH SECOND PART. Again, sunny middays are deemed the best time of day to boat a trophy bass. I'VE READ THAT FROM DOUG HANNON'S BOOK. 3) Water doesn't cool off as fast as air, but that doesn't mean it doesn't change the temperature of water (air's the only thing that does) Cold-fronts are accompanied by stiff winds that drive the cold air temperatures into the water surface via wave action. Due to the greater weight of the chilled surface water it promptly trickles down until it reaches its depth of equilibrium (equal water density). The process is quickly repeated, the new surface layer is chilled, then trickles down to its equilibrium depth. Bass ensconced in very deep water (rare in Florida) may not be affected for a day or two, and if it's just a minor cold-front, they won't be affected at all I BELIEVE YOU. BUT I NEED TO SEE IT MORE DEFINITIVELY FOR MYSELF, AND I NEED NUMBERS. 4) To say that "a bass is a bass" no matter where you are is invalid. As you would expect, the optimal temperature range for Florida-strain bass (75 to 85) is about 10 deg higher than the optimal range for a northern-strain bass (65 to 75). This differential is the cause of many arguments. GUILTY OF BIAS. I UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT HAVE NEVER SO MUCH AS SEEN A FLORIDA LARGEMOUTH. I'M WORKING WITH NORTHERNS AND TAKE POSSIBLE FLORIDANUS INFO INTO ACCOUNT -A SUBSET. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT OTHER DIFFERENCES/SIMILARITIES APPEAR. ONE THING I'VE READ IS THAT FLORIDANUS' RESPOND MUCH MORE NEGATIVELY TO COLD FRONTS THAN NORTHERNS, WHICH MAY REPRESENT MY NIT-PICKING OVER THE INTENSITY OF A GIVEN FRONT. 5) Given adequate oxygen, Bass feel no discomfort in any water temperature, therfore they never have to relocate on the basis of water temperature. I DON'T AGREE. FISH ARE KNOWN TO MOVE TO SEEK TEMPERATURE, AND I CAN SEE BOTH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL MOVEMENTS BEING A PART OF THIS IN A BASSES LIFE. I seriously doubt that bass would even have a clue as to which direction to swim. The direction to warm water and cold water is a moving target, and it changes according to a host of interactive variables. PHYSIOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED, AT A NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL LEVEL, HOW BASS AVOID DISCOMFORT. 6) More important than the static temperature value is the direction of temperature change, which will determine the disposition of bass. AGREED. This is one more reason why it's not logical for bass to seek a given temperature, which would be analogous to chasing it's own tail. NICE ANALOGY BUT I DON'T AGREE. AGAIN, MOVEMENTS MAY NOT BE LONG, (BUT CAN BE), BUT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF MOVING TOWARD AND WAY FROM HEAT. 7)Technically, largemouth bass are not schooling fish such as crappies and walleyes. AGREED. But they do gravitate to the same foodshelves, jump coves and staging areas, so they're commonly found in loose "aggregations". AGGREGATION IS MORE THAN JUST HAPPENSTANCE, IT CAN BE COORDINATED, BUT MORE LOOSELY THAN WHAT'S DEEMED TRUE SCHOOLING, AND DEVELOPS FROM THE VERY BEGININGS OF A BASS' HUNTING. Typically, the smaller the bass the larger the school, and the larger the bass the smaller the school. This is population dynamics and is based on simple math. With each passing year, the population of the year-class diminishes. In fact, the very largest bass in the lake will often be a solitary fish (last of the Mohicans) or may belong to a small pod of 2 or 3 bass representing all that's left of that year-class. WRB, good stuff!

Muddy, there are anglers that have proposed the idea that female bass actually regulate the development of their eggs behaviorally -by moving to colder or warmer water. Rich Zaleski was a proponent of this at one time. I've tried to run tis down, through the scientific literature and through knowledgeable anglers. I'm sure there are fish reproductive physiologists out there that could speak to it, but I haven't found anything or anyone as yet. It does appear that temperature is the final "straw" that brings female bass to the beds, so the idea is at least reasonable. Ok, goodnight.

Raul, Excellent. Very much along my lines of thinking on cold fronts, at this point. Hester, I didn't mean there were trout in your water. I meant that the bass might be behaving similar to heat compromised trout, and taking advantage of ram-jetting. Just a thought. Schooling: As I understand it, bass don't school, in the strict sense. They commonly hunt in what are termed "aggregations" -like-size groups of 3 to ??? that are loosely coordinated. This is the most common hunting method used by bass -stalking and cornering prey in loosely coordinated aggregates. It is the way young bass hunt as soon as they start hunting as fry. In most waters, aggregates contain mostly smaller bass because this develops so early in life. As bass get older their groups get smaller by natural attrition. In most waters really big bass are virtually loners, in large part because there are so few of them. But, in some waters, notably in CA, I could see aggregates of big bass being larger. Another reason for large numbers of bass being together -especially big ones: In many waters bass winter in large groups (I've often read about this for large reservoirs, and I see it myself here in my small waters too). This is why I believe groups of early-spring females are seen together, and females are the biggest bass in the pond. Every spring I see rather tight groups of females, as described earlier. Technically (from a fish behavioral scientist's definition), none of these grouped behaviors seen in the black basses are considered "schooling". Hey Muddy, go to bed! I'm signing out.

Hester, Yes, the low to mid 80sF is generally agreed upon as the "thermal preferentia" for LMB, from a bunch of studies. First, let me say this about lab studies cause I can hear the grumbling already. Lab studies are useful in that they can offer glimpses toward what bass' limitations or capabilities are. My take home message is: Use them in your fishing to make your educated guesses, and then check em out. But don't assume too much going in. Natural systems are complex. Something fascinating about bass comes from Keith Jones in his book "Knowing Bass". He found that LMB, over time, would keep re-acclimating higher and higher, until they hit the limit of his tank (not sure highest temp but it was above the accepted preferentia values). I found this fascinating. But it hasn't panned out into anything useful on the water, as yet. I see a reduction in activity when my ponds hit the mid-80's. Not sure what to make of Jones' observations, beyond that natural systems are more complex: actual temperature distribution and fluctuation, oxygen, prey availability, and the fact that wild bass are mobile (what we're presently interested in short range vertical is what we've come to here mostly it seems). There's another value used to assess the metabolic engines of fish that may help shed some light on some of what we see in the wild though the upper (and lower) avoidance temperatures. At a certain high temperature a given species must move away or die. These values are highly dependent on the individual fish's present acclimation temperature. Here's one example I have: A group of largemouth bass acclimated to 68F all die at 87F, 50% die at 84F, and none die at 77F. Now, rarely will you have bass in 68F water near 84F water in the wild, but that 16 degree difference KILLED half the bass! You can imagine that even a 10F difference might make a bass mighty uncomfortable. The take home is that there are limits to what bass can tolerate, at least within a period of time. Interestingly, there's a growing body of research indicating that fish grow best by digesting meals at lower temps (below metabolic optimum). Further, this has been demonstrated in the wild, from sharks to salmon, through vertical water column movements: They feed high and warm and digest low and cooler. (Roger?? What do you think?) The latest IF magazine has an article showing this very thing in king salmon in the great lakes. I don't think they understood why the salmon were doing this. Hester, your bass in river current observation is very neat. And I'll venture a guess as to what could be happening there: Heat challenged stream trout, (not at all uncommon in the many marginal streams and seasons throughout the country), approaching an upper temperature limit suffer oxygen stress and will move into stronger current in order to increase their oxygen uptake efficiency. They do this through what's called ram-jet ventilation, in which water can flow freely over the gills, rather than the trout having to pump it through. Thus, heat stressed trout move out of pools and into riffles. I've seen this myself in hot summers on marginal streams. I've never seen such a thing in bass, but, it's not unlikely. Bass can't go into too fast water because they aren't built for it. Just as different trout species have different capabilities in current: browns hold below the rainbows which can nose right up into the whitewater. Of course it could just be a movement toward food, but the temperature values you've offered may indicate something more physiological in nature. Phew! No my head doesn't hurt yet. It's my fingers. Hey if anyone (besides my wife) is wondering why I'm bothering to type so much, I'll say that discussions like this allow me to organize my thoughts better. That's how I keep from being overwhelmed by it all, and my head hurting. In my fishing I'm not just after the where and how, but the why. The why is more exportable to other waters and fish, and worth the effort. Roger, The problem I have with cold front stuff is that I for one have a hard time separating the effects of sky and water conditions on angling effectiveness from what might be real bass behavior. The cold front thing is a tough nut. I'm not sold on anything yet, but I do have some ideas. Raul, Excellent stuff. Temperature is more important where it matters LOL! Further north, that is.

Roger, Thanks so much. I do wonder, How do they know what the bass are actually doing? I have some thoughts and questions about supposed cold front behavior. Another post someday.

Roger, I'm familiar with the horizontal movement stuff. It's the bass rooted into the vegetation following a cold front I'd like to see. roadwarrior, Very cool. Thanks. My ponds don't fluctuate too much, but my small reservoirs do. I'll keep that in mind. Catt, Are you Ken or Tom? Thanks All. Those listening in. If you have observations along these lines you can share, as your season progresses, please do. No one person is going to figure this stuff out alone. I do think we can refine what we know a lot further.

Muddy, keep tabs on that. I'm going to venture a guess that the real effects are more immediate (clouds and temp trend) than early barometric pressure movement. But that's my guess at this point. Lemme know what you see. I'm not sure, for myself, I can discern barometric effects from sky and water conditions in terms of angling results, since sky and water conditions factor in SO heavily in terms of angling success. roadwarrier, I agree, current has an enormous effect on fish location, and activity I think in large part because of the advantages larger predators over prey fishes in current. But also because concentrations of activity are easier to discern for anglers. On the flipside, current also affects lure presentation enormously, and low slow water can be tough. (In general, water and sky conditions can affect angling presentation to the point that it can overshadow environmental effects, when one is sampling by angling.) Water level itself (rising or falling) is very important to fish. It's one major factor that can cause bass to abandon nests, or incite movements to spawn (when other factors are met). This sensitivity to water level appears to be ingrained in many fishes. It's my holdout explanation for any sensitivity to the moon that might exist for freshwater fishes, although I'm leaning more and more towards skepticism here from a one-time moon believer! We'll see new moon coincides with spawn times here this year. I'll be watching closely. My experience with warmwater rivers is limited at least with taking down any really useful information. But I have a lot of experience with coldwater stream fisheries, and this is where I came to where I am with bass. Temperature rules in trout streams, and not just during summer when temps are marginal. Food factors in huge of course, but hour by hour, I've come to believe, temperature is of enormous importance. But stream levels had a notable impact too, and I believe it factored into brown trout's nocturnal shift in late spring/early summer. However, interestingly, when surface water fed streams warmed and levels dropped and the browns went nocturnal, in nearby (as close as 100 yards in one particular case!) groundwater fed stream sections the browns were NOT nocturnal and rising freely during the daylight hours! Fascinating.

Muddy, One of my summer slump waters has a spring, and it's the hot-spot in that water during mid-summer. I think what you are describing are what we all look for -the situations when the fish are on fire. It's a combination of proper conditions AND available food. The summer T-storm thing: Is it the falling barometer, or the associated sky conditions and stable to warming temps that matter here?

Muddy: Yes, I see an offshore movement even in my small waters by summer too. Fascinating that it happens even on small waters. It seems to be an orientation to the main basin. Ralph Manns and I have had some discussion as to why this might be. He wonders, purely speculation (not research backed), if it isn't in part a result of early entrainment from when they were fry, and moving to open water to feed on zooplankton. Not sure what to do with that but it is interesting. The mid-summer slump I see appears to be in part temperature related (surface temps >85F). But there may be more to it. This summer I'm going to spend some time on waters that might not heat so high, and see what comes. I can always hope for a Godsend -a cool summer! Interestingly, I've been in contact with a couple anglers in southern Canada and they claim they do not see this slump, and water temps don't surpass 75F. But, what confuses me a bit, is Keith Jones' (Knowing Bass) research in a thermally graded tank that showed bass had no upper temperature avoidance! They continually sought heat in the laboratory. I'm wondering if the summer slump in natural systems has to do with oxygen levels, food availability (dense vegetation), and...?? This would likely show great variations across waters. Thus, I'm going to dabble in what possible variation there is here this summer. I don't have very deep water though. I'm eyeing an 18 foot deep lake for some of this, and I'll be comparing temperature profiles with this lake and my shallower summer slump waters. So, Muddy, what are your good summer lakes like? Sounds like you are fishing deep, with jigging spoons?

Ken, Agreed, bass don't move over the length of a water body. We discussed that above. (Although telemetry has shown that there are always individuals that are incredible wanderers.) And I agree that temperature becomes generally less critical (for anglers) outside of the coldwater season, excepting mid-summer. I see these here too. But, what I believe I am seeing is a behavior in (most notably) female largemouth bass in the small waters I fish and observe. What I am seeing is heat seeking in females and it affects their location in the water column, at least in spring and into summer peak (early summer), until high temps send them, apparently, sulking. I believe I saw it again in early fall last year. I'm not putting in for an elk permit this year (a mind blower to my friends) because I'm dying to know if it appears again next September. I'm suspecting this is related to their "metabolic engines" for lack of better at the moment, and should include males but I haven't been able to factor them in yet. I'm beginning to suspect this may play a more important role than atmospheric pressure, solunar, lunar, etc... . I realize that's a bold statement, and I've got more observing to do. But what I'm seeing (with my own eyes in my small shallow waters) is really intriguing. I'm a die-hard angler, but I'm a naturalist first, and a former university researcher (in physiology and circannual rhythms). Small waters give me a literal window into the bass' world. I have more limited experience with big waters, so I'm curious how such seemingly important behavior could possibly manifest itself in large deep systems. And I'm wide open to constructive criticism of my thinking, and welcome other's observations from around the country. Agreed. Food rules! Food abets the prime directive to reproduce successfully.

Catt, Four days in March were highlighted in those reports. Here are my weather descriptions from those reports, and my answers to your question in CAPS: (March) 11th was a nice fairly rapid heating day, sunny and high in mid 60's. I watched water temps go from 47F to 55.5F in 3 hours. POST COLD FRONT (2nd day) ... (March) 14th ended up a great day for this, ending up at a miserable 38F with rain and sleet by late afternoon. The pond was 49.5F when I started, warmed to 51F in three hours, until the front descended and it fell back to 49 and 47 (at different shoreline locations). COLD FRONT ... March 20th, 2008 Brilliant sun and high temps (65F) forecast awesome heating day. I was gonna KILL EM!!! But Mother Nature threw me a curve; No confusion just another fascinating day. POST COLD FRONT (1st day) ... March 25th 2008 Warm spell following good cold front. Monday was to hit mid 60's but a strong wind came in that made me decide to hold off a day. Tuesday was calm, and promised 65 and sun, which was realized. I was almost trembling in anticipation. POST COLD FRONT (2nd day) ... Essentially, I target post cold front days in early spring, because of the intense warming trends they bring. In fact, I cheer on those cold fronts as they prolong the cold water period, and set up intense warming days. In the post, Two Interesting Days... , I purposely chose a cold day, not a warming day, to fish, just to compare a known group of bass response to a non-warming day. It wasn't falling temps which I truly risk being skunked on. I thought the results were interesting. Yes? On the 20th (post Two more Fascinating Days...) a good post frontal heating day was forecast, and happened, but a big wind rolled up the mass of cold winter water from the depths of the small lake and nixed the heating. The fishing was very tough. I know my waters very well, including some individual bass. The carnage I was hoping for, never set up. The 25th (same water as the 20th) was the 2nd day following a cold front. I passed on the first day because of the forecast for high wind again, even though it would have been warm and sunny and a good heating day (if not for the heavy wind). I'm self employed, so I can often pick my fishing days. I do so by weather forecast. In early spring I follow up on heating days, especially those immediately following cold fronts. I often choose the first day following especially if it's likely to be a very warm sunny day. If it's a bit cooler I may choose the second day. It can be good right up until the next cold front as each night tends to cool the shallows again (Colorado nights are always clear and crisp). I want rapid heating of the water. At this time of year the sun is high enough to do the job. The bass respond with CARNAGE!! It's really something to see. Bluegills lying right on shore and bass ripping through em. As spring progresses the ponds take on more heat and the intensity and concentrations lessen, as fish are less enamored with the immediate shorelines, as the depths begin to warm. Then pre-pawn has begun and it's another game altogether. The smaller males appear on shore in numbers and are substrate oriented. I'm after females though, and their groups begin to break up about now and then it's a search for isolated cover, and feeding bluegills. The bass remain very much heat oriented though. The early spring warm-up period is a spectacular time, at least in small waters. And it's not just a Colorado thing; I did the very same thing in New York when I lived there. Although Colorado weather is more intense, and predictable. I get multiple shots (weekly in fact) at these events. You know, as I get to dabble in the consistency of Colorado weather more and more, I'm becoming less enamored of magical things like moon phases and cold fronts. I still have more observing to do, but I think things are much simpler, as you suggest above. Or, at least the complexity lies in other places.

Roger, I'd really like to get that IF article. Do you have any specifics on it? Was it in the magazine? I'll go ahead and contact them and see if it's available. Any info would be helpful though. What do you attribute the vertical movements you see to? Slowly rising surface temperature?

Catt, I'm sorry, I'm not understanding the first part. You asked: What were the weather conditions? What/when are you referring to? I'll take a stab at explaining winter bass activity, and then what you describe on Toledo Bend. I'm not convinced that you have to wait for the middle of the day to catch bass in winter. As mentioned by others here, bass can be active and capable hunters in a full range of temps, over the course of the year. They acclimate to a given temperature and can be effective hunters. If you peruse the reports boards during winter you'll find many instances, from all over the country, of people catching a bunch of bass in really cold water often to their surprise. I know a guy who catches smallmouths on topwaters in winter in 40F water! People also catch bass through the ice. Some die-hards target them and say that the hard part is finding them since they are often bunched up. Bass can feed in winter, and may feed if the opportunity presents itself. One scenario that I hear about every winter, and I'm guessing is what you may be referring to, is the crankbait bite that comes on in many waters in winter. How can a bass chase down a crankbait in mid winter? A good explanation is that they do so because it's worth the effort. Winter is a time when many young of the year fishes weaken and die, and can be easy prey for metabolically slowed bass. Some years are better than others in offering up weakened prey fish. This pattern is especially common in reservoirs with shad, which commonly weaken and die during winter. The fishing can actually get better following real cold snaps because more shad suffer from cold shock. The bass may not experience much of a drop in temperature in their winter quarters but find weak shad easy prey. Adding to the scenario is eagerness. Bass, with prey in front of them, and their target screen set, are more willing to chase at any temperature. As are bass in high competition with their cohorts. Winter bass are rarely alone. In the specific case you mention: 15 feet of water, the sun, or shade, won't affect temperature at that depth. Something else is on going on. Unless you are talking about surface oriented fish, but even then the 3 or 4 degree temps you mention, are likely surface temperatures that are only skin deep. The sun, as mentioned earlier, cannot heat water much more than inches deep in a matter of hours and that's a summer sun! Where I live anyway, the winter sun is simply too low in the sky to heat the water much at all. In general, as I understand it, winter is a time when bass seek temperature stability, usually provided by the dense water in the depths. I doubt the bass, even as close as 5 feet below the surface, experience any appreciable temperature changes. Once water hits about 40F, that's it. Any colder water will not penetrate it. If midday sun helps it's likely something to do with the visibility of lures, or a primary food chain event, invigoration, ...who knows? There is a reason, and it may not have anything to do with temperature changes of the bass. In general, angling is often a very poor indicator of bass behavior too many variables. A real clinker in the process that could explain it is that to experience 4 degrees of warming in winter you would likely have to have a sunny day, or at very least bright day (you're in Texas after all). Could it be that when the sun pops up, and the water is at all clear, just casting a lure over fish near the surface would likely send em running? What are your thoughts? I don't fish in the south. Exactly why I posted this temperature stuff to begin with. I'm here to learn. And I'm really appreciating your feedback very much.

Oh! I wasn't suggesting you take temps at 10 feet deep (unless you want to familiarize yourself with temp profiles). I was suggesting you take temps at 3 inches and 10 inches in early spring. The difference will likely surprise you. You'll probably get something like 48F at 3"(inches) and 44F at 10"(inches). Heat does not penetrate water (by direct conduction) very well. So, think inches, then re-read that post!

I know this is different from what you've probably read but, from my observations, I break the spring into 4 periods: Initial Heat-Up bass are heat and food oriented. Pre-Spawn bass are spawning site oriented Spawn bass are pairing or paired, eggs dropping Post-Spawn males are guarding eggs/fry; females are recuperating/feeding. Males become spawning site related first or at least visibly so. They pile onto spawning shorelines roughly a month after ice-out (in my ponds). This is when I call the behavior pre-spawn. Males cruise in very loose groups (not seeming to be relating to one another) along spawning shorelines. They are often quite visible. They also may make premature beds, only to abandon them as conditions (water temps) fail. Females are very different. When they come out of winter they are grouped tightly in groups of 3 to 8 (in my waters). They are quite recognizable at this time in three ways: They are larger than males, they have notably swollen pearly bellies, and they tend to be noticeably grouped relating to one another. Groups of females appear visibly along shorelines occasionally well before the spawn. I've seen them as much as two months prior to the actual spawn. When I see them they are often cruising in a string I call these "parades". (I've also seen them simply holding, bunched up in a tight group. I assume they are just not cruising at the moment). Originally, I thought these parades were moon influenced, as I've seen them several times on full moons, and once just last spring, on a new moon. But I'm not convinced there's a real relationship there. I'm still watching. If you see such a group, I'd really like to know the date and water conditions of your sighting. At a certain point these female groups break up and individual females may be seen sunning: They are either slowly cruising close to the surface, in the immediate shallows, or holding by some cover piece. Eventually, when conditions are right, they appear at spawning sites ready to spawn. I remember reading, and then hearing, Kevin Van Dam talk about pre-spawn and post spawn females holding up off bottom, and often related to vertical cover like a fence post or tall stump. But he didn't elaborate. I now know what this is about. Heat is VERY important to female bass. And interestingly, in my ponds, it doesn't just end at post-spawn either.

Muddy, great stuff. Reads like my fishing journals! Observations are like puzzle pieces. Save em and eventually you may find where they fit into the bigger picture. Here's my take: As Roger and Catt mentioned bass seem not to go searching out optimal conditions. They react to what they have. And they can operate well in a variety of temperatures (But in a different gear so to speak). In most good waters there are bass occupying many if not most areas. If there's food, they'll exploit it. Oftentimes we catch bass only in certain areas because those areas fit our style of fishing, or we hit fish there once and discovered something about the area. When we revisit it we have some knowledge to bring to bear on it, and the confidence that goes with it an area with "history" as I put it. Doesn't mean there aren't fish in other areas though. The bass you saw: As WRB had mentioned, water heats very slowly, and likely the bass groups on BOTH sides of your pit were cruising in 40F water. The 4 degree difference was skin deep. Try this: Take a temp at 3 deep and at 10 deep. In early spring there will likely be a 4 degree difference right there! I've standardized my surface readings at 6 deep. Thus, when I mention a surface temp, it's at 6. Eventually, and it takes a while, the water warms deeper and deeper. The surface temp readings I have are an indicator of the general seasonal warming trend, not the whole immediate story. I have to interpolate from the occasional temperature profiles I take. I've developed a feel for how quickly water masses warm, and how they are affected by cold fronts, heating days, and wind. In my shallow ponds, I don't normally SEE shoreline related bass until the surface water has warmed further about the mid 50s, and especially by 60F. Many bass are already shallows related though, but holding further off, often in the mouths of the coves and flats that will soon warm further, and draw in both prey (bluegills in my ponds) and bass behind em. No, these are not all the bass in the pond, although on some small waters with only a single major cove or flat representing the majority of good habitat, I likely have a significant proportion of the bass right there. Now, I don't follow temperature blindly. If I find a pond with 60 on one shore and 50 on the other, the temperature isn't going to stand alone. There has to be a food shelf, an area that will attract prey fish bluegills in my case. Also, cover is important the more convoluted the cover, the more prey fish the shore seems to hold. If the good habitat elements are non-existent on the warm side, I'll fish the cooler side, and adjust my presentation accordingly (see my post, Two Interesting Days... in the Western reports section of this site). Bass are heat seekers (notably the females), but they don't follow it blindly either. It comes to them in areas that will support their needs -good habitat. And they respond with sheer CARNAGE!! That's the place to be!

Roger, Agreed. I don't believe that the bass move great distances to seek "optimal" conditions. They get what comes to them. However, within a certain range I believe they will move to seek heat, and get in on concentrated prey. I believe this is the case on my ponds on those days.

jrhennecke, River current is mixing, which would likely overpower any wind generated currents. However certain large rivers would likely have protected (from main river currents) areas that I would expect could attract concentrations of prey and bass. I do not fish large rivers so you'd have to answer that for your river. If you had an oxbow, wind might play a role. WB, All my observations are done on small shallow waters. The particular water I described on the 20th and 25th was all of 10 feet deep at the deepest point, and colder below (the very reason that strong wind quashed my expectations on the 20th). In my small waters the bass respond to conditions along the shoreline pretty quickly following ice-out. The shallows heat rapidly on certain days, and the fish respond strongly. Carp, bluegills, and bass are surface oriented at these times the bass seemingly staying just below the limit of visibility from the surface, then moving further toward the surface as the sun gets lower. It's pretty neat to see. The concentrations can be amazing. So, what I'm describing on the 20th and 25th is a shallow water phenomenon. However, even in my largest deepest waters (still only ~20ft) the response still happens, but is delayed, yet the same actual temperature numbers still apply. This, I believe, would be akin to the early spring advice for big waters: Find a good shallow flat or cove with access to deep water for spring bass. At one time I spent a lot of time on a really huge lake, Lake Ontario, fishing for trout and salmon with all the electronics available at the time. The southern shore was dubbed the chrome coast during spring, as it warmed well before the north shore, and collected trout and salmon in absolutely stunning concentrations. Bass, however, aren't nearly as mobile as salmonids. Bass, at least in my small waters, do appear to be heat seekers. I understand more and more why they are called sunfish. Very soon, as we approach the spawn, you'll start seeing the posts about large bass lying near the surface, (and un-catchable). These are heat seeking females. Heat seeking appears to continue until mid-summer, when they disappear mid-day. Peak activity happens in the early AM, evening and at night. Tellingly, this disappearance does not happen in the very northern part of the largemouth's range, where summer temps don't break 75F -according to some anglers I've discussed this with. Interestingly, during summer my small water fish seem to relate to main lake (pond) basins like big water bass. By then though, the depths in my ponds are already measuring into the upper 70's, or a bit more, throughout. I believe what I'm seeing is normal behavior for northern largemouth bass. What my small waters lack are the complications of large complex systems, and deep water populations acclimated to depth. I see this as a blessing, in terms of discerning responses to seasonal change in a species pre-historically adapted to shallow vegetated habitats, and has only relatively recently been stocked all over the country. I'd love to have more of your feedback, considering your research on seasonal body temps in bass. I was unable to locate your article, "The Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar". Would love to bounce things off you as I proceed. Thanks, Paul

Roger, Excellent. The blown plankton thing gets repeated again and again, until it's become cliche. That CAN happen, but that requires a large, and appropriate, plankton population to begin with (not always the case , especially so early in the year). Other things like water surface conditions, bottom disturbance dislodging prey, and, of course, temperature differences, are more often the reason over more waters for a big downwind bite. Water temperature is a "biggy" and from what I see on my waters, few anglers actually pay attention to the often less than obvious changes that can make or break a day's fishing.

OK, Muddy was right: My befuddled Does Temperature Matter... thread was a "lead in"; But kind of an inadvertent one, born of some frustration. In articles, videos, and fishing reports, so rarely are the specific conditions under which fish are caught highlighted. It's this lure and that, and always..."DEPENDS ON CONDITIONS. What conditions!! That's where the devil is. Tell us more! I've come to pay VERY close attention to temperature. It's so...predictable, especially in spring. But I never see anyone else doing so on my waters. The changes that matter (the trends) are seemingly obvious (I plan my days by forecast), but how they happen in real time takes some paying attention to. A couple good examples from the past two weeks I've posted in the Western reports section. Look for "Two More Fascinating Days..." and "Two Interesting Days...". The keys here were: -Rapid warming (best following a cold front) -Light wind to concentrate warm water (it floats) -Pond/cove topography and shoreline configuration Nothing new really, but rarely does anyone mention the specific conditions fish are caught in. The odd thing is, on my waters, I'm always alone in this predictability often with my rod bent. This is spring-time fishing, but interestingly, although the concentrations of heat and fish change some over the course of the year, and other things come into play, temperature trends appear to continue to be important. I'm continuing to keep my eyes open, and my toes in the water. View the posts. Interesting stuff, or old hat? I'm wondering if this is a local phenomenon (I don't think so). What do anglers around the country see? What about the far south? The far north? I've already conversed with southern Canadian anglers -fascinating. Anyway, my request, if you're game, is for anyone interested to think about fishing days in terms of "heating days" -great, good, fair, or poor. Do you see a correlation with either fish activity or fishing success? This should hold until bass move away from shorelines sometime in summer, when they then seek stability, I believe. Comments?