What To Do When?

[6pointbuck2003]

I would kinda like to start with a scenario can see how every one would handle this situation as a learning experience for all.

Your lake water temp is in the low 80s and weather has been in the high 80s with sun for a week.

Then in 3 days you get a temp drop bringing the water down to low 70s degrees along with off and on rain.

The day you go fishing its scheduled to get into the mid 80s with a slight chance of scattered rain It rains off and on in the morning lightly and then gets sunny in the afternoon and your water temp rises 10 degrees over the course of your trip

It is post spawn

What do you do? (locations to look for, baits, cover/structure, depths

What i do.

In the morning knowing the the water temp is gonna rise some i will look for points or drops close to shallow water bays thinking that fish may be hanging out there and hungry after the cold front came in. I look for the points and drops to have weeds on them as well. I will normally try and find a drop from 3 or 4 FOW to any where between 8 and 12 FOW. I will hit these with a 4" worm and working it slowly ( catch 90% of my fish on worms and hate throwing cranks and spinner baits).

As the day moves on and the water warms up i'm gonna either go find some docks in 4 to 6 FOW close by (the point or drop) or go to one of the shallow (3FOW or less) bays close by with weeds in it. Around the dock i'm gonna throw a 4" worm either Texas rig or casting a drop shot and working it back slowly. The bay i'm gonna throw a weighted soft jerk bait and twitch it back.

Just wondering how others would handle it and some of us may be over looking things on our lakes that would work better.

Thanks for your participation

[WRB]

Your water temps are surface water, if the core water temps dropped 10 degrees over night the bass would go into shock and possibly die. Bass are used to the local environment and have learned to adjust to weather changes, one reason the adult size bass have moved to deeper water. The fry however can't go much deeper than 5 feet, so the young of the year are hidding in the weeds and juvenile bass are patrolling the shallow breaks.

Post spawn should be over for the bass if the surface and shallow spawning bays are in the 80's, bluegill and shad (if the lake has shad) could be finishing up their spawn however.

If it's been raining, then a front is passing through and wind should follow; post frontal conditions. Wind will mix the upper foot of warm water with the lower few feet and this push the young of the bass fingerlings, bluegill and shad spawn deeper into protected areas sheltered from the wind.

The adult size bass that have moved into deeper water are your best choice; they should be active and fully recovered from post spawn.

The bass near the bank could be still hunting shallow prey from the low light period looking for an easy meal. I would target these bass at this seasonal period with a buzz bait and work the weed break line. If I get a few short strikes I might follow up with a soft jerk bait, if there is a ripple on thwe water.

As soon as the sun is up, I would crank the same weed breaks, then move to outside and meter deeper structure areas and spend the next several hours working metered bass on structure, after I have determined what depth the bass are feeding in. Structure lures of choice are jigs, drop shot worms, structure spoons, swimbaits and big worms.

Late afternoon, depending on what I have learned form being on the water, I may go and crank the morning breaks or work the weed mats with a frog or or soft plastic creature.

We would more than likely not cross paths.

Tom

[gobig]

It is really hard to say what I would do with out knowing the what type of lake/body of water I would be fishing. The other thing is species. If the dominate species are spots my approach would be different than a lake that's dominate species is Florida strains.

[A-Rob]

Cool idea for a post. This is a great way to learn.

I'd fish early in the morning looking for a mid depth bite (say 5-8') throwing moving reaction baits (swim jig, crank, chatterbait, spinnerbait depending on the water visibility/chop).

With the sun coming up over head I would try fishing in the shallows flipping/pitching cover (cain, mats, pads) b/c the water temp in the shallows would be warming up the fastest...(say between 70 and 75). I'd hit this especially if the wind was blowing into the shallow pocket. If no bites, I'd be moving back deep.

With the temps returning back to 80, I'd be backing off the shallows looking deeper weeds for typical summer pattern bites. Deeper cranks, big worms, jig (say 12-18')

In the evening I'd move back into the mid depth and shallow cover looking for the bass that are actively feeding in the shallows.

[WRB]

It is really hard to say what I would do with out knowing the what type of lake/body of water I would be fishing. The other thing is species. If the dominate species are spots my approach would be different than a lake that's dominate species is Florida strains.

Jump in the water is fine. it's a hypothetical lake located in NE Ohio, no FLMB or Spots, he noted LMB and Smallmouth bass. Reserviors tend to be 2,000 or so acre rocky highland types.

Tom

[matt996]

Me i'd personally fish points either a carolina rig or deep deep cranks! Lol just fished a tournament like this and those we the winning baits. I opted to fish the banks pitching a jig wrong choice but as gobig said it depends on the lake

[6pointbuck2003]

This would be largemouth i live close to erie and thats the only time i target smallmouth. WRB thanks for correcting me i should have said surface temp. I was thinking that figuring every one would know what i was talking about. And this doesn't have to be a Hypothetical lake in my area it could be one in your area.

Keep um coming

[11justin22]

Your water temps are surface water, if the core water temps dropped 10 degrees over night the bass would go into shock and possibly die. Bass are used to the local environment and have learned to adjust to weather changes, one reason the adult size bass have moved to deeper water. The fry however can't go much deeper than 5 feet, so the young of the year are hidding in the weeds and juvenile bass are patrolling the shallow breaks.

Post spawn should be over for the bass if the surface and shallow spawning bays are in the 80's, bluegill and shad (if the lake has shad) could be finishing up their spawn however.

If it's been raining, then a front is passing through and wind should follow; post frontal conditions. Wind will mix the upper foot of warm water with the lower few feet and this push the young of the bass fingerlings, bluegill and shad spawn deeper into protected areas sheltered from the wind.

The adult size bass that have moved into deeper water are your best choice; they should be active and fully recovered from post spawn.

The bass near the bank could be still hunting shallow prey from the low light period looking for an easy meal. I would target these bass at this seasonal period with a buzz bait and work the weed break line. If I get a few short strikes I might follow up with a soft jerk bait, if there is a ripple on thwe water.

As soon as the sun is up, I would crank the same weed breaks, then move to outside and meter deeper structure areas and spend the next several hours working metered bass on structure, after I have determined what depth the bass are feeding in. Structure lures of choice are jigs, drop shot worms, structure spoons, swimbaits and big worms.

Late afternoon, depending on what I have learned form being on the water, I may go and crank the morning breaks or work the weed mats with a frog or or soft plastic creature.

We would more than likely not cross paths.

Tom

Pretty much everything I was going to say

[Nitrofreak]

Your water temps are surface water, if the core water temps dropped 10 degrees over night the bass would go into shock and possibly die. Bass are used to the local environment and have learned to adjust to weather changes, one reason the adult size bass have moved to deeper water. The fry however can't go much deeper than 5 feet, so the young of the year are hidding in the weeds and juvenile bass are patrolling the shallow breaks.

Post spawn should be over for the bass if the surface and shallow spawning bays are in the 80's, bluegill and shad (if the lake has shad) could be finishing up their spawn however.

If it's been raining, then a front is passing through and wind should follow; post frontal conditions. Wind will mix the upper foot of warm water with the lower few feet and this push the young of the bass fingerlings, bluegill and shad spawn deeper into protected areas sheltered from the wind.

The adult size bass that have moved into deeper water are your best choice; they should be active and fully recovered from post spawn.

The bass near the bank could be still hunting shallow prey from the low light period looking for an easy meal. I would target these bass at this seasonal period with a buzz bait and work the weed break line. If I get a few short strikes I might follow up with a soft jerk bait, if there is a ripple on thwe water.

As soon as the sun is up, I would crank the same weed breaks, then move to outside and meter deeper structure areas and spend the next several hours working metered bass on structure, after I have determined what depth the bass are feeding in. Structure lures of choice are jigs, drop shot worms, structure spoons, swimbaits and big worms.

Late afternoon, depending on what I have learned form being on the water, I may go and crank the morning breaks or work the weed mats with a frog or or soft plastic creature.

We would more than likely not cross paths.

Tom

X2 as well.

Nice post WRB !!!

Other times I am focused on a c-rig after the am bite, 20-25 ft of water and just stay with that as well for the remainder of the day.

[A-Rob]

I pretended my lake was a grass lake b/c thats what it is in my zone.

Interesting to hear some of your guys approaches to various styles of lakes

[6pointbuck2003]

A- Rob thats exactly why i made this. I would be interesting to have some other scenarios and see what people would do

[Miller's Ferry 8]

In the lake I fish if this scenario were to take place I would try finding some reeds or grass on the edge of deep water and usually during that cold spell I put on smaller lures. So I would tie on a small flippin jig and flip into the reeds and grass, especially if there is some wood around it. But again this will most likely vary in different parts of the country.

[quanjig]

Surprised nobody has said top water other than buzz bait! Chug bug, popper, spook would get my first cast on weedy points with flats a close second. I would then look at the ends of bluffy areas and flip a beaver style bait around any cover. From there, I would look at deeper points with a medium crank or shakey paying close attention to the graph looking for suspended bait and the depth they are mostly relating to and look to target those depths as I continue my search. Football jigs and scroungers would play a major part in my day!!