Spring Bass

[Kuenro02]

I will be fishing in a tournament at the end of march so the water temps will still be very cold. In this situation where do you guys look first? Are fish still deep or do they come shallow to warm up? Would you look for bass along the north shore or a wind blown shore? I assume you fish slow as the fish will still be lethargic.

[Fishes in trees]

Where??  That would help.   End of March, water temps vary quite a bit depending on what neighborhood you live in.  I live in Missouri - I haven't been out yet due to fiscal and employment issues, maybe probably next week.  Anyway, if I were going out tomorrow, I wouldn't necessarily fish slow all the time.

 

Anyway, you've got lots of options that you can read about on this site, and try to apply that stuff to your neighborhood.  Me, I can't offer any advice without knowing where.

[Kuenro02]

Sorry, southwest iowa

[Goaltender]

Just fished a tourney on Lake of the Ozarks this past weekend. Jerbaits and crwling jigs in 3-10' was the go to selections. Bite was rough! Friday was 50 and overcast, Saturday 70 and windy, and Sunday 55 with heavy rain for the entire event. 47 boats, only 24 caught a fish, only top 10 bagged 5. Caught one 3 1/2 lbs on first cast, then skunked the remaining 8 hours...

[Kuenro02]

What parts of the lake do you focus on? Do the fish wait to transition shallower once the water gets in the upper 50s? Do I go upper end of the lake or fingers coming out of the deepest part of the lake?

[Jay Ell Gee]

Just a heads up.

Posting in your regional board will probably be a bit more fruitful. The lake being fished, the conditions, and more are all needed to make suggestions. You will be more likely to find assistance from locals that way.

There are also a ton of articles in the articles section about seasonal bass patterns. Make sure to read those.

It's always tough to call. I caught a bass full of eggs a few weeks ago and in that body of water they have already spawned.

The bass in my gigantic work pond That I regularly fish on lunch haven't even entered pre spawn yet. This is roughly 20 miles away.

Local advice would be your best bet.

[Leviathan]

All winter I've been catching many massive bass and spring comes, bass aren't biting? Seems odd to me anyone have an idea what's up with my bass?

[Paul Roberts]

All winter I've been catching many massive bass and spring comes, bass aren't biting? Seems odd to me anyone have an idea what's up with my bass?

Your bass live in Florida and have never seen ice.

[Leviathan]

Irrelevant, winter is winter, a dramatic decrease in temperature will make fish less active, so the increase of temperature and the climate change for spring should make the bass fishing more eventful now than in last winter. Just curious why it isn't.

[senile1]

Irrelevant, winter is winter, a dramatic decrease in temperature will make fish less active, so the increase of temperature and the climate change for spring should make the bass fishing more eventful now than in last winter. Just curious why it isn't.

 

You have a point that huge drops in temperature affect bass no matter where that change occurs in the temperature spectrum.  However, with bass being cold-blooded creatures, it is unlikely that a Florida bass in 50 degree water will be as lethargic as a northern bass in water temperatures that are in the 30s.  There is a huge noticeable difference in fishing water that is in the upper 40s to 50 degrees as opposed to the 30s.  When fish live in water that cold they really slow down and do not eat often.  Finding the right presentation to trigger a strike can be very, very tough.  It is not the same as going from the 60s to the 50s or even upper 40s. 

 

To the OP, I am in Northwest Missouri and water temperatures here are still in the upper 30s to very low 40s.  I suspect you are at least that cold or colder since you are further north.  I would hope for a few days of warmth to bring the temperatures up a bit, but otherwise, you may have to fish a Winter pattern.

[Leviathan]

Agreed 100%, although my question isn't what bass do in cold waters or which places they are affected more than others. I'm asking why would increase in temperature (spring) not cause more action? Maybe just too early in spring for a big difference.

[senile1]

Leviathan, I think you are correct.  It is probably too early for the OP.  I went back and added a bit to my post.  He is in central Iowa and I am in Northwest Missouri.  We still have water in the upper 30s to low 40s where I am at.  His bass are probably still in a winter pattern.

[aharris]

Agreed 100%, although my question isn't what bass do in cold waters or which places they are affected more than others. I'm asking why would increase in temperature (spring) not cause more action? Maybe just too early in spring for a big difference.

Did you watch the classic? They talked about fast warming trends affect bass the same way a cold front affects them. Fish up there are use to the cold water temp, then all of a sudden the water temp changes 4 or 5 degrees and the fish act the same as if they were your florida bass when a cold front comes in. Im no pro, so dont take this to heart. It's just my opinion.

[Paul Roberts]

Agreed 100%, although my question isn't what bass do in cold waters or which places they are affected more than others. I'm asking why would increase in temperature (spring) not cause more action? Maybe just too early in spring for a big difference.

I guess my point is that, while it may be spring in FL, it's not in IA.

[Paul Roberts]

Did you watch the classic? They talked about fast warming trends affect bass the same way a cold front affects them. Fish up there are use to the cold water temp, then all of a sudden the water temp changes 4 or 5 degrees and the fish act the same as if they were your florida bass when a cold front comes in. Im no pro, so dont take this to heart. It's just my opinion.

I just listened to Zona's post-Classic description and he described it as a "typical winter (cold water) scenario". I guess conditions were warmer earlier and a lot of fish had moved up but it chilled out during the event and fish became inactive. That's as Zona told it -all the coverage I've seen.

[joetomlee]

Kuenro, that's a tough situation. I know you're probably expecting some generic fish pattern advice but this is particularly a difficult time of the year to figure out what the fish are doing in your waters. They may still be very lethargic or they may be moving to the shallows in search of warmth. I don't think you'll find the advice you're in need of on this section of the forum. My advice to you is to follow Jay Ell Gee's suggestion and post in your regional forum to see if anybody has had an opportunity to uncover their current patterns. If that fails, I'd take a trip to the local tackle shop and make small talk there. It may not be a full-proof method, but I think it's your best bet.

[MCS]

Similar encounters to the OP males on beds catching them on craws but the females yet to show. Usually throw senkos as a summer type bait but I will give it a try tomorrow.

 

EDIT:

Pulled a couple 16-17 inchers out this morning on the senko type near a few beds by a drain culvert. Wish I could have stayed longer the action was just getting going when I had to leave, got there way too early, but at least a couple of fish made for a good start to the morning.

[Kuenro02]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm just restless and want to fish as I sit inside with 2" of fresh snow from last night. Next week were supposed to see 50 degrees. Here's what I'm gonna try. Red craw lipless crank, drop shot worm, red wiggle wart, and Carolina rigged lizard. I'm gonna start on the north shore line shallow. If this doesn't work ill move out to the transition areas. For ice out fish do you focus on the quick depth change from deep to shallow or the long gradual flats? Any other options for baits or lake zones?

[tbone1993]

jerk bait, alabama rig, wiggle wart. try and cover some water and nail a pattern down. It will be tough. 

[WRB]

When bass first move up onto flats near spawning areas in 1' to 6' of water they are catchable with nosy faster moving lures like a chatter bait or lipless crankbaits.

Tom

[merc1997]

one of the best bassers ever born was glen andrews. glen had this to say about spring bass. "they are like a pack of hungry dogs. what works one day will not work the next, because they are someplace else. weather is constantly changing and this keeps them on the move and at different depths." i will have to agree with what glen said. spring bass can make you pull your hair out many times. you just have to be flexible, and aware of current weather trends. i have caught bass on gravel flats one day. go back the next, and there are not any fish there. i will then work my way back to where the channel gets closer to the bank, and usually that is where you will find them. coves and creeks are the same way. one day they will be more towards the back end, and the next, even without weather change, will all be about halfway back out. hours on the water will always help you in being able to consistently find them.

bo