Pre Spawn Habits Of Bass

[Carl Burroughs]

What is going on with 10"-12" bass that are meandering along the lake bank about 8' to 10' out and will not pay attention to lures or night crawlers presented to them?

Is this a Pre Spawn habit?

I sat and watched dozens of these bass just pass back and forth in front of me.

[Paul Roberts]

Where are you?

 

Could be any number of things.

[Carl Burroughs]

Small lake in Chesapeake, VA.

Saw the same thing in small lake at Douthat State Park, VA.

[J Francho]

Maybe they are doing you a favor by not biting?  LOL, go look for the 18-22" fish.

[Carl Burroughs]

Here is a video I took of this activity.
It will illustrate what they were doing.

 

[RoachDad]

that would drive me crazy too.  Have you thrown a Senko? 

[ChrisAW]

They are up cruising look for a place to make a bed for the females to come up and spawn. I was seeing the same thing all day yesterday, was able to get a few of them to bite. Trick is being well away from them and making longer casts. Sight fishing is fun, but it often doesn't work unless they are on the bed and only pick up your lure to move it. If you can see them, they can see you, and are VERY easily spooked.

 

If you visit the same place often, you'll notice beds start popping up soon. Make sure to hang back and look around for a little bit, see if you can't see a sandy or bare spot on the bottom, and look closely for a fish or two to be hovering around it. If you keep back or stay low, cast past the bed. Bring the bait into the bed slowly and just shake it in place for a little bit. You'll probably be able to pick up a couple of females on their bed before too long.

[Paul Roberts]

Neat video! Ain't the internet cool!

 

Your spawn should be winding down now, Yes? Esp in a small lake. It's possible I suppose that, these being smaller fish, they might be late spawners. Sometimes small males will be ready/willing to spawn but the females are pretty much done. I've seen that.

 

They could also be post-spawn males guarding fry. Males begin to make wider and wider circuits as the fry swarm moves away from the bed site. That's what they look like to me. Odd IME that there are several so close together, but possibly their respective fry swarms have moved into the immediate shoreline cover along this shoreline and their guardians have followed. You should look closely along/within the shoreline cover for fry -large numbers of tiny black fish.

 

Either way, you should know very soon, when they are accompanied by bigger females, or tiny fry.

[Carl Burroughs]

They are up cruising look for a place to make a bed for the females to come up and spawn. I was seeing the same thing all day yesterday, was able to get a few of them to bite. Trick is being well away from them and making longer casts. Sight fishing is fun, but it often doesn't work unless they are on the bed and only pick up your lure to move it. If you can see them, they can see you, and are VERY easily spooked.

 

If you visit the same place often, you'll notice beds start popping up soon. Make sure to hang back and look around for a little bit, see if you can't see a sandy or bare spot on the bottom, and look closely for a fish or two to be hovering around it. If you keep back or stay low, cast past the bed. Bring the bait into the bed slowly and just shake it in place for a little bit. You'll probably be able to pick up a couple of females on their bed before too long.

 

Thanks for the info. This particular spot has lots of over growth along the bank and very difficult to get into or work a lure.

[ChrisAW]

Neat video! Ain't the internet cool!

 

Your spawn should be winding down now, Yes? Esp in a small lake. It's possible I suppose that, these being smaller fish, they might be late spawners. Sometimes small males will be ready/willing to spawn but the females are pretty much done. I've seen that.

 

They could also be post-spawn males guarding fry. Males begin to make wider and wider circuits as the fry swarm moves away from the bed site. That's what they look like to me. Odd IME that there are several so close together, but possibly their respective fry swarms have moved into the immediate shoreline cover along this shoreline and their guardians have followed. You should look closely along/within the shoreline cover for fry -large numbers of tiny black fish.

 

Either way, you should know very soon, when they are accompanied by bigger females, or tiny fry.

Not looking at where you were from before, the above is probably more likely. I would have figured they would have spawned down there by now. But, never know.

[BuckMaxx]

I'd be throwing a lizard...

[CPBassFishing]

Wacky rig a little baitfish imitator dude. I have been killin the cruisers lately on a 3.6" PTL JP Hammer Shad wacky rigged. Cast it a foot away from them and just twitch it like an injured bluegill fry. They will come up and inhale it.

Here's a short video demonstrating this technique. Right now the bass are hanging around bluegill beds looking for a spot to make a nest, and they will pick off fry.

[Paul Roberts]

Carl, I was going to ask if your bluegills had started to spawn yet, but didn't go there bc of your focus on the bass spawn. When the 'gills spawn here, the bass are done. Those could be bass hunting bluegills at spawn colonies. The speed at which they are cruising makes me think they are males (some still with fry), along with their size. If your 'gills are spawning and all you are seeing are males at your present spot, I'd tool around some looking for colonies with bigger bluegills. There will be female bass there.

 

CPBass Fishing. Are you certain your bass are making beds? Or are they just hunting spawning 'gills, a very strong fishing pattern in bluegill waters. Good lure choice there. Going to have to look into those, or something similar.

[CPBassFishing]

Carl, I was going to ask if your bluegills had started to spawn yet, but didn't go there bc of your focus on the bass spawn. When the 'gills spawn here, the bass are done. Those could be bass hunting bluegills at spawn colonies. The speed at which they are cruising makes me think they are males (some still with fry), along with their size. If your 'gills are spawning and all you are seeing are males at your present spot, I'd tool around some looking for colonies with bigger bluegills. There will be female bass there. CPBass Fishing. Are you certain your bass are making beds? Or are they just hunting spawning 'gills, a very strong fishing pattern in bluegill waters. Good lure choice there. Going to have to look into those, or something similar.

yeah man they are just starting. I am completely sure because I have not had an interval of more than three days when I didn't fish that pond in the last 2 months. The bluegill spawn before the bass here for some reason.

[Paul Roberts]

Is this every year? Or do you think this is an odd year.

[Carl Burroughs]

WELL!!! 

The mystery is solved.

An "expert" told me that these are CARP!!
And they disturb bass fishing until they get through their spawning ritual.

 

Today they were thrashing around along the bank under over hanging bushes.
STILL would not take a bait!!!

[Paul Roberts]

Doh! I see their forked tails now.

 

The thrashing is spawning. The "cruisers" are males chasing females.

[Carl Burroughs]

NOW LET's GO BASS FISHING!!!!!!

[J Francho]

Doh! I see their forked tails now.

 

The thrashing is spawning. The "cruisers" are male chasing females.

 

Yep, carp spawn is pretty violent.  Several males smash into a single female in order to physically expel her eggs.  From a distance, it can look like mini geysers in the flats.

[Paul Roberts]

NOW LET's GO BASS FISHING!!!!!!

Here here!