Fundamentals Of Spring

[BuffaloBass716]

Okay so I know there are literally tons of forum posts and articles on spring bass fishing but Id like it if you guys could help me out and just post a few main topics about the three parts of spring (Pre-spawn, spawn, post spawn)

 

I was hoping you guys can just clarify the general temperature, location (structure), and baits for that particular part of spring.  Just to make it easy and so that I have it on hand and know where this information is, id like to have it in my forum post. 

 

Thanks you guys. P.S. The water temp here is still 32 Degrees...

[FlipnLimits]

Try the northwest corner of your lake, it will warm faster than other parts of the lake.  Fish ridiculously slow or use longer pauses with faster moving baits.  Try to find any green weeds and fish them.  When the water gets to 60-65 degrees, bass will start to spawn. 

 

FL

[gulfcaptain]

Wow, where I'm from the water never gets below 50 and when it does its cold. If I was you, I'd focus on Smallmouth.  They seem to tend to move more in cooler water....ie, few days after your ice disappears. Look for staging areas, rock piles, ledges, humps, areas close to spawning flats.  Pre-spawn, lures seem to be lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits., the spawn, soft baits (senkos, flukes, dropshot worm, tubes) and jigs work well around the beds. And well if you have both you could probably fish the SM on beds and then work weed edges or other staging areas for LM in their pre-spawn.  Then post-spawn, tubes, wakebaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, all work as they are feeding.  Look for them to hang around the same area where they spawned. Any cover close by will more then likely hold them while they re-coup from their spawning activities.  SM I believe use more rocky areas as where LM will use a hard bottom, old lily pad beds, and wood to spawn.  This would be my game plan if I lived up around where you do.  

[BuffaloBass716]

Wow, where I'm from the water never gets below 50 and when it does its cold. If I was you, I'd focus on Smallmouth.  They seem to tend to move more in cooler water....ie, few days after your ice disappears. Look for staging areas, rock piles, ledges, humps, areas close to spawning flats.  Pre-spawn, lures seem to be lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits., the spawn, soft baits (senkos, flukes, dropshot worm, tubes) and jigs work well around the beds. And well if you have both you could probably fish the SM on beds and then work weed edges or other staging areas for LM in their pre-spawn.  Then post-spawn, tubes, wakebaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, all work as they are feeding.  Look for them to hang around the same area where they spawned. Any cover close by will more then likely hold them while they re-coup from their spawning activities.  SM I believe use more rocky areas as where LM will use a hard bottom, old lily pad beds, and wood to spawn.  This would be my game plan if I lived up around where you do.  

I mostly fish a wide river (Niagara River) from shore, any tips on how I'd go about fishing it properly during the spring? I also fish in a canal that feeds into the river, one spot in particular has alot of lily pads in the summer and is in a cove type area and is around 3-4 feet deep. Could this be a good spot for largemouth bass to spawn?

[gulfcaptain]

Well when I lived back in Oklahoma fishing the river that fed the lake I lived on I learned a few things.  They don't like to sit in current, so anywhere you see where something can break that current you're probably gonna find a fish holding.  Look for the deeper pools or areas of the river where it slows. Don't try and fish the whole area, find an area you can concentrate on an really look and study the way it flows, where if any weed patches grow, old timber/trees and brush that can and probably hold fish.  Big rocks where your SM will stage.  Search river fishing articles on here and read.  The canal that feeds into the river, is there a deeper area close by with slower waters...ie backwater pool?  If there is that would be a good area to fish pre-spawn LM, and yes your canal would be a good spot for them to spawn, especially if you have caught them there in the summer months.  Always remember, fish upstream and not down, fish face the current and wait for food to come to them.  

[BuffaloBass716]

The canal goes a ways before it comes to a part where it kind of branches off to a shallower area that surrounds a small man-made island, then it extends under a road connected by a few large pipes, this is the area that is a few feet deep and covered in lily pads in mid summer.  I will attach a link with the picture of the area on Google maps. Thanks for your help

 

https://goo.gl/maps/z3kjW

[roadwarrior]

http://www.bassresource.com/seasonal-fishing-articles/

[Weld's Largemouth]

Okay so I know there are literally tons of forum posts and articles on spring bass fishing but Id like it if you guys could help me out and just post a few main topics about the three parts of spring (Pre-spawn, spawn, post spawn)

 

I was hoping you guys can just clarify the general temperature, location (structure), and baits for that particular part of spring.  Just to make it easy and so that I have it on hand and know where this information is, id like to have it in my forum post. 

 

Thanks you guys. P.S. The water temp here is still 32 Degrees...

If you're pond isn't frozen, get your gear ready. My ponds just unfroze and i waited like a week, we had like 2 or 3 50+ degree days and i hit them on the weekend and they were active and nailing spoons, only spoons though.

[WRB]

River bass fishing up north is very different from reservoir bass fishing below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Smallmouth spawn starts around 58D ends about 65D and river bass live in constant current conditions.

You need to study and learn current breaks, seems in the water where current is slack between faster moving water. To spawn, bass need the water to be still or very slight current protected areas with gravel bottoms in rivers.

The Niagara river has fast moving current, the deeper holes should hold pre spawner's, look for protected current areas near the deeper hole areas where the water is about 2' to 4' deep, sandy-gravel type bottom with good sunlight.

Tom