Water Temp 58-59 Degrees

[MemphisFF]

Got a question I'm on a mini trip at pickwick and we fished all day yesterday we fished squarebills lipless spinnerbaits and dropshots we fished from 3-30 foot of water couldn't locate quality fish just some dinks and those were mostly shallow fish, what would you do today? Water temps are still pretty cool and it's been nice for 3 straight days 70's.'had a little rain and front last night but it's suppose to be 73 today.

Any advice?

[Bluebasser86]

Fish should be wrapping up spawning in those water temps, but still near spawning areas. I'd be looking at points leading into spawning pockets where the big females should be looking for their first meal in a month. 

[Mainebass1984]

 I am not sure about the bass down your way but, when the surface temperature is 58-60 degrees in New England the smallmouth spawn is ON ! I would look for beds and I am sure they will be there. Gravel areas in protected areas like coves is where they like to spawn.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Fish should be wrapping up spawning in those water temps, but still near spawning areas. I'd be looking at points leading into spawning pockets where the big females should be looking for their first meal in a month. 

 

Wrapping up spawning at 58-59 degrees? I'll have to disagree with you there.

 

I do agree with the locations you mentioned. I'd be fishing the first drop off around any known spawning areas.

[WIGuide]

Wrapping up spawning at 58-59 degrees? I'll have to disagree with you there.

 

I do agree with the locations you mentioned. I'd be fishing the first drop off around any known spawning areas.

x2

[WRB]

It's one of Roadwarriers lakes, maybe he will chime in.

You are talking pre spawn conditions and smallies move around a lot more than LMB. I would focus on secondary points and wind blown areas first, then check out the protected wind areas with sloping gravel areas second looking for any signs of bed fish when the sun is higher. Depth is dependant on water clarity and what prey the bass are on, got to be on the water to determine that....jerk baits and A-rigs should be considered.

Tom

[Mainebass1984]

Most smallies will be on beds with surface temps at 58-59 degrees. Largemouth will be pre spawn. Most fish are shallower with water temps at 58-59 degrees. The backs of coves and creeks should be holding bass. Shallow squarebill crankbait, jig, spinnerbait, chatterbait are all good choices. I wouldn't spend much time fishing deeper water.

[WRB]

When bass spawn on the surface, then surface water temps are meaningful.

Tom

[shanksmare]

If this lake contains smallmouth bass and fishes during the spawn anything like the NH lake my brother-in-law used to fish I would consider the following. Search for the fish in the NE part of the lake. The prevailing warm weather wind direction is SW, so the warm water piles up in the N or NE part of the lake. Just about the only lure he and his friends employed were tube lures. They were that effective!

[Mainebass1984]

When bass spawn on the surface, then surface water temps are meaningful.

Tom

 

Disagree. Transducer is usually about 2 feet down for the fish finder so maybe is not "surface" temperature. When I see the temp on my depth finder reading 58,59,60 I will be catching smallmouth off of there spawning beds guaranteed. Sometimes even 3 per bed. Simple bass biology when they spawn. Science.

[WRB]

Disagree. Transducer is usually about 2 feet down for the fish finder so maybe is not "surface" temperature. When I see the temp on my depth finder reading 58,59,60 I will be catching smallmouth off of there spawning beds guaranteed. Sometimes even 3 per bed. Simple bass biology when they spawn. Science.

Your TD maybe 2' deep, it shouldn't be unless the waves are that high. Regardless let's talk spawning water temps for Smallmouth bass. The 58 degree temp is lower end and requires the bass to guard eggs about 14 days at that temp, 64 degrees it takes less time about 7 days, higher recruitment success. If bass make nest in water less than 2' birds like herons pick off the smaller males, most successful nest are deeper between 3' to 5'. The water temp must be stable at least a week before bass will bed, following the cold water period. Very few lakes have homogenous water temps from the shallow water areas to the deep water areas, thus bass spawn in waves at different times in different locations.

58-59 degrees water surface are not absolute indicator of smallmouth spawn. The larger females nearly always stage deeper and are catchable until they move up to lay eggs in the shallower water where those smaller males have made their nest.

Something is true for LMB except the lower end temp is about 62, upper around 67. The reason the warmer water is problematic is bluegill swarm the shallow water beds as the water gets over 67 to start their spawning cycles.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

Wrapping up spawning at 58-59 degrees? I'll have to disagree with you there.

 

I do agree with the locations you mentioned. I'd be fishing the first drop off around any known spawning areas.

You're right, I saw 68-69 degrees for some reason. Probably because I've only slept 8 of the last 72 hours 

 

They should be just about to do the dance at those water temps, and the areas I mentioned should still be prime locations though. 

[Mainebass1984]

It must just be a slight regional difference then the generic information given for Smallmouth Bass. When I see a water temperature of 58,59, 60 degrees the majority of the smallmouth populations in all the New England lakes I have fished will be on beds. Sometimes there will be three bass on one bed, two males and a female. There is an early spawn around 56 degrees and a later spawn as late as 62 degrees. It is just how it works in New England.  The last week and a half in May and the first few days in June smallmouth spawn in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Most of the smallmouth spawn at this time.  I do see fish spawn in 2-3 feet of water but usually they are the smaller fish. Most of the spawning smallmouth I catch are in 4-6 feet.  I catch the larger fish on beds as deep as 10 feet. I prefer to follow what the majority of the bass population is doing and when I see 58,59,60 then most of them will be on beds and very catchable, males and females. I have also found that the majority of the population will use a specific area, not all over the lake. I have also noticed that specific individuals will use the same site year after year. Sure you can find one here one there all over the lake but I want to see several all with in casting distance of each other. It must be a slight regional difference then the generic information usually given for smallmouth.

[BuckMaxx]

I'd be looking in the back of coves for beds If that didn't work Id be fishing a trap/craw crank around some sort of structure off the main lake and secondary points.

[MemphisFF]

Hey guys thanks for the replies fished two days the water temp varied as expected in coves didn't catch any quality just dinks, yesterday it was warm high 70's and some wind but just couldn't locate the fish. Fished In coves, ledges,deep drop offs, humps and we threw traps squarebills drop shots spinnerbaits you name it we threw em.

We saw small fish in coves I think one more week of weather like this will have em up shallow I think the quality fish were still deeper in staging and those fish didn't want to bite. Also fishing the Tenn river lakes as I understand the fish act funny with if the dams are moving water etc also the lake was down.

[Wbeadlescomb]

If they aren't pulling water up there it can be tough. I would have been looking for largemouth in any of the matted up grass left. While not on pickwick but not too far away we couldn't get bit on a moving bait but we caught several quality fish buried up in the thickest grass we could find

[MemphisFF]

Ok Ive only fished pickwick a few times where's this grass located you don't hafta give me your spot just a general location we couldn't find any.

[MemphisFF]

Sorry jus re read your post you weren't on pickwick..

[WRB]

Amazing how tight lipped your fellow TN members are on this topic, they could PM a creek arm that is on right now.

Pickwick is a power generation lake and I would think the smallies have moved into the creek arms or bays out of the main basin, could be wrong?

Good luck, it's getting warmer everyday now.

Tom

[MemphisFF]

Yea haven't really probed.. I knew where some underwater grass was last year about this time or jus a little later it wasn't there this year or hasn't grown yet. I was disappointed that it wasn't there.

[MemphisFF]

I was thinking maybe the cold winter killed the grass.