What Does This Mean?

[BuffaloBass716]

There's been a few nice warm days in a row (low 60's) and I was out enjoying the weather a started talking to some people fishing in a creek pocket that I normally fish in the summer and fall. I watched them for some time just chatting and finally he caught a nice largemouth, but that confused me...

 

The lake, river, and creek are all connected and the lake is still covered in ice with temps in the 30's. The river has chunks of ice floating in it, i'm not sure what the temp is but it is very cold if you stand by it in the wind.  The creek is the color of chocolate milk from all the runoff and rain, I'm not sure the temp here either but it is very shallow (only a few feet deep).  I wouldn't think the bass are spawning in there yet but maybe i'm wrong?  A few other people fishing in the same area seemed to be skunked... So was this just a lucky fish that was in shallow water? Or can the creek be some much warmer than the river that they are spawning? 

 

thoughts?

[ABW]

I think it was luck. About a week ago, I caught 2 nice largemouth out of like 10 tiny bass. Both bass hit my lure as I was reeling it back in to shore to cast out again.

[Mainebass1984]

It will be awhile before bass will be spawning. In general rivers warm up quicker then lakes and ponds in the spring which at times causes bass to congregate in and around inlets and connecting rivers. If the lake is still ice covered and the river is not then clearly the river must be warmer then the lake. Bass will seek out warmer water this time of year.

[FlipnLimits]

You can call it luck but simply put, bass seek warmer water to boost their metabolism, search for food, and ultimately to spawn.  No, they are not spawning in that creek, even if it's warmer, but it's a place to start fishing.  The water is not warm enough and there is not enough cover and zooplankton/small food to sustain fry, so no spawning yet. 

 

FL

[gripnrip]

There's nothing to be confused about.  Some of my best days fishing or hunting have been when the conditions are less than ideal.  I don't ever look for the ideal days anymore.  I just get out there whether I get skunked or not. You're not going to catch them on the couch.  

[flyfisher]

doubt they were spawning as has been mentioned already.  And just because the water is cold, the bass still need to eat.  Some of my biggest bass were caught in cold water in the high 30s to low 40s.

[BuffaloBass716]

So you guys believe since the creek is warmer, the bass will head there first? I know the main river is pretty clear water (5-6ft) and the creek is as muddy as it gets. I didn't see many bait fish in the creeks, the river had some close to shore. 

 

The Great Lakes water system seems a lot more confusing as for where/how the bass will spawn.

[gulfcaptain]

Just because the river is clear, stained and muddy water warm faster then clean water....so odds are even though that creek is cold, it's probably just guessing about 10 degrees warmer which may only be in the upper 40's but it's still warmer then the river and lake.  Being it's muddy and shallow they will get really shallow in the afternoons to sun and feel comfortable because the water is dirty.  They may be up in less then a foot of water. 

[Traveler2586]

Yes the creek will warm first, grass might start to sprout, mudbugs may be actively feeding on smaller insects, and that will attract the smaller fish, then that will attract the larger fish.

 

Like the others above said, even though the water is cold to us the food chain still needs to feed.

 

Look for the deeper holes on the bends, fish deep and slow.   

[bigbill]

The most northern part gets the most Sun for a longer period of time.

Right now the bass are gathering in the warmest area.

 

It's before the spawn but there feeding right now and keeping warm.

Just like we are out in the 60's to 70's temps.

[BuckMaxx]

No fluke there were reasons the bass were in there. It was possibly a degree or two warmer. They were in a pocket out of the current to conserve energy They had found a ball of bait pushed back up in there. Who knows? But put that in your mental library it might come in jandy someday.

[Gotfishyfingers?]

So you guys believe since the creek is warmer, the bass will head there first? I know the main river is pretty clear water (5-6ft) and the creek is as muddy as it gets. I didn't see many bait fish in the creeks, the river had some close to shore. 

 

The Great Lakes water system seems a lot more confusing as for where/how the bass will spawn.

Yes. The backs of creeks warm up 1st before the main lake. That's why bass head that direction to spawn.. Even just a couple degrees is all you need for them to be in one creek and not in another to. Finding the warmest water is part of the puzzle to finding fish during the spring big time.

[WIGuide]

Just another thing to remember is that if the water running in that creek is mainly runoff, it's going to be warmer from that too. Runoff runs over already warmed ground and is generally really shallow so it is less resistant to temp change. Add into that the fact that it's chocolate colored and that's another thing that will make it warm up in the sun faster. I'm thinking the water temp in that creek is quite a bit warmer than the main river with giant ice cubes floating around in it.