Pre-Spawn Bass Refuse To Bite

[Michigun71]

Hey guys,

 

This is my first post and I am new to the forum but I just wanted to get some opinions on what has been happening. The fish are moving up shallow and some are already on beds and some have not yet moved in to spawn. Either way they just do not want to take anything I throw. From finesse worms and jigs to crank baits and spinner baits, nothing. I can see quite a few as the water has decent visibility and the weeds are just starting to grow up on the bottom. 

 

Any tips for when they get complete lock jaw like this? In the past, wacky rigs and senkos have been killer but this year that's just not the case.

 

Thanks in advance for any tips / tricks!

[Weld's Largemouth]

This means they are in the spawn, not pre spawn, the only reason they will have to bite now is to defend the bed, try pulling a jig onto their bed, let it sit, get them interested, jig it a bit, repeat. Same thing is happening to me, and tonight's a full moon so they are spawning heavily

[papajoe222]

Welcome to the board.  This time of year can be heaven or hell when it comes to catching.  I would target the first major depth change from the spawning areas you've been fishing.  Both late spawners and post spawning fish will stage there and as not all fish will spawn at the same time, the opportunity to get into some active pre-spawn females with reaction presentations should still exist.  If not, post spawn fish will stage there for anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks before either moving deep to their summer homes, or to shallow water cover. Either way they're headed, they'll go here first and although finiky feeders, they're easier to entice than when they were on the beds. 

Good luck, welcome to the board and don't be a stranger.  There is a ton of great information exchanged here.

[Mikell]

They become super finicky spooky when on their beds, like what has already been suggested, I agree, take some sort of jig or creature bait, like a z hog jr or a baby brush hog, i like to rig them on a shakey head so it keeps them nose down like theyre trying to get into the bed or "feeding". Cast past the bed, or flip/pitch past the bed, then reel it in slowly and let it fall to the edge of the bed. Then slowly skip/shake it into the center, then just lightly shake it  and let it set there. The key is to go pretty slow and be patient!

[Michigun71]

Thank you for all of your replies! I am heading out again in the morning so hopefully I can get something going. Still better than working but a few nice fish is always a nice bonus

[WRB]

Pre spawn bass are out of sight, if you seeing big bass up in shallow water cruising the bed zone they are transitioning to the spawn. Pre spawn bass are catchable and stage outside the spawning area, not inside, because these big girls are uncomfortable in shallow water with anglers looking at them. The urge to spawn finally overcomes their fear or instinct and they move up and select bed sites to lay eggs in, they move back out into a safe zone. The big female may make more than 1 egg laying shortie, moving back and forth. When she is finished she move back out near the initial staging area and recuperates for several days before moving into her summer period area and behavior pattern.

Not all the bass are on the same time schedule and a few waves of both pre spawn and spawner's doing their thing at different lake locations, so opportunities to locate and catch active feeders are available.

Fish for bass you can't see is the key to success during pre spawn.

Tom

[IowaHusker28]

This kind of happened to us today. Second cast of the day I caught a 3 pounder on a lipless crank bait, thinking I was off to a hot start I stuck with it for about an hour with no luck. I was fishing with a partner so we switched up between a spinnerbait, crank bait, chatter bait, etc, but nothing was really happening; picking off a couple here and there but then we switched to weightless wacky rig (KVD perfect plastics ocho) and just started to smoke em. We easily ended up with over 40 and 30 something came off the wacky rigt. They were mostly males, because of the cold front, the females were deeper but only went after them for about an hour. 

 

If you're from Michigan I would assume that most of the fish are still in pre spawn but they are starting to move shallow. Try the first cover off of the flats, maybe even deeper ledges. Could work a jig or something else off the bottom. 

 

I know you said you tried the wacky rig, but maybe work a different area, color, length. 

[InfamousBG]

You tick those fish off and they will bite...trust me 

[nascar2428]

Pre spawn bass are out of sight, if you seeing big bass up in shallow water cruising the bed zone they are transitioning to the spawn. Pre spawn bass are catchable and stage outside the spawning area, not inside, because these big girls are uncomfortable in shallow water with anglers looking at them. The urge to spawn finally overcomes their fear or instinct and they move up and select bed sites to lay eggs in, they move back out into a safe zone. The big female may make more than 1 egg laying shortie, moving back and forth. When she is finished she move back out near the initial staging area and recuperates for several days before moving into her summer period area and behavior pattern.

Not all the bass are on the same time schedule and a few waves of both pre spawn and spawner's doing their thing at different lake locations, so opportunities to locate and catch active feeders are available.

Fish for bass you can't see is the key to success during pre spawn.

Tom

I always find your info to be very enlightening. I caught fish right after the opener here in Michigan, Since then the weather has been so inconsistent that I have been unable to get a bite. It is my belief that the majority of Largemouth are no where close to spawning and have been doing exactly what you have described. Thanks for being a member. 

[CDobber]

We went from 70's to 50's over the last few days, and I noticed much less bass (but not non-existent) activity in the shallows today as a result....was out at a local lake and a quarry, for roughly 5 hours total, and didn't net a thing.  Had one big fish near the pier come off the hook (thinking it was a 30+" carp, maybe a small muskie, didn't get a great look at it)....and had a small bass quickly wiggle off another hookset.  Full moon, cold front, pre-spawn.....little to no interest from even the sight fishing I was able to observe.