Spawning In July

[HistoryNerd27]

While at a local pond today I found a bass sitting 3 foot off the bank on what looked like a bed. I threw a t-rig in front of his face and he acted very much like a bass on bed, stared at it but didn't go for it. Threw on his head, he swam off then right back in. I have never heard of bass spawning in early July but he sure acted like a bass on a bed. Has anyone heard of anything like this before?

[Shanes7614]

Yes. I've been told but yet to witness myself that many bass here in Florida will spawn two times a year.

[RoLo]

One day in June, a friend of mine told me excitedly that there was a bass bedding next to the wharf.

This was Florida, so I was pretty sure he was mistaken. Well, as it turned out, he was absolutely correct

and I seen it for myself. So, if bass can bed as late as June in Florida, I'd imagine they can bed as late as July in Virginia.

 

From what I've read, bass that just reach sexual maturity tend to be the last bass to nest.

For what it's worth, the bass I seen bedding in June was very small.

 

Roger

[Canyon explorer]

Yes, but most are finished in the central region.

[flyfisher]

I know where i am water temps are in the low to mid 80's but as we all know, bass do what they want, when they want so nothing surprises me anymore.

[BASSPATROL247]

Ive seen bass spawning in the summer a few times, and just a few fish.

[CRANKENSTIEN]

I caught a couple of bass Friday with eggs in them. Tha s as late as I've seen in northern iL. Also so some 2 inch bass schooling around ??

[RoLo]

Crank, I believe that's a different phenomenon.

 

As Mama Nature would have it, cow bass produce more eggs than necessary.

Even though a cow will visit the beds of several buck bass, there's normally leftover roe after the spawning season.

Apparently it takes time to absorb the surplus, which can last into the summer.

When I lived in Jersey, I often found roe in bass I cleaned during the summer.

 

Roger

[HoosierHawgs]

We had what I would think as a double spawn almost at a local lake here. It was kinda interesting to see the bass go completely through the spawn cycles again, especially in midsummer

[WRB]

It's common occurrence with bass to spawn multiple times over a month time period. This is natures way to insure the servival of the species by not putting all the eggs in one basket. It's the bell curve where about 10% on both sides of the curve are different than the average 80% in the middle. The survival rate for the early birds and later gators isn't as high the average 80% of the spawners, that doesn't stop it for going on. Sometimes we see a few stragglers trying to spawn in the fall, very few partners to dance with at that time.

Tom

[Shanes7614]

I have a friend who is a marine biologist and avid bass fishermen who has told me that this is a common occurrence in places such as Florida and Mexico due to the water temps always remaining over their favored spawning temps. I've been told that the same bass will be full of eggs and drop them in feb/match and then again August/sept. The temperatures staying so high screws with them and tricks their bodies into producing eggs a second time in one calendar year. I'm sure their are also some variables as to which places this normally occurs such as fishing pressure/stress on certain bodies of water.

[BASSPATROL247]

Crappies here have eggs in them from spring and ive seen them with eggs at thanksgiving with water temps in high30's to low 40's

Havent seen any since our stupid(imo) regs since i refuse to keep one thats big enough.

[Bankbeater]

Wouldn't surprise me a bit to see something like that.

[jiggerpole]

Yes, I have seen bass every year spawning as late as the end of June or even early July. We caught a bass this past Monday that had almost no tail left and bloody with a sunk in belly as if she had just spawned out, which got me to looking for bass beds and I was able to locate at least two. I have watch them doing the spawn ritual in June on several occasions. The more I study bass and lake management the more I realize that nature has some unique tricks up it's sleeve.

[NEBasser101]

Ive seen bass spawning in the summer a few times, and just a few fish.

I've seen that too.

[kayakamania]

This year in the north east we had a really cold Spring. Most of the lakes around me were about a month late for the spawn. I was on a large deep lake 2 weeks ago and there were still some Bass on the beds.

[JOBU1967]

4th of July I saw a bass cruising around in 3-4 feet  of water. I watched her for a minute and noticed she was guarding a bed. I tied on a tube with the hook point cut off and pitched it onto the bed, as soon as it landed on the sweet spot the bass sucked it in. I pulled the bass off the bed a couple of feet & when she let go she went back to the bed water temp. was 76.5.