spawn questions

[Shaggie]

1. I just read an article on here talking about LMB spawning times and behaviors. How can I tell if our area is into the spawn? Our water temps are still fairly low. The article said LMB start spawning around 60 degrees. This tells me we're not there yet.

2. The article also says that the male will stay and guard the eggs/fry. What are the females up to? Where are they, what are they doing? How do we target them and not the males sitting on a bed?

 

[Hawkeye21]

I just went to a local pond yesterday and I saw the LMB started spawning.  They were all along the banks and I could see their beds.  The bite was extremely slow.  I threw my usual square bill crank bait and they never even looked.

Since they are protecting their beds I through out a creature bait and put it close.  This really got their attention but they still didn't bite right away, just stared at it.  I was able to entice a few bites though and throughout the day I caught about 7 of them.

[IndianaFinesse]

Answer to question #1:  You are correct in saying they start spawning at around 60 degrees.  Some people say to watch a dog wood tree and when it's blossoming, in means the bass are spawning. 

Answer to question #2:  Immediately after laying her eggs the female retreats to deeper water to recuperate from the rigors of spawning.  Thay are very hard to catch for one to two weeks after the spawn as they don't eat at all.  Because the bass don't all spawn at one time I usually target the females who either haven't layed there eggs yet, or the fish that have already recuperated from the spawn and are up shallow feeding heavily.  The only possible way to catch the recuperating females is to down size to something like a Ned rig and fish it extremely slowly and drop it onto there nose.

3 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

I just went to a local pond yesterday and I saw the LMB started spawning.  They were all along the banks and I could see their beds.  The bite was extremely slow.  I threw my usual square bill crank bait and they never even looked.

Since they are protecting their beds I through out a creature bait and put it close.  This really got their attention but they still didn't bite right away, just stared at it.  I was able to entice a few bites though and throughout the day I caught about 7 of them.

Try the Ned rig, it is by far the best bed fishing bait I have ever used.  The trick to fishing for spawning bass is to change lures constantly, every couple casts grab another rod rigged up with something different.  I usually bring six rods, one with a Ned rig, jig, yum crawbug, split shot rigged four inch lizard, a drop shot, and a small crappie two inch slider type plastic.  The Ned catches the majority of the fish, then the crawbug the next most and the crappie grub is in third place.

[Hawkeye21]

33 minutes ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Answer to question #1:  You are correct in saying they start spawning at around 60 degrees.  Some people say to watch a dog wood tree and when it's blossoming, in means the bass are spawning. 

Answer to question #2:  Immediately after laying her eggs the female retreats to deeper water to recuperate from the rigors of spawning.  Thay are very hard to catch for one to two weeks after the spawn as they don't eat at all.  Because the bass don't all spawn at one time I usually target the females who either haven't layed there eggs yet, or the fish that have already recuperated from the spawn and are up shallow feeding heavily.  The only possible way to catch the recuperating females is to down size to something like a Ned rig and fish it extremely slowly and drop it onto there nose.

Try the Ned rig, it is by far the best bed fishing bait I have ever used.  The trick to fishing for spawning bass is to change lures constantly, every couple casts grab another rod rigged up with something different.  I usually bring six rods, one with a Ned rig, jig, yum crawbug, split shot rigged four inch lizard, a drop shot, and a small crappie two inch slider type plastic.  The Ned catches the majority of the fish, then the crawbug the next most and the crappie grub is in third place.

 

I actually did try the Ned rig.  It was my first time trying it though so I was learning how to use it.  I was able to catch two fish but they were small.  I could get them to look at it but they didn't seem to interested.

I had three poles set up.  Ned rig, Senko and a creature type bait.  I had also thrown a jig and crank bait.

[Catt]

 There are few experts more capable of unlocking the mysteries involved with the spawning ritual and debunking the myths than Ken Cook. And it is by borrowing from his insight, as well as that of other spawning specialists (pros like Shaw Grigsbyand Guido Hibdon), that the average angler can begin to lock onto the spawn with consistent success.

The key is gaining an understanding of the behavioral basics and timing of bedding bass.

 We act like we know that the males precede the females to the spawning areas, explains Cook, a six-time B.A.S.S. tournament winner. But I don't think that is true because both sexes seem to get very aggressive and very food-oriented during what we call the pre-spawn stage. The come out of the cold winter and the water warms up and their metabolism kicks in. Both sexes really become aggressive as feeders.

 Then there seems to be a time frame in which the females become less interested in feeding, but the males continue to bite because they pick up the aggressiveness of the spawn. Both are focused on the spawn right on through the spawning period. The females kind of back off of feeding and become less aggressive as the hormonal changes in their body take place as they prepare to actually lay their eggs.

 Conventional knowledge indicates that the male bass builds the nest, fans it out and guards it (zealously). Generally, a good male that is aggressive and active will attract more than one female to his nest and spawn with each of them. Along with that, an active female will spawn a number of times and, in most cases, ina number of different males' nests. She moves down the shoreline making it with different males. The male sits in one spot and waits for more females to come by. I think that is sort of a hedge (on the part of the female) against an infertile male spoiling the hatch of a good fertile female. So she spread her eggs around and he spreads his fertility around. That ensures a higher success rate for that spawn.

 That is important knowledge for fishermen, because most people think that once the female leaves the bed, only the male is left. It is true that the female only guards the nest for a short time before moving away, but other females will come to that nest. The other thing to keep in mind is that this isn't a long, drawn-out process. Once the water reaches the upper 60 degrees, which is ideal, it only takes about three or four days for the eggs to hatch. I think the male will spend about six weeks on the beds as the females rotate through, but the whole spawning season happens over three full moons, bringing a new wave of spawning with get full moon period.

 Cook emphasizes that understanding the spawning habits of the female bass will significantly improve your chances of catching some of the biggest bass of the year. He believes that the female often moves on and off of the bed to deposit more eggs (hatchery studies support this claim). Few females drop all of their eggs at once. Instead, they expel a portion and then move off to a nearbybreakline, bush or grass edge.

 It is this sporadic purging of eggs and the ability to spawn with different males on several nests that keeps the annual spring bedding season from being severely impacted by large tournaments. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist Clarence Bowling says studies have shown that a female (when handled properly) will simply locate a bed and an available male in the area where she is released and complete spawning.

GET A LOCK ON THE SPAWN By Tim Tucker

[WRB]

On May 7, 2016 at 7:46 AM, Catt said:

 There are few experts more capable of unlocking the mysteries involved with the spawning ritual and debunking the myths than Ken Cook. And it is by borrowing from his insight, as well as that of other spawning specialists (pros like Shaw Grigsbyand Guido Hibdon), that the average angler can begin to lock onto the spawn with consistent success.

The key is gaining an understanding of the behavioral basics and timing of bedding bass.

 We act like we know that the males precede the females to the spawning areas, explains Cook, a six-time B.A.S.S. tournament winner. But I don't think that is true because both sexes seem to get very aggressive and very food-oriented during what we call the pre-spawn stage. The come out of the cold winter and the water warms up and their metabolism kicks in. Both sexes really become aggressive as feeders.

 Then there seems to be a time frame in which the females become less interested in feeding, but the males continue to bite because they pick up the aggressiveness of the spawn. Both are focused on the spawn right on through the spawning period. The females kind of back off of feeding and become less aggressive as the hormonal changes in their body take place as they prepare to actually lay their eggs.

 Conventional knowledge indicates that the male bass builds the nest, fans it out and guards it (zealously). Generally, a good male that is aggressive and active will attract more than one female to his nest and spawn with each of them. Along with that, an active female will spawn a number of times and, in most cases, ina number of different males' nests. She moves down the shoreline making it with different males. The male sits in one spot and waits for more females to come by. I think that is sort of a hedge (on the part of the female) against an infertile male spoiling the hatch of a good fertile female. So she spread her eggs around and he spreads his fertility around. That ensures a higher success rate for that spawn.

 That is important knowledge for fishermen, because most people think that once the female leaves the bed, only the male is left. It is true that the female only guards the nest for a short time before moving away, but other females will come to that nest. The other thing to keep in mind is that this isn't a long, drawn-out process. Once the water reaches the upper 60 degrees, which is ideal, it only takes about three or four days for the eggs to hatch. I think the male will spend about six weeks on the beds as the females rotate through, but the whole spawning season happens over three full moons, bringing a new wave of spawning with get full moon period.

 Cook emphasizes that understanding the spawning habits of the female bass will significantly improve your chances of catching some of the biggest bass of the year. He believes that the female often moves on and off of the bed to deposit more eggs (hatchery studies support this claim). Few females drop all of their eggs at once. Instead, they expel a portion and then move off to a nearbybreakline, bush or grass edge.

 It is this sporadic purging of eggs and the ability to spawn with different males on several nests that keeps the annual spring bedding season from being severely impacted by large tournaments. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist Clarence Bowling says studies have shown that a female (when handled properly) will simply locate a bed and an available male in the area where she is released and complete spawning.

GET A LOCK ON THE SPAWN By Tim Tucker

Nothing to dispute with this ^^^

Tom