Feel like I missed the spawn

[bassguytom]

I feel like I missed the spawn with all the rain and cold weather here I'm thinking it is the post spawn period around here. I was out Friday and the water was only 64 to 68 but am thinking the  majority of fish have already spawned.  I found some fish on the deeper side of the weedlines in 15 feet of water or so. Am I right? 

[burrows]

It happens, post spawn is good though! And you still got all Summer:+)

[MassYak85]

The first couple seasons when I was first understanding bass behavior I completely missed the spawn too. It's only been the last two years really where I've been able to capitalize on it. Spawn is wrapping up here too right now. A few still on beds, but mostly males. Water termps getting up to and exceeding 65. One day I saw the surface temp hit 70. 

[Brew City Bass]

The spawn literally just started here in Wisconsin. We've been cold til this past two days. They are now moving up and beating their beds.

[Scarborough817]

i can't even tell what's happening i'm so confused i can't see beds but they aren't where they were in pre-spawn

[Wingman87]

I feel your pain, when it's not ridiculous cold it's raining and the water is chocolate soup. I haven't had a decent day on the water in about 2 months.

[ww2farmer]

You haven't missed anything. If your weather has been like ours in WNY has, they will have moved up, and gone back.............moved up, and gone back.

They will play this game all spring long if the weather is not warm and stable. Each time a bunch move up, a few stay up an spawn despite the unfavorable conditions, but most pull back out. A big wave will come when mother nature finally pulls it's head out of her rear end. Where that wave will go is a big question in years like this. If you are on a lake with a lot of shallow backwater spawning areas, and they keep leaving because the conditions force them too, don't be surprised if they just don't go back, because by they time it settles out weather wise, the rest of the lake will be to their liking and bass are lazy, they won't travel miles to spawn in a swamp when they can go 50 yards to the bank of the lake which has warmed up enough.

These fish that are in a constant state of flux on moving up, pulling out, etc...are among the most difficult to catch. They are not locked on beds, and they are not doing "normal" prespawn or postspawn things. Quite often they pull off, out side of spawning areas and just suspend and "wait" for better conditions. 

[BassMaster17]

On 5/22/2016 at 9:42 PM, Scarborough817 said:

i can't even tell what's happening i'm so confused i can't see beds but they aren't where they were in pre-spawn

I'm in the same boat, been looking for beds but I cant find any! does anyone know if the spawns over in MI, i assume it is.

[Wildbillb]

I saw some males guarding and some females on Friday here in Michigan.

[BassDude802]

Here in soutern VT they just made some beds, places I fished at a week ago that were bare are now loaded. Fished a tourney in northern VT and saw maybe 2 all over the resivior we were in

[Mastermarsh]

The smallmouth are on their beds currently in LSC, and most of the largemouth are still prespawn or on their beds. I worked a 6 pounder in about 2 feet of water for half an hour trying to get her to bite today. They will more than likely have a heavy spawn in the next week or so with the coming heat wave in Mi over the next week.

[Zippyduck Krimm]

The largemouth have moved back and forth and finally are on beds now here. The smallies in Erie are not even fanning beds yet.

[dodgeguy]

Here in southern NY the bass are done spawning and bluegills are on the beds.larger reservoirs are probably not done here.

[Dennis1972]

It has been unusually cold here in Indiana, only really warmed up on monday (got in the 70's) i went out monday and got 3 bass and 1 crappie, then i went out today and caught 1 bass a couple crappie and 1 nice bluegill. its suppose to rain here this whole week and be warm, water temps will be rising. i picked up a couple of the bass on frogs in the lilly pads.

[WIGuide]

I think they've been confused here in WI. They've been in and out a few times. I've caught a few smallies on beds, but there hasn't seemed to be a big wave. I think it's going to be game on here soon! Hopefully you haven't missed it there. 

[BaitMonkey1984]

4 hours ago, WIGuide said:

I think they've been confused here in WI. They've been in and out a few times. I've caught a few smallies on beds, but there hasn't seemed to be a big wave. I think it's going to be game on here soon! Hopefully you haven't missed it there. 

Feel the same here in MA. Their are beds but its not on like donkey kong yet. Saw a couple threads earlier this week where people were stating that the spawn was over and I was second guessing myself. Took a long hard look at the shallows and am convinced that I did not miss anything my home lake. 

[scaleface]

I cant even tell when the bass are spawning most years .Water is usually to dirty . I just go fishing  . 

[Scarborough817]

ok still confused as to what is going on i could not find a single large mouth this weekend. i found a couple smallies on a point and a ton of rock bass shallow. only thing they wanted to eat was a black and blue football. i have to guess they are in a back bay or just deeper though i hit my 2 best deep cranking spots and found nothing 

[the reel ess]

I've been feeling like I missed the spawn since I was a teenager. And not just the fishing kind. LOL!