Seasonal Patterns

[GoneFishingLTN]

Good morning with spring coming up I was wondering how come as a fourm we don’t help the newer bass fisherman(like my self) understand maps and seasonal patterns. Wouldn’t it be a great learning tool for a lot of people?

 

ideas I had idk if this is allowed but one person who believes they understand it well post a map of x lake. And explain how fish are coming from the deeper water to spawning flats during the beginning of spring and show a great example of what exactly a spawning flat is. 

 

Side note when I first started it was very overwhelming hearing speaking flat and saddles etc just because I had no idea what any of that meant but it seemed like everyone (most on here) knew because how long they have fished. 

Wouldn’t it just a nice guide for people heading to the lake to be ok so they are transitioning over to the spawning flats off this deep point...oh ok that’s exactly what a spawning flat looks like. 

 

If this is a a bad idea by no means shut it down. Just figured it would be a good learning thread. 

[Fish the Mitt]

57 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Good morning with spring coming up I was wondering how come as a fourm we don’t help the newer bass fisherman(like my self) understand maps and seasonal patterns. Wouldn’t it be a great learning tool for a lot of people?

 

ideas I had idk if this is allowed but one person who believes they understand it well post a map of x lake. And explain how fish are coming from the deeper water to spawning flats during the beginning of spring and show a great example of what exactly a spawning flat is. 

 

Side note when I first started it was very overwhelming hearing speaking flat and saddles etc just because I had no idea what any of that meant but it seemed like everyone (most on here) knew because how long they have fished. 

Wouldn’t it just a nice guide for people heading to the lake to be ok so they are transitioning over to the spawning flats off this deep point...oh ok that’s exactly what a spawning flat looks like. 

 

If this is a a bad idea by no means shut it down. Just figured it would be a good learning thread. 

As a forum, a lot of the content here begins with an OP (you) who poses the topic or question. So, if you want to learn what you stated above, post a lake map. 

 

As for an actual guide, it would be hard because everyone lives across the country and what one pattern works in FL isn't what will work in TN or MI. And also, every lake has the potential to behave differently day to day. There are no hard and fast rules to bass fishing - just guidelines. So creating a comprehensive guide to reading and understanding topo/contour maps of every lake and season across the country is not real possible or conducive to learning.

 

As for posts like what you're talking about? I've seen dozens and have been involved in dozens where someone posts a navionics map, and the BR Community helps break it down (with our own opinions and experience based on generalities and location).

 

 

So again, sure. Post a navionics map of your favorite lake!

[CroakHunter]

Click on menu, then fishing articles, scroll down a little bit and there is a whole library of articles with seasonal patterns as the subject. 

[J Francho]

We do this all the time.  It's up to you to ask the questions.  Read the articles mentioned above to get a basic understanding, then if you still have questions, post them here.

[GoneFishingLTN]

I know there’s no hard set rules and figured it was a lot to ask thanks everyone this thread can be deleted. 

[J Francho]

We don't delete threads.  Even this thread will be read many times over, and be of use to others that may feel the same as you, but didn't ask.

[roadwarrior]

https://www.bassresource.com/seasonal-fishing-articles/

 

[scaleface]

If you Post a map of a lake you fish , a lot of knowledgeable guys will "weigh"  in .

[Mr. Aquarium]

its different north vs south, i live in MA, we dont have shads here but when you look up fishing tips and articles is most likely will talk about shad.  so you can ask questions and give a brief description of your area, ie north vs south, live in   MI, no shad. also with seasonal patters like stated above its different,. down south doesnt get super cold like the north, they dont have to deal with Ice out

[Troy85]

44 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

its different north vs south, i live in MA, we dont have shads here but when you look up fishing tips and articles is most likely will talk about shad.  so you can ask questions and give a brief description of your area, ie north vs south, live in   MI, no shad. also with seasonal patters like stated above its different,. down south doesnt get super cold like the north, they dont have to deal with Ice out

I run into the same thing fishing fairly shallow tidal waters almost exclusively. Seems like 95% of articles are written about reservoirs,  while some things are same, there are a lot of differences.

[Dirtyeggroll]

This is a bay arm of an Ozark Lake. Virtually every cove has flooded trees.

 

Any takers? Lets start with Spring. Water temps rising into the mid-50's, maybe 60's.

[WRB]

Seasonal periods;internet search Cosmic clock and Bass Calendar.

Tom

[Chowderhead]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Seasonal periods;internet search Cosmic clock and Bass Calendar.

Tom

http://www.thebassholes.com/articles/tomyoung/cosmicclock/Cosmic-Clock-TBH.html

 

Love reading this and greatly appreciate the time & knowledge you put into this.

[scaleface]

14 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

This is a bay arm of an Ozark Lake. Virtually every cove has flooded trees.

 

Any takers? Lets start with Spring. Water temps rising into the mid-50's, maybe 60's.

Its kind of blurry. That first bay area on the south appears to have three nice points with one dropping in the river channel .  Looks like a good place to start . I  would think any of these coves are suitable for a population of spawners and have points  at the mouths . I would just try to  pattern it out . 

 I didnt know LOZ had standing timber . The parts I fished were full of docks .

[Dirtyeggroll]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

Its kind of blurry. That first bay area on the south appears to have three nice points with one dropping in the river channel .  Looks like a good place to start . I  would think any of these coves are suitable for a population of spawners and have points  at the mouths . I would just try to  pattern it out . 

 I didnt know LOZ had standing timber . The parts I fished were full of docks .

Not necessarily Lake of the Ozarks, just a lake in the Ozarks.

[scaleface]

1 minute ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

Not necessarily Lake of the Ozarks, just a lake in the Ozarks.

OK . I boobooed . Dont know why I thought it was LOZ . Speed reading I guess .

[Sam]

Gone, please remember the following about "seasonal patterns."

 

1.  Seasonal patterns are controlled by the water temperature.

2.  There are patterns inside seasonal patterns.

3.  These sub-patterns change from hour to hour, day to day.

4.  Sometimes the bass will do as the patterns are supposed have them behave. Other times the bass do the opposite.

5.  #4 above can put you in a mental hospital.

 

Now, as the guys say, look up seasonal patterns and read, read and read. Watch DVDs on seasonal patterns. Ask us more questions. And have fun tryng to figure them out.

 

P.S. When you figure them out please let us know.    

[Paul Roberts]

Well... I'll pop in to say something... real quick-n-dirty, 'cause I really need to get to work here.

 

Ditto the reading. Get busy!  And have fun. Tell your significant other that it's important! This is your planet, man! You NEED to get to know it better before you die! 

 

Seasons are defined by climate, weather and water conditions:

-Bass move to deeper main mass of water bodies (in reservoirs, natural lakes, and ponds) during the extreme seasons (Summer, and Winter).

-Winter and Summer differ mostly in this way: Winter is below bass's most efficient metabolic range and Summer often has periods above. Bass have a penchant for stability at these times. So, bass hole up more and feed less in Winter, and bass populations in a given lake distribute to many feeding locations during Summer.

-Spring and Fall are the transition seasons between the two. Spring culminates in the spawn. Fall is when bass start packing on the weight for winter and the coming spawn.

 

Lake Maps depict potential Habitat areas important for bass:

Habitat means, for our purposes here, security and food. Security comes in the form of depth and especially for bass, cover. That's Cover with a big C! And it's Food with a big F! Bass will pass on "stability" for Cover and Food. (But they can get... finicky, in those conditions.)

 

Saddles, flats, points etc represent relatively shallow -and thus well sunlit- areas that provide Cover and produce the Food chain next to deeper main mass stability; This is why "drop-offs"/"steep contours" are often key areas. How deep food is produced depends most often on water clarity. Clear water allows food chain production deeper and fish can make a living deeper. Colored water often requires that bass live more shallow.

 

Hope this "framework" helps. Now get busy!

[lo n slo]

me and my cousin hit lake norman today, first time out this season. we weren’t expecting much, run the motor, work out some winter kinks, maybe get bit in the process. we found swt’s in the low 50’s and a little muddy. the sky was cloudy with steady breezes and warm. we started out fishing main lake points and it was the right call. 22 spots, all on t rigged zoom lizards dragged slowly in the 10’-15’ zone. easy pattern for anyone this time of year.