Signs for pre-spawn?

[The Budget Angler]

I live in a northern state and fish smaller ponds for bass.  I always seem to miss prespawn, either going too early or too late.  Other than temperature, are there any ways to tell when prespawn is about to occur?

[Biglittle8]

Water temperature is a key factor, I pond fish a lot. When I go out I look for beds, to see if males are on them yet. Even if they are, it could be weeks(in my case) or days before the first wave of females spawns. Which brings me to the next thing that helps me. Even if females are spawning, there will be another batch behind them in pre-spawn mode as they do not all spawn at once. So for me , the key is going often to check out the conditions of the pond... Are males on beds? Is the water temperature right? Are females on beds? There are some very knowledgeable anglers on this site who know way more than I do, this is just how I go about it.

[roadwarrior]

  On 4/5/2021 at 4:02 PM, Biglittle8 said:

Water temperature is a key factor...

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Generally, +/- 60*

[Deleted account]

The week or 2 where the water temp rises above 50 and no longer drops into the 40s overnight, right until it does the same thing at 60.

[The Budget Angler]

  On 4/6/2021 at 3:17 PM, BassWhole! said:

The week or 2 where the water temp rises above 50 and no longer drops into the 40s overnight, right until it does the same thing at 60.

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How do you tell this without a thermometer or fishing report telling you the temp?

[Deleted account]

  On 4/6/2021 at 3:56 PM, TheLastBestFish said:

How do you tell this without a thermometer or fishing report telling you the temp?

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It's on the FF.

[Glenn]

FF = Fish Finder

[The Budget Angler]

  On 4/6/2021 at 5:20 PM, Glenn said:

FF = Fish Finder

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$0=I'm broke...Also, I dont have anything to put an "FF" on.

A.K.A, I'm also too broke to afford anything more than a 5 person raft.  I wasn't really planning a trip with the raft, because you have to hike to the pond, and the raft is hella heavy

[Choporoz]

Just fish when you can.  Pre spawn varies in start and duration.  If the ice is gone and the last fish in your pond haven't spawned yet....you're in pre spawn.  

[.ghoti.]

  On 4/6/2021 at 3:56 PM, TheLastBestFish said:

How do you tell this without a thermometer or fishing report telling you the temp?

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Google up yout area temperatures for the last 10-12 days. Highs and lows. Average them all together and you will have a reasonable guesstimate of water temp.

[MN Fisher]

  On 4/7/2021 at 2:08 AM, .ghoti. said:

Google up yout area temperatures for the last 10-12 days. Highs and lows. Average them all together and you will have a reasonable guesstimate of water temp.

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There's also this site that tracks water temp for 11,000 lakes across the country.

https://www.beachtemp.us/

[928JLH]

Water temp as stated above. Also if you put your head under the water and hear this song the big girls are feeding up ?

https://youtu.be/yTxsDZYX2Q0

[WRB]

Google Search “Cosmic Clock and Bass Behavior” a Calendar I made up in 1974. PreSpawn start around 55 degrees, 58 degrees is full on, cruisers move up and the spawn starts when you see beds. 

Tom

[Deleted account]

  On 4/6/2021 at 5:20 PM, Glenn said:

FF = Fish Finder

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I meant for him to go on Freaking Facebook, but that will work too....  

 

[Ski]

  On 4/6/2021 at 3:56 PM, TheLastBestFish said:

How do you tell this without a thermometer or fishing report telling you the temp?

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You can't. Get a small pool thermometer and keep it in your tackle bag.

[PhishLI]

  On 4/6/2021 at 3:56 PM, TheLastBestFish said:

How do you tell this without a thermometer

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Clip it on. Don't aim at boulders. Cast it out.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Umpqua-Stream-Thermometer/dp/B00KFMX6R2/ref=asc_df_B00KFMX6R2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312154679201&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14820855416670663549&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004440&hvtargid=pla-569615880699&psc=1

[E-rude dude]

Up north if water temp hits 50. Sometimes high 40’s if it stays that way at night. Northern bass don’t need much to get going after having a lid on their head all winter. They also spawn a lot longer than southern bass so pretty much up to July 4th is prime spawning time.

Then its dock fishing time.

[Bluebasser86]

Is the ice gone? Then it's prespawn. 

[The Budget Angler]

  On 4/8/2021 at 3:47 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Is the ice gone? Then it's prespawn. 

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I've gone out 3 times after ice-off and the fish aren't active.  Not even 1 fish in the shallows for pre-spawn, and definitely none of the aggressive feeding behaviors they are supposed to show this time of year