Fishing the spawn (non sight fishing)

[DitchPanda]

What do you like throwing during the spawn when you can't see fish on beds? My water is to off color to see spawners but my water temps are mid 60s so I'm positive its happening. Caught 3 today on a weightless senko but couldn't get a touch on moving baits

[Bluebasser86]

I fish T-rigged plastics a lot. If I miss a fish, I'll pitch back. Quick tap bites and drops are a pretty sure sign of a bedding fish. 

[Captain Phil]

Wacky rig.

 

[lo n slo]

[Catt]

I'll throw a topwater to get the bass to expose themselves & follow up with a bottom contact.

[Deleted account]

Swimbait, buzz bait, large popper, floating jerkbait.

[the reel ess]

12 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

What do you like throwing during the spawn when you can't see fish on beds? My water is to off color to see spawners but my water temps are mid 60s so I'm positive its happening. Caught 3 today on a weightless senko but couldn't get a touch on moving baits

Topwaters, the noisier the better. T rigged lizard. Spawning bass will simply not tolerate a lizard around the nest. The frog works well if there are any spawning near weeds or lilies. I've tossed one out and let it soak over a bed and the fish couldn't stand it. That's about the only time of the year I can get a bite in open water with a frog. Trick Worm in the loud colors. Spinnerbait and lipless crank round out the spawn arsenal for me. Prespawn females will eat whatever comes by that resembles their normal forage. Oh, and the jig.

5 hours ago, lo n slo said:

Winner-Winner!!! I caught the bass off three straight beds this spring with a lizard.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Neko, TCR/chicken, Tokyo, T/wacky rig DS, mojo, T rig, floating worms, weightless senkos,soft JBs or anything that you can impart action to without moving it very far or at all.  The most consistent for me on tough days is the mojo rig and wacky/t rigged DS, but when the fish are in the mood to eat a floating worm I don't think there is anything that can match it for numbers and size.

Just before sunset until it gets dark, I think the fish are more willing to take a moving bait.  Last Wednesday I broke my previous pb (8lb 1oz) with an 8lb 7oz that took a DJ finesse SJ in magic craw with a D walker in GP.  In the last 45 minutes of light I made 7 or 8 casts to the same point and it wasn't until 15 mins after sunset that she hit.   

[Kenny Yi]

Texas-rigged creature bait. 

 

I remember I saw Greg hackney on the St. John's River catch bedding fish while it was pouring rain earlier in the year, so he also couldn't see the fish. After missing the fish many times, he concluded that it was a bedding fish, let him hold the bait longer, then set the hook.  Pretty cool to see that analysis. 

[LrgmouthShad]

21 hours ago, Kenny Yi said:

Texas-rigged creature bait. 

 

I remember I saw Greg hackney on the St. John's River catch bedding fish while it was pouring rain earlier in the year, so he also couldn't see the fish. After missing the fish many times, he concluded that it was a bedding fish, let him hold the bait longer, then set the hook.  Pretty cool to see that analysis. 

I had to do the same with a spinnerbait the other day. Don’t have trailer hooks

[WRB]

Not all the bass are on beds at the same time. If you miss a quick strike it’s probably a bed fish, so cast deeper and a big female may be waiting for you.

Tom

[TriStateBassin106]

Spawn is coming up here in NJ, this is a good thread to bring back since most of the country is about to be in/already are in the spawn.