Do you find spawn/bed fishing less enjoyable than summer pattern?

[Ohioguy25]

I hear a lot of people talk about how much they love spring because it’s prime time for giant fish.  The prespawn bite really doesn’t last long where I live, I suspect it is similar elsewhere.

 

This leaves the majority of the big fish caught in the spring to be nesting, whether it’s on the bed or guarding fry.  I consider this all part of the same category as the fish are not feeding, but rather attacking anything that comes close to their eggs/fry.

 

This just isn’t as fun or rewarding to me. I am fully aware that fishing beds is not easy whatsoever, and in some ways more difficult.  I just enjoy locating the fish where they are feeding, looking for riffles and cover and the excitement and buzz I get when I stumble onto a juicy hole.

 

I realize there is a gray area, where they aren’t necessarily “feeding” but biting on a reaction strike but I think that is still much different than spawn fishing.

 

What percentage of people’s personal bests do you think have come off of beds or guarding fry, and how many caught naturally by fooling the fish?

[Scott F]

All of my personal bests have come from pre-spawn fish. I also do not find sitting and pounding beds to be entertaining.

[Jar11591]

Well only males guard fry, so if you’re fishing for fry guarders then you’re fishing for smaller fish. They generally don’t get more than 18”. Not really PB territory for most bass anglers. 

[Bird]

Bed fishing is just not my thing.

Yes, prefer summer patterns but prespawn is my favorite time of year.

[Ohioguy25]

1 hour ago, Jar11591 said:

Well only males guard fry, so if you’re fishing for fry guarders then you’re fishing for smaller fish. They generally don’t get more than 18”. Not really PB territory for most bass anglers. 

See I’ve heard that but then I’ve heard it only applies to lakes, and that in rivers the females still linger in the spawning area but I don’t know.

[PaulVE64]

Females in rivers may stick around but I've not seen any truth to it.

But I wouldnt be surprised to learn they ate the fry.

[Ohioguy25]

On 5/27/2023 at 8:12 PM, PaulVE64 said:

Females in rivers may stick around but I've not seen any truth to it.

But I wouldnt be surprised to learn they ate the fry.

Heard that too. Caught a 20.25 in a nesting area 2 weeks ago, in a place that holds no fish in the summer nowhere near current. Strange I know, wonder if they come back time to time to eat fry?

[Blue Raider Bob]

Personal pond observations show the males guarding nests and fry. If the male is removed then that entire hatch is destroyed by Bluegills and yearling bass. I would rather leave the male to do his job and concentrate on deeper fish. Females are not involved and are probably driven away from the fry as well. 

[TOXIC]

This debate has been raging for years.  That’s why many of the individual natural resources agencies have conducted multiple studies to ascertain whether or not bed fishing is detrimental to specific bodies of water and intact appropriate regulations.  I just got back from Lake St Clair where the bed fishing is in full swing.  Out of an entire week of fishing, we caught 1 fish that had been caught previously.  This lake has “Catch and immediate release” regulations until the 3rd weekend in June and after that you can keep a limit.  The regulation used to be that smallmouth were off limits until that June date but after studying, it was determined there was no harm to the fishery and opened it up to year round catch and release.  Like it or not, it was determined that there was no harm to the spawn.  If you fish at all during the spawn chances are you are bed fishing whether you know it or not.  We caught pre-spawn, bedding and post spawn fish.  The studies found that those that sight fish beds account for a very small number of bedding fish.  Those that bed deeper and in other places beyond the bed fishing community holes more than make up for any predation on fry.  You want to see what’s more damaging?  The picture I posed is on Memorial Day in 2 of the most noteworthy spawning bays for smallmouths.  The number of beds destroyed by pleasure boaters is huge.  Added to the number of big cruisers churning up the bottom because all of the beds are in an average 2 feet of water.  It starts Memorial Day and only gets bigger as the water warms. Don’t forget that not all bed fish are silly stupid.  Some will not bite just because you put a bait in the bed.  It’s a different skill set and a lot of anglers just blind cast hoping to drag across a bed. I’ll admit I felt a little trepidation about bed fishing until I read and studied the science.

[TnRiver46]

I don’t think I’ve ever caught a fish while sight fishing on a bed. Maybe in a cow pond one time or something. I find it to be far too challenging , hungry fish are way easier and more fun. 

[BigAngus752]

If you fish during spawn, you will catch "spawning" or "guarding" bass.  You can't help it even if you don't intend to.  But don't worry about it because everyone either "thinks it's bad" or they cite studies that say it doesn't matter.  I've yet to see a study that says it's a bad thing.  Could be bad, but I don't really enjoy that type of fishing so I'm not highly educated on the subject. 

 

My favorite seasons to fish:

3. Full summer.  High, bright sunshine with anything from a little breeze to strong wind.  The sun and the wind place the fish and I know exactly where to find them.  Solid number days fishing slow to very-slow techniques with occasional big fish.  Windy days are great days for spinners and vibrating jigs. 

 

2.  Pre-spawn.  Around here that's water temps above 45 degrees.  Weather is still too cold for many bass anglers so I only see a few other fishermen on the water.  Like summer, the pre-spawn put the bass in predicable places.  Usually slow to deadstick techniques.  Very low numbers and very big fish. 

 

1.  Fall.  Not "Oh, the leaves are starting to turn" fall.  Real fall.  Leaves are almost gone. Water temps below 55 (and sometimes the best days are 49-48 degree water).  The air temps/wind have to get really cold to get that 80 degree water down to 49 degrees so I'm in GoreTex and I'm pretty much alone on the water.  These are the best days of the year.  Double the number of fish I catch any other days on the lake.  Huge striper hitting crankbaits in less than a foot of water is another bonus.  I only have two rods on deck and my thumbs are shredded and my forearms worn out by the end of the day.  My favorite time of year. 

[TOXIC]

Just to highlight that it takes a different set of skills, I was fishing off the back deck of one of my buddies boats that I don’t fish with too often.  We were sight fishing beds.  We would come up to a bed and because of his inexperience, he usually drifted right over the bed spooking the fish off or had his trolling motor set too high of speed and when he let off, we coasted past the bed.  Boat control is paramount.  When he did put the boat in the right position, he would throw 3 or 4 times at the bed not catching anything and then want to move on.  I would tell him to let me have a go at it.  Usually I could get the fish to bite.  Trick is to get your bait on the specific part of the bed that annoys the bass the most.  Sometimes and more often than not the “sweet spot” was not the center of the bed.  Let’s be honest, the reason we bed fish for smallmouth is that this is the only time of year you can catch a 5+ pounder.  If you could catch them that size in the summer, you could make a lot of tournament money. The big girls disappear and run in open water packs come summer.  

[gim]

I don't specifically head out on to the water with the mindset "they are sitting on beds and I'm going to catch them."  Never have, never will.  If I see a fish on a bed, I will give it a cast or two to try and catch it and then move on.  Parking on a spot for an hour trying to agitate one fish into biting isn't my thing.

 

Prespawn is an ideal time period for me to bass fish.  The fall is probably second best, after the fish have recovered and fattened back up all summer.  No winter fishing here, we're locked in ice for 4+ months.

 

As far as being detrimental to bass while they are spawning, I think if you catch and immediately release that fish it will return the bed rather quickly.  If you pluck it off a bed, toss it in your livewell, haul it to a weigh in, and release it 6 hours later, the damage is done.

[WRB]

Don’t get to target smallmouth often where I fish, the population is a lower % then LMB In SoCal lakes. If you fishing in less then 6’ of water is protected wind current areas with gravel bottom between January and April catching Smallmouth they are probably in the spawn cycle.

Catch & Release is so dominate today the impact of catching spawn cycle bass is nil.

The old bathyscopes are popular for River Smallmouth anglers.

Tom

[Darth-Baiter]

i do like seeing beds.  it is how i learned to stand up in my kayak.  i just stand and use my paddle to move about.  

 

i dont love targeting beds.  i may blind cast in areas, and i imagine my bait lands on a bed on occasion.  i prefer to find the fringe fish, that are a touch deeper, cruising for dinner. 

[TOXIC]

20 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i do like seeing beds.  it is how i learned to stand up in my kayak.  i just stand and use my paddle to move about.  

 

i dont love targeting beds.  i may blind cast in areas, and i imagine my bait lands on a bed on occasion.  i prefer to find the fringe fish, that are a touch deeper, cruising for dinner. 

If it’s during the spawn you’d be surprised to know that those deeper fish are probably also on beds.  Not all bass spawn shallow…..only the ones we can see.  ?

[Darth-Baiter]

41 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

If it’s during the spawn you’d be surprised to know that those deeper fish are probably also on beds.  Not all bass spawn shallow…..only the ones we can see.  ?

truth.

 

but the ones i see are cruising around.  its seeing them that actually make me stop and send out a few casts "just in case".