What is this telling me?

[Smirak]

Went to a local neighborhood pond today that I know holds a few 5+ lber’s. It’s actually 2 ponds but whatever. Anyway, I started cruising the banks and noticed lots of beds with fish on them. I must’ve seen better than one hundred fish on beds. HOWEVER, I don’t believe I saw a fish over 10” on a bed. Now I know refraction and all that tells me that I might be off a little bit, but I think you get the drift. I know the lake holds larger fish, but every fish on beds I saw was very small. 
 

Also, not a one of them had an issue with a Junebug/chartreuse tail lizard being on their beds. They just looked at it like it belonged there. 

[OkobojiEagle]

In my ponds it would tell me that the spawn hasn't started yet , but the males are beginning to build nests as the females are waiting a bit deeper.  Also larger bass bed in depths just out of sight.

 

oe

[Pat Brown]

The bigger ones are really really good at hiding and not getting caught.

 

I was trying to point out multiple large fish to my son yesterday walking around our spots - he saw not a one.

 

Takes a well trained eye.

 

They can make themselves pale in sandy bottom water and make themselves dark on grassy bottom and they instinctively hang right where OUR visibility starts to fail.  Usually a few feet OFF the beds.

[C.Tucks]

As mentioned above by OE I think you’re probably seeing the males setting up. 
With no eggs yet in the beds, they’re probably not concerned with wasting energy by chasing off critters like your lizard

[Bird]

Spotting 100 or so bass from this pond may indicate some culling needs to be done.

That's a lot of fish.

[Smirak]

Thanks all. I was thinking about the culling as well. I’m not going to do any of that as their signs at the ponds say catch and release only. If it were my neighborhood, I might contact the HOA and let them know what I was doing. But, since it isn’t, I’m just going to leave it alone. 

[Darth-Baiter]

the boys are getting posted up to accept the ladies.  

 

ladies still deep, behind them.  cast further? deeper?  bigger bait offerings.

[Mike L]

If they are males you’re gonna have to work to get him to bite.

Just dropping anything in the bed isn’t gonna do anything. 

Pitch past the bed at different angles to get his attention.

Once you do then try different presentations and bait sizes to get him to react. If he does that fish is catchable, if not then he’s not, move on. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

You're seeing the initial flood of males to the bank, although some of those fish are females as well.   

 

One thing I've learned is that most of the bigger females spawn deeper than most anglers think.    If the majority of fish are spawning in 1-3fow, those bigger females will spawn in 4-5ft.   

 

If you can see them, they can see you firstly, secondly if they see you, most times they're not going to bite a bait until they truly lock down on the bed.   That's why it's generally easier to catch spawning fish in the blind vs. seeing them and then sight fishing them.  

 

Lastly, I've found the whacky rig to be easily the most effective lure when targeting these spawning fish in 1-3fow.   That said, you'll miss or lose a number of fish on them because many fish aren't actually eating you're bait, rather just grabbing an appendage and removing it from their area.   For this reason, outside of the whacky rig, I don't throw Shakeyheads, T-Rigs, etc. that have lots of plastic without a hook.   You want that fish to get the hook when it goes to try and move that bait.   Another tip is to always be line watching, because again the fish aren't hitting your bait, they are many times just removing it from the area.    Big females especially do this.  

[Swamp Girl]

  On 3/29/2025 at 4:15 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That's why it's generally easier to catch spawning fish in the blind vs. seeing them and then sight fishing them.  

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I never see a bed and target that bass because:

 

A. I never see beds, partly because I'm low on the water, partly because I'm long casting, and partly because I have old eyes.

 

B. I do well simply fishing shallow areas of 1-3' and adjacent areas of 3-5'. 

 

And I think I'm successful without targeting beds because I'm long casting to areas likely to hold beds. 

 

 

#Alexisrightaboutblindcasting

[BigAngus752]

  On 3/29/2025 at 4:15 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

You're seeing the initial flood of males to the bank, although some of those fish are females as well.   

 

One thing I've learned is that most of the bigger females spawn deeper than most anglers think.    If the majority of fish are spawning in 1-3fow, those bigger females will spawn in 4-5ft.   

 

If you can see them, they can see you firstly, secondly if they see you, most times they're not going to bite a bait until they truly lock down on the bed.   That's why it's generally easier to catch spawning fish in the blind vs. seeing them and then sight fishing them.  

 

Lastly, I've found the whacky rig to be easily the most effective lure when targeting these spawning fish in 1-3fow.   That said, you'll miss or lose a number of fish on them because many fish aren't actually eating you're bait, rather just grabbing an appendage and removing it from their area.   For this reason, outside of the whacky rig, I don't throw Shakeyheads, T-Rigs, etc. that have lots of plastic without a hook.   You want that fish to get the hook when it goes to try and move that bait.   Another tip is to always be line watching, because again the fish aren't hitting your bait, they are many times just removing it from the area.    Big females especially do this.  

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This is fantastic advice.  Along the same lines I would like to add two things that are my opinion, but I'm just a hack fisherman so you decide if this is useful:

1.  I don't care if it's one of the Great Lakes or a puddle in your back yard, not all of the bass spawn at the same time!  The spawn takes weeks and sometimes/places months.  I live in the middle of the country and it's not at all unusual to find bass on beds from April to July, depending on weather that year.  You don't have to focus on spawning fish.  In fact, they won't be your best biters.  Look for fish in the midst of transition either headed up toward a spawning area or post-spawn fish headed back out.

2.  What I said above I consider 100% accurate under all circumstances.  This one I'll give a 60-70% rating.  Big girls spawn first.  This is one of those things that true, but not always true.  You can find huge girls in the straggler spawn but generally speaking I'm finding the biggest fish moving up in water so cold you wouldn't ever think that the bass spawn was approaching.  What does that mean for you?  Maybe your bigger fish are post-spawn and moving back out.  You won't know until you hunt for them. 

[Harold H]

I saw a 2 lber under a dock the other day, practically hit it in the head with my lure, wouldn't bite

[Swamp Girl]

  On 3/29/2025 at 4:46 PM, BigAngus752 said:

Big girls spawn first.  This is one of those things that true, but not always true.  You can find huge girls in the straggler spawn but generally speaking I'm finding the biggest fish moving up in water so cold you wouldn't ever think that the bass spawn was approaching. 

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I think you're right. I don't know why I think this, but I agree in my gut.

 

Upon further reflection, here's my guess: If all the species of a fish spawn at the same time and the same place, then their survival is imperiled...by weather, predators, disease, etc. Evolution would work out ways for the individuals of a species to spawn at different times in different places, thus upgrading the species' chances of reproducing. 

 

  On 3/29/2025 at 4:46 PM, BigAngus752 said:

You won't know until you hunt for them. 

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EXACTLY! That's my approach. I don't try to guess where the bass are. I go looking for them and keep casting until I find them. I have some honey holes, but every time I launch, I make a point of fishing a new place in a new way...just in case. And sometimes I get skunked at my honey holes. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

  On 3/29/2025 at 4:46 PM, BigAngus752 said:

This is fantastic advice.  Along the same lines I would like to add two things that are my opinion, but I'm just a hack fisherman so you decide if this is useful:

1.  I don't care if it's one of the Great Lakes or a puddle in your back yard, not all of the bass spawn at the same time!  The spawn takes weeks and sometimes/places months.  I live in the middle of the country and it's not at all unusual to find bass on beds from April to July, depending on weather that year.  You don't have to focus on spawning fish.  In fact, they won't be your best biters.  Look for fish in the midst of transition either headed up toward a spawning area or post-spawn fish headed back out.

2.  What I said above I consider 100% accurate under all circumstances.  This one I'll give a 60-70% rating.  Big girls spawn first.  This is one of those things that true, but not always true.  You can find huge girls in the straggler spawn but generally speaking I'm finding the biggest fish moving up in water so cold you wouldn't ever think that the bass spawn was approaching.  What does that mean for you?  Maybe your bigger fish are post-spawn and moving back out.  You won't know until you hunt for them. 

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Thanks, and I would completely agree outside of one consideration in regard to the biggest fish spawning first.

 

As you correctly stated, the Spawn is more of a season than an event.   To this end, and especially on lakes of any size, or even smaller lakes that have a huge difference in depth zones throughout the lake, you'll sometimes find big girls spawning later in the areas of the lake directly adjacent to the deepest water that will take the longest to warm up.   Last year's spawn proved this to me when the biggest female I saw on a bed came at the very end of the spawn.  In fact, she's the biggest fish I've ever seen on a bed.   

 

I think the biggest fish generally spawn first for two reasons, firstly the fish with the largest egg mass are going to be the biggest females, but not all of her eggs mature at the same time, thus she'll need to spawn multiple times throughout the spawn.  So, I feel like they know they've got to spawn early and often.   Secondly, this provides an exceptional competitive advantage over smaller females with less egg mass, who might only spawn once in the season.    That big female is going to be the first to lay eggs in hopes that a cold front doesn't wipe them out, and if it doesn't, she's just blessed her future fry with a massive advantage by ensuring they'll have the greatest shot at being the biggest young of the year Bass.  I'd guess more Bass fry are eaten by siblings than by any other single source of predation.    

 

I could pontificate about Bass spawning forever lol, it's one of the final frontiers of Bass fishing knowledge, I just don't think we have a real great understanding of all the nuance, and complexity that goes with it.   To me it's the most fascinating phase of a Bass's life cycle.  

 

I'm ate up with it right now because we're just cresting the peak of the spawn down here.   What a magical time to be on the water.   Even when you don't catch them, seeing all the fish up shallow is just so exciting.  

 

[WRB]

Lots of beds with short fish could be Bluegills if the beds are dinner plate size.

Refraction doesn’t distort the fish length distorts the width.

Tom

[Smirak]

They are bass for sure. 

[BigAngus752]

  On 3/30/2025 at 2:08 AM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

you'll sometimes find big girls spawning later in the areas of the lake directly adjacent to the deepest water that will take the longest to warm up. 

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That makes perfect sense!  I just filed that in the spring fishing folder deep in my noggin.