spawning in retention ponds and canals

[Guest avid]

Down here in SE Florida there are alot man made retention ponds and canals.  These do not really have sloping points, or shallow areas where bass would predictably spawn.  they often are just big ditches that drop pretty straight down from the shoreline to about 12 feet or so.  where would the bass be likely to spawn in waters like this?

[basspro48]

I have found that on most canals there is at least one shallow area, most of the time it's in the very back or end of the canal. Usually these spots are bass magnets, since shallow water is very scarce. Most of the time you can just throw a white or bubblegum trickworm up on the flat and get bit pretty quick, but if you want to catch a monster you have to remember that most of the big bass spawn early compared to the smaller ones; I once witnessed a guy catch a 13lber. on a red senko in a shallow canal that wasn't more than 10ft. across.

[FALCON]

HI AVID,

I LIVE ON A CANAL ON LAKE ST. CLAIR AND I'M AT THE END. IN THE SPRING THE END WALL IS ALOT SHALLOWER DO TO WIND PUSHING EVERYTHING THAT WAY. MOST OF THE BASS I CATCH ARE ALONG THAT BACK WALL.

[Chris]

Any place shallow if available mainly on the sides of the channel. If there is a pipe connecting any of the canal they might spawn under it. If you have two canals that run into each other the corners of the smaller canal should hold a spawner. They will spawn in a pipe also but depth don't really matter because the can and will spawn deep also. Just work the sides tight to the bank.

[Guest avid]

Chris " If there is a pipe connecting any of the canal they might spawn under it."

Excellent suggestion!  There are a number of pipes, or culverts that come into the ponds and canals. I have most of them mapped out because they are great spots to fish.  It never occured to me that the bass would use them for spawning but I'm sure it is a prime bedding location.

thank you,

avid

[Will]

Any place shallow if available mainly on the sides of the channel. If there is a pipe connecting any of the canal they might spawn under it. If you have two canals that run into each other the corners of the smaller canal should hold a spawner. They will spawn in a pipe also but depth don't really matter because the can and will spawn deep also. Just work the sides tight to the bank.

Chris, how far back in the pipe are you saying they would spawn. I thought that the bed needed a good portion of sunlight?

[Chris]

Water temp is the key not sunlight. If a bass spawns right next to a obstacle the fish has less of an area to protect. In a pipe it has two sides covered.