a question about spawn

[crazy4bass1]

i know this question is probably stupid but

which do you have the hardest hits and most action: during pre-spawn, spawn, or post spawn

i am relitively new to bass fishing and i was jus wondering

i have herd that during spawn that the big fish wont bite anythign cuz they wont move from there beds

[jrhennecke]

As far as hardest hits would be in the late summer and early fall when the fish fatten up for winter.

[cwen]

I am sure I will take some flack for this, but I like to fish during the spawn the most. It is not true that fish are uncatchable during spwan. Sometimes it is easy to catch them and sometimes hard, and sometimes, you can't get them to bite. It depends on the mood of the fish and the stage of the spawn he/she is at. Sometimes you can get them to bite if you are literally right on top of them, other times if you are close, they won't bite, but that same fish, if seen from a distance and cast right on the right spot, for all beds have a sweet spot, the fish will anhilate the lure.

[HesterIsGod]

the hardest hits would happen during the prespawn because the fish are fattening up for the spawn. The postpawn is typically the toughest fishing because the fish are worn out from the spawn, although you will get some hard hits from males guarding fry.

Cwen, I am not sure if anybody on this site thinks that fish are uncatchable during the spawn. Some spawning fish will hit hard, depends on the fish. The males are almost always the aggressive ones but are coincidently much smaller.

[Bass XL]

I will have to agree and say that Pre-spawn is where you get the best hits...But I would have to say fishing the spawn is my favorite. I love sight fishing!

[WRB]

i know this question is probably stupid but

which do you have the hardest hits and most action: during pre-spawn, spawn, or post spawn

i am relitively new to bass fishing and i was jus wondering

i have herd that during spawn that the big fish wont bite anythign cuz they wont move from there beds

The larger bass are the females and they don't stay around a nest more than a few hours after depositing their eggs. The smaller male bass protect the nest until the eggs hatch. The female can be caught before they lay their eggs and when visiting several nest sites to lay eggs before leaving the bedding area and resting as post spawn bass.

Pre-spawn bass are the most aggressive, post spawn bass are the least aggressive. Spawners are protecting the nest sites and can be very aggressive, however are not eating, they are removing the threat to the nest site.

WRB

[powerman970]

I have not tried this technique yet but it sounds like a solid idea.  When a fish is on the bed and will not hit anything try this and see what you think.  Pass your line through a large (3 or 4 oz. sinker) and then tie on a floating crankbait.  Cast out past the bed and drag the sinker back onto the bed.  Lower your rod to allow the crankbait to float up and then immediately lift the rod to make the crankbait appear to be feeding on the eggs.  The sinker will stay in place and the crankbait looks like a small fish devouring the eggs.  I have been told that this is deadly.

[HesterIsGod]

Yeah, bassmaster magazine editor James Hall called it the "Dukie Rig" when his fishing partner and fellow magazine contributor named Ken Duke used it to catch big spawning females.

[WRB]

I have not tried this technique yet but it sounds like a solid idea. When a fish is on the bed and will not hit anything try this and see what you think. Pass your line through a large (3 or 4 oz. sinker) and then tie on a floating crankbait. Cast out past the bed and drag the sinker back onto the bed. Lower your rod to allow the crankbait to float up and then immediately lift the rod to make the crankbait appear to be feeding on the eggs. The sinker will stay in place and the crankbait looks like a small fish devouring the eggs. I have been told that this is deadly.

Deadly; so is a stick of dynamite. Bed fishing is marginally sporting, using lures with treble hooks is very questionable behavior as the bass snags itself trying to move the lure out of the bed. If your goal is to catch bass any way possible why bother with a lure, just snag them with a gang of treble hooks or use a live bluegill.

Most states have outlawed snagging bass, so you need to look over your shoulder for the law.

WRB

[powerman970]

This is a bass fishing board.  The PETA website has moved.  It is not snagging to take a bass off the bed.  I practice catch and release.  The only thing worse than people with opinions other than  mine is the self-righteous people who think that just because they do something one way the rest of us should conform to them.  If sight fishing bedding bass was a problem it would not be legal.  I guess we should not kill a deer during the rut either huh?  Maybe we should all use bare hooks when we fish because that would make it fair and ethical.  Don't question my morals or ethics just because I and several others here don't share your view.  

[cwen]

HesterIsGod09, I didn't mean that some bass aren't catchable at all, just that some are near impossible during a particlular stage of the spawn. I also believe that ll bass are catchable while spawning, it is just that spwning can be broken up into stages other than pre and post spawn. Stages within the actual spawn and some bass won't hit at all under certain circumstances. For instance, I have never caught a bass while they were in the actual process of rubbing up against each other.

[Dean]

cwen , you the same guy from the BPS Boards? If so just wanted to say hi.

[cwen]

Yeah Dean, that's me. Is your username the same at BPS?

[luckyinkentucky]

Pre-Spawn and Spawn are really good times to fish if you know how to fish them!   I love fishing Spawn beds using a Carolina rigged with a Yum Crawdad plastic.  

[WRB]

This is a bass fishing board. The PETA website has moved. It is not snagging to take a bass off the bed. I practice catch and release. The only thing worse than people with opinions other than mine is the self-righteous people who think that just because they do something one way the rest of us should conform to them. If sight fishing bedding bass was a problem it would not be legal. I guess we should not kill a deer during the rut either huh? Maybe we should all use bare hooks when we fish because that would make it fair and ethical. Don't question my morals or ethics just because I and several others here don't share your view.

You are intitled to your opinion, with the exception of the PETA statement and that is unacceptable.

I wrote to Bassmaster, Ken Duke, regarding the article using weighted treble hook lures for spawners as a unsportsmen like techinque, when the article was first published.

Shaw Grigsby is known as one of the best sight bass fisherman and Shaw agrees that treble hooks should not be used for bed fishing. It's a personal choice how anyone chooses to fish, however the choices are the responsibilty of the individual. BASS has a rule that any fish hooked outside the mouth, when bed fishing, is not a legal catch. California has a law that snagged bass are illegally caught and that cost the potential 25 lb world record bass to be disqualified. Treble hooks are unsporting when bed fishing IMO and the IGFA, you have your opinion. Don't ever use PETA as an example regarding sport fishing because you don't agree with another opinion, you have crossed the line.

WRB

[HesterIsGod]

HesterIsGod09, I didn't mean that some bass aren't catchable at all, just that some are near impossible during a particlular stage of the spawn.

Oh, OK.

[Rayraff]

For instance, I have never caught a bass while they were in the actual process of rubbing up against each other.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that the fish actually make contact. The male just makes its nest and a female swims along depositing her eggs then swims off.  The male fertilizes the eggs and then you got 2000 little bass swimming around