how to catch bass on beds

[chobeegators]

I was wondering what baits to throw to catch those nice big ladies on the beds or on there way to the beds?  I'm looking to beat my pb this year, not that it's that great but I need anything over the 5 pound mark.  Heading out this weekend and in need of advise on what to use to get that sweet little piggy into the boat.   Thanks for any advise given.

[1234567]

I havn't really bed fished much, but after reading how alot of guys get some really big ones this way, I gave it a try just recently.  To make a long story short, I sat on this bed for about an hour and threw everything in there that I could think of.  I have no ideas if there were even eggs there yet.  In the end, the smaller male, maybe 4 pounds, commited to a black plastic worm slowly twitched through the bed after about the tenth try with it.  I am also curious to learn more on this subject.

[fourbizz]

The most important part of catching bed fish is reading the fish.

You are not looking for what she likes. You are looking for what she hates too much to spook away from or ignore.

Each and every one will have an attitude all her own. If you can read it, you can catch her.

When bedfishing I will ALWAYS have these baits already tied up.

3:16 Mission Fish

Mattlures Bluegill

Jig

There are also some baits that produce AMAZING results that no one else seems to use, most every serious bed fisherman has one or two that they refuse to share, as I do, lol.

[burleytog]

The most important part of catching bed fish is reading the fish.

 

This

[paul.]

i wrote this for the ragetail forum a while back.  maybe it will help.  of course it was geared toward ragetails, but other baits will work as well.  good luck.

http://www.ragetail.com/ragetalk/index.php?topic=99.0

[texlwedge]

Past experience that has been productive were Lizards and 7" Senkos.T-rigged weightless. Flip em in on the beds or just past and drag the lure in.

[Fishbone]

If you pull a bass off the nest, don't sunfish rush in and gobble up the eggs?

Doesn't sound like a good move, but then I'm a little new to bass fishing.

[Bass_Akwards]

Jigs and Tubes.  I have had some nice success on a reverse rigged weightless Fat Ika

[Wesley]

I was told to usea  drop shot with a crawfish type bait on it.  Just keep tapping the fish in the side with the bait eventualy she will get mad then u swim it by her mouth and Wham!!

[etommy28]

ok, here is what i did, i won my college's fishing teams tournament this weekend. I would find the bed, anchor about 10 to 15 feet away, so i could clearly see the bed. I started pitching a White Super hawg on a 1/8 oz weight then moved to a 3/8 oz. both were to light, they would just grab the claws and could toss it. so i moved to a 1/2 oz flipping weight, it anchored the bait on the bed and I twitched it slowly across the bed till i found the sweet spot. when i did I would hold it in that spot as long as possible. i would then reel in and pitch again, eventually they all bit. most of them were just bucks, but on a couple the female moved up after I caught the male. I ended up with 11 fish total(released all of them) with a 3 and a 6. I ended up catching 2 more a 4 and 5 waking a skinny dipper. as well as 2 snook. I was fishing the Golden gate estates lakes. My buddy has a couple more good fish on beds we are going to try and get tomorrow.

[MaineBassMan]

Maybe your bass are more spooky but catching bedding bass in Maine is very simple. You throw anything into the bed and they will bite. Thats why during the spawning season the daily bag limit here is only 1 fish a day. You could put a real hurting on the fishery here if it was more. I personally think it should be catch and release only during the spawn, since there is no stocking program for bass here.

I don't do it anymore but when I was a kid I caught this smallmouth that use to bed at the end of my grandfathers dock about a dozen times a day. That bass would bed in the same spot every year for several years in a row. Last time I caught him he weighed 4 1/2 lbs and then he never returned the following years. This was about 15 years ago.

The largemouth here don't seem to be as protective as the smallies but they still bite pretty easilly.

[simplejoe]

Tubes and jigs. I like the Strike Kings Bleeding Bait Series tubes. And as always my trusty Evo jig paired up with a Rage Chunk trailer.

[Hellbenderman]

Spinner Baits, the bigger and gurglier the better, and don't forget the trailer hook cause they aren't biting because they are hungry. They just want to get whatever out of their nest and they can spit it out lickity split! That trailer hook makes all the difference sometimes.

[whoopbazz]

If you pull a bass off the nest, don't sunfish rush in and gobble up the eggs?

Doesn't sound like a good move, but then I'm a little new to bass fishing.

This is a very good point. I know I will catch flack for this...but I am very against bed fishing. Here in PA and most surrounding states the season in closed during the spawn, so we don't need to worry about it. And there are more bass down south I'm sure, and the fish and game are not worried about this, the season would be closed there too.  1 out of every 10,000 eggs makes it to a breeding age. This is a figure that is if the male/female are protecting the eggs and fry without human involvement. And yes there are schols of panfish just waiting out of your field of view th ravage that nest.

Now I go to lake anna every spring during the spawn time...usually prespawn. Do I bank fish...sure, do I target a bedding bass...no.  But, the next boat does, so it is for my own piece of mind.

Fro what it's worth, I have a degree in Fisheries Biology.

[Jig Man]

I don't bed fish and think the season should be closed during the spawn.  That is a lot more important than catch and release during the rest of the year.

[KYbass1276]

I like using a shaky head myself.      

[Hammer 4]

I don't take fish off their beds. Fishing in so. cal. It's down right funny, watching guys TRY to hook males, or females..99% FAIL..and I like that.

Bass aren't stocked in the lakes I fish, bass have a tough time growing to make 3lbs around here..poachers, and people that fish illegally take plenty of bass, that we need..i.e. bass old enough to spawn.

Just yesterday, some of the big girls were found floating, some were likely due to gut hooked bait & waiters, others, who knows..these fish ranged from 3 to 7 lbs.

Sorry for the semi rant. I'd still like to catch bass in 5 yrs.

[Bassnajr]

Be verwee verwee quiet........ :-?

[Bassnajr]

White tube......

[Tin]

White tube......

HEY!!! Take this down immediatley!  ;D

[chobeegators]

Ok thanks to everyone for the advise.  Hope to do better next week.  The wind was crazy out there on Okeechobee today even had white caps.  Not a good time in a 18 foot jon boat.

[Crestliner2008]

I don't fish the beds. That being said, I also don't believe that bed fishing will have that severe an impact on the fish population IF, catch & release is quickly adhered to. The TV program, Hook N' Look, did a show last year on bed fishing for smallies. It took about a 15 minutes, after the fish was released, for it relocated itself back on the bed. That's not a good thing, nor too bad a thing, if the bluegill population is not that dense in that area.

I don't think what you use is all that important, if you decide to bed fish. Any/all intruders to the nest - or close by it - will be met with the same scrutiny and attack, if perceived to be a threat. The bass has no other choice. Even if it knows the treat is not "real". It's basic nature kicks in as well as it's instinct to protect the nest. Another reason I don't bed fish. It's really not all that challenging.