Largemouth bass are completing their annual spawning and will begin their migration back to their post-spawn homes or locations. The process is dependent on the water temperature being a consistent 60°F/15.5°C to commence. After the bass spawn, bluegills move into the same areas and set up shop. Largemouth Bass Facts. Lakes, especially the larger ones, don't warm up uniformally. They love warm water and hiding around trees and rocks lurking in the shadows for prey. Largemouth bass are a predator fish, and they can get quite big over the years. Bass find a sturdy, hard bottomed area to build a nest to begin the spawn. Such knowledge prepares you for the hunt and hopefully enables you to find, possibly catch and then release this brute of our freshwater rivers and lakes. Generally, the Northwest side of lakes and the upper areas of reservoirs warm up first. (And How To Catch Them During The Spring To Summer Transition), ← How To Catch Bigger Smallmouth (And Largemouth) - Everything You Need To Know - Finesse Bass Fishing, How Fish React To Different Lures - Incredible Underwater Bite Footage! The largemouth bass is an olive-green to greenish gray fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming a jagged horizontal stripe along each flank. Each time I caught that bass after the initial time there was my hook, albeit somewhat rusted. This year’s warm spring weather caused an early spawn and that has changed everything regarding the timing and length of the post-spawn period. The further south you go, the warmer the water will be so the bass will be further along in the spawning cycle. The spring spawn initiates the most predictable movement of largemouth bass all year, and locating big bass during the mating season is as close to a sure thing as you can get. Anglers need to be flexible and try numerous depths, locations and use a variety of different lures. You can … That might lead to greater mortality for those released fish if adequate food does not exist in the immediate area of their release. As soon as this period ends, the fish make a … The last category of largemouth bass I call “wanderers”. This is can be challenging fishing unless you’re equipped with the right knowledge. 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The type of water you are fishing, lake, river, pond, reservoir or stream. Description. Some years the bite can be almost nonexistent during this period. In the main lake? After these pellet trained fish spawn, their offspring do not know that they are “supposed” to be pellet trained or that they came from pellet-trained parents. Often they'll be hanging 20 to 30 feet deep over 80 feet of water, like where the river channel intersects a big flat. These largemouth bass often group into large schools with other bass. The first place to look for post-spawn bass after the spawn is close to the spawning area. You have permission to edit this article. Scroggins Texas rigged a 6-inch green pumpkin Houdini Worm with a 3/0 hook and pinched a tiny No. In smaller lakes, you can find these roaming females in water around 10-15 feet, near points, rocky areas, and stumps. Often when large numbers of largemouth bass spawn about the same The answer to that question is both simple and complex. Some years the bite can be almost nonexistent during this period. All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see close up photos and detailed product descriptions. If you are not sure what stage of the spawn the Largemouth Bass is in, you need to eliminate water while you determine where the fish are at. Georgia officials beat Florida officials in barbecue cookoff, Franks Chiropractic offers free care to all front line workers, Harbor Club real estate sales jump 31% in 2020, St. Mary’s President & CEO addresses COVID vaccine questions, Local martial arts school celebrates Black Belt rank promotions, Reynolds Lake Oconee’s Caroline Basarab named Georgia PGA Section Golf Merchandiser Of The Year, Second Harvest announces food distribution Jan. 16. Largemouth bass are now completing their annual spawning and will begin their migration back to their post-spawn homes or locations. Once a female largemouth bass spawns, she will move away from the spawning bed to a nearby location to rest before moving any further. Once those fish are there in that location, they pretty much stay put until fall arrives. The only possible output is green Largemouth Bass Roe (80g). I place largemouth bass into several groups depending on their movements after spawning. Depending on where you are in the country will determine the size and weight of the first time spawners. Stage 3: Females rolling. This post-spawn period that occurs right after the spawn can be a mixed bag for anglers targeting largemouth bass. He then goes on to explain his favorite baits for each scenario and how to use them effectively. I try to target places that are fairly deep water and with a little cover. They have specific migration routes that they follow and they may make several stops along the way as they move to and from the spawning areas. Believe it or not, they'll come to the surface to hit a Zara Spook or an A.C. Shiner floating minnow — you can actually see 'em rise out of the … Bass tend to go into their first spawn cycle when they reach one year old. During the annual spawn, … The male bass is responsible for watching over his school of offspring. If the bass are locked onto the cover, you may want to go with the jig-and-pig because you are likely to be getting strikes during a vertical presentation straight up and down into the cover. Some anglers claim that bass spawn right after the first full moon once the water temperatures rise above 60 degrees. They find shallow water to their liking and might spend their days cruising between several docks within a few hundred yards of each other. At the surface or the bottom? Nine times out of 10, after the spawn, bass retrace the path that brought them into shallow water. Largemouth bass are caught all over the lake by tournament anglers and brought to a central weighing location and then released at the tournament site. Low near 50F. The only time they are in a specific location is during the spawn when they are in shallow bedding areas. There may be multiple reasons for what appears to be the nonexistent bite. Knowing about preferred bass habitat, the aspects of bass spawn and the way and on what they feed. I have some locations that will be void of fish until about three weeks after the spawn and then boom that place has fish and this happens year after year. If you're ready to get ahead of the fish and continue catching bass into the Summer, this video is for you! That translates into fewer bites from the resting females. She typically rocks back and forth on the bottom, and the male hits her in the sides to break the eggs loose. Finding one is challenge enough, enticing one to "take" your artificial lure is something else altogether. Most of the lake species in Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee complete their annual spawn during February through early May. When the water temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees, largemouth bass will seek out a shallow, protected area for spawning. Scroggins calls it "rolling" when he sees a female bass locked on a bed and dropping eggs. Telemetry studies on largemouth bass have indicated that largemouth bass unlike their close relative the smallmouth bass do not move great distances. You also have the true “movers” that migrate from some distance to and from the spawning areas. Largemouth bass are an important predator species in the fish communities they inhabit. You have the “stay put” largemouth bass that basically stay or live near the area where they spawn and may spend their entire life in close proximity to that area. In a perfect world this is true, but that temperature must stay optimal for largemouth to spawn at that time. Most largemouth bass begin spawning as early as year 2 when they weigh as little as 1lb (454 grams). In the springtime, after the long winter season where bass live deep and feed sparingly, they make their yearly migration into shallow bays and calm pockets to spawn. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Cloudy skies. During this time period, I concentrate on points that are close to both the winter areas and the spawning areas. Below you'll find a breakdown of the baits Matt discussed in the video. Anglers knew what to do as the fish went through the prespawn and actual spawn, but 10 days later these same anglers can be confused, zipping from one spot to the next like water bugs. The spawning season begins in early spring once ice is thawed. That factor is migration or movement of the largemouth bass after the spawn. Other bodies of water in Arkansas are incredibly active post-spawn homes or locations ’! 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