Each morning I would catch them one after another on that spot,” recalls Powroznik. One, here was an area, normally inaccessible to me in a boat, that was the warmest spot in the lake because its shallow depth and small size allowed it to warm faster than the rest of the lake. If fish were particularly wary, I would cut the Stik-O-Worm in half and wacky rig it. Otherwise, alternate between casting to structure and randomly fan casting around the boat. The true prespawn period occurs when the water temperature reaches the mid 50’s. In early spring, leave the main lake and look to the shallowest sloughs for the mother lode of largemouth bass. As the water continues to warm, you can expect bass to utilize shallow cover and become much easier to catch. Tip 2 Find the temperature. Now let’s talk tackle. Though it can be some of … Mojo Rig sinkers are long and thin, which enables them to slide easily through rocks, weeds, and brush better than other sinkers. However, early spring weather is unpredictable, and as the water temperature in the shallows fluctuates from day to day, bass will move back and forth between shallow and deep water. When fishing the one topwater lure I used, a frog, you want a long rod with good backbone and a soft tip, and a quality reel with a strong and reliable drag. Lesson learned: bass don’t read books or scientific articles, so expect the unexpected. Spring bass fishing presents anglers with the opportunity to catch some of the biggest bass of the year. However, ask many tournament pros and they will tell you that one of the best times of the year to catch a big fish on a buzzbait is during the prespawn. Unfortunately, it’s not as cut-and-dry as hopping in your boat, checking your graph and going fishing. For greater sensitivity and increased casting distance, I would suggest using a 10-pound-test superline. I had just navigated the channel to where the backwater opened up when two things happened immediately: the temperature on my fish finder suddenly read 63 degrees, and I noticed there were baitfish everywhere. “I want to use baits that can get down to the middle of the water column and stay in the strike zone for as long as possible,” Hite said. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2021 On The Water, LLC. The winter thaw has ended and it’s getting warmer which means, it must be spring! As the spawning cycle ends and water temperature levels stabilize somewhat during late spring and early summer, most bass move off the flats and into relatively deeper water, where they spend the hottest days. There were seemingly hundreds of bass in this small area and many were females from 3 to 5 pounds. Sign up for our FREE Fishing Reports Today! This is also a great opportunity for New England canoe and kayak anglers to connect with some great bass. We will see. However, there were two things that made this particular find unique. Despite this sometimes brief period, if you strike out using this method at one lake, I have found that another water body just down the road or in another part of New England can lead to a similar and successful outing. You were wearing them out last week—60 degree water, sunshine and a nice breeze helped you catch a sack full of big largemouth. It’s absolutely deadly.”. originalDevice: deviceType:desktop. Pre-spawn – 48 to 55 degrees When the water temperature in bass habitats starts rising above the forty-five degree mark the bass start moving in the upwards direction from deep waters. I had good luck with a 7-foot medium-heavy-power All-Star rod coupled with an Abu Garcia Revo reel spooled with 20-pound-test Spiderwire braid tied directly to the frog. These didn’t fit the bill every day, but when they wanted the frog, they absolutely destroyed it. However, moving off and fishing other areas and then coming back to that spot later can pay off. The previous two weeks had been unseasonably cool and rainy. It begins at about 45 degrees for a water temperature maybe a little earlier. Bass are always adjusting to the water temperature, which makes past and future water temperatures more relevant to them than the current conditions. That is why to be successful during the prespawn, we need to think in terms of water temperature - not the calendar. This “length-of-time” is dependent on weather. This spring, if conditions are right, get out in New England and fish for some pre-spawn backwater largemouth bass. Once the water temperature hits roughly 50 degrees, bass will be in shallow water and be willing to hit a buzzbait. I primarily used spinning tackle for this type of fishing and most of the time used relatively light rods and reels, which in my mind increases the fun. 95 $19.95 $19.95. “I think the longer, thicker living rubber is a big deal to these aggressive prespawn bass. When he runs across shallow cover with deep water nearby, he breaks out his favorite prespawn bait—a Buckeye Lures Mop Jig. My favorite color was watermelon gold flake, which in my mind looks like the sides of a juvenile yellow perch. The type of lake you're fishing, but remember these bass are gonna be in a place where they can move up and down a certain bank. “We had water temperatures that were between 47 to 53 degrees and the last day it was as warm as 60 degrees. That approach mirrors the bass' spring movements. During the prespawn period a warm front can push more fish into shallower water. On this map, he’ll search for inside and outside creek channel bends. I was not expecting much, just happy to get out to pitch a jig and throw a shallow-running crankbait. It also involves using the right set of tools. Some of us have fancy machines on our boats that figure that stuff out for us, so it should be simple enough, right? 1. I wasn’t sure I could get in there with my boat, but gained confidence as I went farther and farther thanks to the high water from the recent spring rains. Yay– Time for Spring Bass. When bass are spawning they will be found in sheltered areas with a sandy or gravel bottom. As you can see in the illustration, they collect around flats in 2-12 feet of water, especially near inside turns and points where stumps, weeds, or rocks are present. A number of different Texas-rigged plastics will work using this method and I had good luck with Zoom Centipedes, Hag’s Undertaker Jr’s, and 3½-inch Don Iovino Reapers. However, the consistent fact was that they were feeding and shallow, most in less than three feet of water. Days with a breeze make it more difficult to see fish, but the fish tend to be less spooked by your presence. If there are fish near where your lure touches down, you will typically see a wake that is either headed directly at your lure or in the opposite direction. Regardless of the weather, stealth is key. As the bass begin to vacate their deep, wintertime homes in search of shallower water throughout the prespawn, Phoenix Boats pro Davy Hite studies one element more so than others—water temperature. Bass will follow ditches, depth contours, tapering points and fallen trees on sloping banks toward shallower water. There are a lot of applicable plastic baits out there for drop-shotting, so try a few and find out which ones work best for you. I had just fished a similar lake the day before with similar water temperatures and similar weather conditions and found plenty of willing largemouth tight to shore. The next important time period for the Largemouth Bass is the Pre-Spawn. Conditions must be just right in terms of time of year, water temperature, and water levels. Here is a look at eight spots for finding prespawn bass in early spring. A quality pair of sunglasses will help greatly with locating fish. Fishing for early pre-spawn bass, such as in the month of February, can seem difficult to an angler expecting to catch a lot of fish. Conversely, short casts spooked fewer fish but covered less water. The fish will begin to scatter a bit and the smaller males will begin to build the nests. Pre-spawn water temperature Most largemouth bass will spawn in water temperature 55-63 degrees, whereas smallmouth will spawn in water temperature in 50-58 degrees. Water Temperature Dictates Spring Bass Fishing's Kick-Off As mild late winter weather persists, the bass prespawn will kick off with rising water temperatures According to the calendar, late winter should be in full command across much of the country, though a mild run of weather conditions would seem to indicate otherwise. Bass are migrating between areas and fickle spring weather causes them to move up and down in the water column and to continually change their attitude. That final day really moved the fish and they were on top of the point and moving in toward the shallows,” ad… It was a likely spot to find some pre-spawn bass, as the water should be warmer there. Whenever we hit the lake on a chilly morning, we usually don’t think much about it—a quick search through your boat to find an extra jacket is all it takes to keep your core body temperature at the important 98.6-degree mark. “In these conditions, I like to look for shallow water with adjacent deep water and focus on the break lines.” Due to the potentially short-lived nature of this opportunity, anglers can’t be too picky about weather conditions when deciding to fish these areas. The temperatures during this phase is around 48-50 degrees. 48-55 Degrees (Prespawn) Bass follow migration routes in larger bodies of water. "This time of year, the predominant wind direction is out of the northwest," he explains. Your decision on casting distance will depend on weather conditions (calm or breezy) and fish reaction. I’ll never forget the day it first happened. The spotted bass on Lake Shasta seem to be more active than in the really cold conditions, and susceptible to baits dropping into their area. “Prespawn water temperatures in the 55-degree range sound great, but it can make for some tough fishing if the fish were previously acclimated to 60 degree water,” Hite said. For frogs, I had good luck with both a Spro Bronzeye frog and a Snag Proof frog. I also had good success with a Mann’s Baby 1-minus crankbait, which runs less than a foot below the surface. Most biologists agree that a water temperature between the low 60s and 72 degrees is when bass remain in the shallow-water flats to begin spawning. While the spot held for the first three days, the fish changed on the final day of the tournament. After ice-out in late winter or early spring, bass begin moving from deeper areas where they spent the winter toward rapidly warming shallow waters. Once on the water, the New Jersey pro typically looks for northwestern banks when beginning his quest to find prespawn bass. I was scratching my head now. I was just about to head for deeper water, thinking that maybe fish were holding offshore in areas with a little more depth, when I saw some activity on the water surface in a shallow area that I was never able to get into before with my boat. section: | slug: adapting-to-changes-in-prespawn-water-temperature | route: article_single | I like a palomar knot when tying most superlines to a swivel or hook, but make sure to use a double palomar knot when using Nanofil. Ahead of me I could see big, broad green backs and tail fins sticking out of the water as largemouth bass attempted to herd baitfish toward the banks. I used 2¾-inch Bass Pro Shops Teaser tubes in calm conditions and 3½-inch Strike King coffee tubes when the wind was up. During this time period, the fish will be very object orientated and move toward the shallow side of any cover they can find in these spawning areas. “Prespawn water temperatures in the 55-degree range sound great, but it can make for some tough fishing if the fish were previously acclimated to 60 degree water,” Hite said. This creates more feeding competition, and makes the fish easier to find. “We should never forget that bass are cold blooded, making water temperature a huge factor in how lethargic or aggressive they might be.”. Fishing in this situation and with these techniques is incredibly fun. Most bites, when a topwater lures is not involved, come as a slight tap or with the line simply moving. In this prespawn bass fishing class, Pete Gluszek breaks down the rising temperature ranges from the 30s to the 60s and lures he likes to use to target bass that haven't moved up onto beds. Hite relies on a Rapala Husky Jerk or a Trigger X Drop Dead Minnow to target these fickle bass. 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