Ok, Guy's here is one.. Lets see what we can find out and Lets dream alittle..
Spring, Fish are in a Pre-spawn on the lower end of the lake (Dirty Water) and in full out Spawn Mode in the upper end (dam area, Clean Water).
Question 1) What tactics do you use for Pre Spawn fish. Were do you find them and what is used to catch them?
Questions 2) Fish in Full Spawn and on the Beds. What do you use to get them to bite?
Where have you found them spawning,(Like Sand bars, Tree Tops, Tires, ect.)Tell us some of your stories..
Question 3) What are the types of Tackle do you use? Rod, Lines, Reels, ect...
Question 4) If any what tricks have you learned over the years for any of these situations?
Maybe we can give some help to our new members!! Well give us your thoughts on these soon to be fishing situations..
Sound Good
EAT SLEEP FISH
Spring Fishing
-
brendanc
- Posts: 2720
- Joined: Thu May 03, 2001 4:00 pm
Spring Fishing
Don,
Great series of questions. You are asking guys to give up the real goods here. For practical purposes, let’s assume we are talking about northern reservoirs, with both largemouth and smallmouth are present.
Question 1) What tactics do you use for Pre Spawn fish. Were do you find them and what is used to catch them?
Answer 1) I stick with migration routes. Primarily road beds that lead to spawning areas. I focus on the areas where I know the bigger fish like to spawn. I avoid coves and focus on main lake spawning grounds. Suspending Jerk-baits can be a great tool for locating the productive areas. One tip for searching I will give is not to stay tight to the banks. Keep your boat on the 30’ contour line and work the 3-8 foot depths. Keep your eye out for objects… Boulders and stumps will hold the bigger Pre-spawn bass.
Questions 2) Fish in Full Spawn and on the Beds. What do you use to get them to bite? Where have you found them spawning,(Like Sand bars, Tree Tops, Tires, ect.)Tell us some of your stories.
Answer 2) Hard bottoms with a lot of rock and wood. Smallies love the chunk rock mixed with boulders. Largemouth love wood and boulders. Sand bottoms are great, but focus on the darker sand bottoms. Getting them to bite is easy if we are talking smallmouth. You can chuck anything at them and they crush it. I like a tube bait. Largemouth can be tougher. If targeting largemouth, I will have several rods rigged up with different baits. Drop-shots, jigs, tubes, grubs, wacky worms, jerk-baits and crank-baits (Both suspending or even sinking).
Question 3) What are the types of Tackle do you use? Rod, Lines, Reels, ect...
Answer 3) I use the heaviest equipment I can get away with for the bedding fish. If they don’t mind the line size, I will often used 20lb test on a heavy flippin’ stick. For the tubes, grubs, drop shots and wacky worms I will stick with a med-heavy fast action spinning rod with 8ld or 10lb test.
Question 4) If any what tricks have you learned over the years for any of these situations?
Answer 4) One I already gave you and this is keeping the boat at the 30’ contour line when searching for pre-spawn fish. The other applies to approaching bedding largemouth. “Scout first” when you find a big largemouth on a bed, DON’T cast at it. Continue along searching for other beds. Find and object that you can identify with on the shoreline (like a tree, lawn chair, whatever) something to give you a reference point of where the bed is located. When you finish scouting the area, head back to where you started but stay as far away from the bedding area as you can when you double back. Find your reference point and try casting to the bed before you can actually see it. If you get a cast anywhere near that bed before the largemouth sees you… she will attack… and you will hook up. It sounds like common knowledge, but I see a lot of fishermen come across a big bedding female largemouth and immediately cast to it. Granted, you will hook up sometimes, but if you don’t and the fish is wise to the boat… You are going to spend a lot of time working on that fish. If that happens, you are better off taking a boat ride and coming back an hour later.
BC
Great series of questions. You are asking guys to give up the real goods here. For practical purposes, let’s assume we are talking about northern reservoirs, with both largemouth and smallmouth are present.
Question 1) What tactics do you use for Pre Spawn fish. Were do you find them and what is used to catch them?
Answer 1) I stick with migration routes. Primarily road beds that lead to spawning areas. I focus on the areas where I know the bigger fish like to spawn. I avoid coves and focus on main lake spawning grounds. Suspending Jerk-baits can be a great tool for locating the productive areas. One tip for searching I will give is not to stay tight to the banks. Keep your boat on the 30’ contour line and work the 3-8 foot depths. Keep your eye out for objects… Boulders and stumps will hold the bigger Pre-spawn bass.
Questions 2) Fish in Full Spawn and on the Beds. What do you use to get them to bite? Where have you found them spawning,(Like Sand bars, Tree Tops, Tires, ect.)Tell us some of your stories.
Answer 2) Hard bottoms with a lot of rock and wood. Smallies love the chunk rock mixed with boulders. Largemouth love wood and boulders. Sand bottoms are great, but focus on the darker sand bottoms. Getting them to bite is easy if we are talking smallmouth. You can chuck anything at them and they crush it. I like a tube bait. Largemouth can be tougher. If targeting largemouth, I will have several rods rigged up with different baits. Drop-shots, jigs, tubes, grubs, wacky worms, jerk-baits and crank-baits (Both suspending or even sinking).
Question 3) What are the types of Tackle do you use? Rod, Lines, Reels, ect...
Answer 3) I use the heaviest equipment I can get away with for the bedding fish. If they don’t mind the line size, I will often used 20lb test on a heavy flippin’ stick. For the tubes, grubs, drop shots and wacky worms I will stick with a med-heavy fast action spinning rod with 8ld or 10lb test.
Question 4) If any what tricks have you learned over the years for any of these situations?
Answer 4) One I already gave you and this is keeping the boat at the 30’ contour line when searching for pre-spawn fish. The other applies to approaching bedding largemouth. “Scout first” when you find a big largemouth on a bed, DON’T cast at it. Continue along searching for other beds. Find and object that you can identify with on the shoreline (like a tree, lawn chair, whatever) something to give you a reference point of where the bed is located. When you finish scouting the area, head back to where you started but stay as far away from the bedding area as you can when you double back. Find your reference point and try casting to the bed before you can actually see it. If you get a cast anywhere near that bed before the largemouth sees you… she will attack… and you will hook up. It sounds like common knowledge, but I see a lot of fishermen come across a big bedding female largemouth and immediately cast to it. Granted, you will hook up sometimes, but if you don’t and the fish is wise to the boat… You are going to spend a lot of time working on that fish. If that happens, you are better off taking a boat ride and coming back an hour later.
BC
Brendan C.
-
johnnie crain outdoors
- Posts: 1504
- Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2002 5:00 pm
Spring Fishing
Good post from Brendan.
In spring pre-spawn I'd fish the dirty water, it warms faster and the fish are more active. I'd use a gold single spin spinnerbait with a green skirt, not chartreuse, green. Want to look like a bait fish and crawfish. If trying for a lunker, would use 1/2 ounce brown/orange bass jig with #1 brown frog. I avoid clear water when possible.
When looking for pre-spawn bass I check out the main lake points and secondary points inside coves, close to deep water, usually on the sunny bank, look for stumps, stickups or my favorite-chunk rock. I use a four ich deep diving crankbait in Baby bass or brown tones.
I don't like bed fishing, but in tournaments where it's necessary I use a four inch pearl colored tube on a weighted hook with the hook slightly exposed. I will continuously pitch the bait to the nest until either I or the fish gives up. 2nd. choice would be a four inch white/pearl worm rigged wacky style fished the same way. I fish the worm weightless with a #3 bass hook, bleeding red color. For really tough fishing, spawning in clear water, I'll try a three inch curly tail grub on a #2 bass hook, no weight, just let the bait slowly settle into the nest and wait. Good post. Johnnie
In spring pre-spawn I'd fish the dirty water, it warms faster and the fish are more active. I'd use a gold single spin spinnerbait with a green skirt, not chartreuse, green. Want to look like a bait fish and crawfish. If trying for a lunker, would use 1/2 ounce brown/orange bass jig with #1 brown frog. I avoid clear water when possible.
When looking for pre-spawn bass I check out the main lake points and secondary points inside coves, close to deep water, usually on the sunny bank, look for stumps, stickups or my favorite-chunk rock. I use a four ich deep diving crankbait in Baby bass or brown tones.
I don't like bed fishing, but in tournaments where it's necessary I use a four inch pearl colored tube on a weighted hook with the hook slightly exposed. I will continuously pitch the bait to the nest until either I or the fish gives up. 2nd. choice would be a four inch white/pearl worm rigged wacky style fished the same way. I fish the worm weightless with a #3 bass hook, bleeding red color. For really tough fishing, spawning in clear water, I'll try a three inch curly tail grub on a #2 bass hook, no weight, just let the bait slowly settle into the nest and wait. Good post. Johnnie
Johnnie Crain
-
mofish
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2001 5:00 pm
Spring Fishing
Brendan and Jonnie pretty much covered it all on were to find the fish. I look for a creek channel that swings in close to shore or a good flat. One of my best spots has a creek channel the runs in close to the shore with a road bed in between it, with nice flats on both side of the channel bend. Lots of good fish on them.
As far as baits I like to use a lipless crankbait to find were the prespawners are located and the fish a jig and pig or fluke type bait to get the rest of them.
When the fish are on the bed I like the tube and wacky worm also.
One trick I learned from a freind is pitch a jig up to the bed and if the fish does not take it, bring it in. Then I pitch a jig with the hook removed and crawl it right up to the fish and then bump her with the jig. Alot of times she will leave the bed and then come back. Do this till she gets mad and stays on the bed and flares her gills. When she does that toss a tube bait in there and she is yours. You just got to get her mad first. When I say bump her I don't mean haul off and hit her with the jig but just nudge her with it. She get mad and take the tube sooner or later. This works best if you have a partner in the boat.
Don't get me wrong I dont fish for bedding fish unless I am in a tournament. Then you dont have time to wait for the fish to bite you make her bite.
Conley
As far as baits I like to use a lipless crankbait to find were the prespawners are located and the fish a jig and pig or fluke type bait to get the rest of them.
When the fish are on the bed I like the tube and wacky worm also.
One trick I learned from a freind is pitch a jig up to the bed and if the fish does not take it, bring it in. Then I pitch a jig with the hook removed and crawl it right up to the fish and then bump her with the jig. Alot of times she will leave the bed and then come back. Do this till she gets mad and stays on the bed and flares her gills. When she does that toss a tube bait in there and she is yours. You just got to get her mad first. When I say bump her I don't mean haul off and hit her with the jig but just nudge her with it. She get mad and take the tube sooner or later. This works best if you have a partner in the boat.
Don't get me wrong I dont fish for bedding fish unless I am in a tournament. Then you dont have time to wait for the fish to bite you make her bite.
Conley
Thanks,
Conley Staley
Conley Staley
-
mofish
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2001 5:00 pm
Spring Fishing
Brendan and Jonnie pretty much covered it all on were to find the fish. I look for a creek channel that swings in close to shore or a good flat. One of my best spots has a creek channel the runs in close to the shore with a road bed in between it, with nice flats on both side of the channel bend. Lots of good fish on them.
As far as baits I like to use a lipless crankbait to find were the prespawners are located and the fish a jig and pig or fluke type bait to get the rest of them.
When the fish are on the bed I like the tube and wacky worm also.
One trick I learned from a freind is pitch a jig up to the bed and if the fish does not take it, bring it in. Then I pitch a jig with the hook removed and crawl it right up to the fish and then bump her with the jig. Alot of times she will leave the bed and then come back. Do this till she gets mad and stays on the bed and flares her gills. When she does that toss a tube bait in there and she is yours. You just got to get her mad first. When I say bump her I don't mean haul off and hit her with the jig but just nudge her with it. She get mad and take the tube sooner or later. This works best if you have a partner in the boat.
Don't get me wrong I dont fish for bedding fish unless I am in a tournament. Then you dont have time to wait for the fish to bite you make her bite.
Conley
As far as baits I like to use a lipless crankbait to find were the prespawners are located and the fish a jig and pig or fluke type bait to get the rest of them.
When the fish are on the bed I like the tube and wacky worm also.
One trick I learned from a freind is pitch a jig up to the bed and if the fish does not take it, bring it in. Then I pitch a jig with the hook removed and crawl it right up to the fish and then bump her with the jig. Alot of times she will leave the bed and then come back. Do this till she gets mad and stays on the bed and flares her gills. When she does that toss a tube bait in there and she is yours. You just got to get her mad first. When I say bump her I don't mean haul off and hit her with the jig but just nudge her with it. She get mad and take the tube sooner or later. This works best if you have a partner in the boat.
Don't get me wrong I dont fish for bedding fish unless I am in a tournament. Then you dont have time to wait for the fish to bite you make her bite.
Conley
Thanks,
Conley Staley
Conley Staley
-
brendanc
- Posts: 2720
- Joined: Thu May 03, 2001 4:00 pm
Spring Fishing
Conley,
Great tip with "bumping" the bedding fish... I figured someone else was going to bring it up, so I left it out. I have about 5 other tricks like that, but we can't share everything...
Fishing for bedding bass is a tuff call. There are a lot of different opinions on the topic. Some people are for it, some against and some neutral. I am one of the neutrals... if that is the strongest pattern I have going in a tournament, I will fish beds. I prefer to find staging fish still in the pre-spawn mode. The down side of bed fishing in competition aside from the removal of a bass from the nest, is the fact that these fish are heavily targeted by most tournament anglers. If you can find the pre-spawn fish, you will be consistant throughout a 2 or 3 day tournament. It's just something else to consider.
Good topic... I am interested to hear Don's answers to his own questions... You out there Don?
BC
Great tip with "bumping" the bedding fish... I figured someone else was going to bring it up, so I left it out. I have about 5 other tricks like that, but we can't share everything...
Fishing for bedding bass is a tuff call. There are a lot of different opinions on the topic. Some people are for it, some against and some neutral. I am one of the neutrals... if that is the strongest pattern I have going in a tournament, I will fish beds. I prefer to find staging fish still in the pre-spawn mode. The down side of bed fishing in competition aside from the removal of a bass from the nest, is the fact that these fish are heavily targeted by most tournament anglers. If you can find the pre-spawn fish, you will be consistant throughout a 2 or 3 day tournament. It's just something else to consider.
Good topic... I am interested to hear Don's answers to his own questions... You out there Don?
BC
Brendan C.
-
Don House
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 5:00 pm
Spring Fishing
Yup, I 'm here brendan... Well everyone has covered just about everything I use, Like brendan, we can't give away everything 
.. But here are a few..
All of my lakes in Missouri that I play in are in very clean water (Table Rock, Beaver) or really dirty water (Truman, Lake of the Ozarks)so here we go...
1) Post Spawn = I love creek bends / OX bows right next to flats... The best I have found are chunk rock banks about 45 degrees, but the important thing is to back off of the banks.. Stay 10 to 15 feet deeper than everyone else..
On Lake of the Ozarks everyone else will be fishing in 8-15 feet of water I will get in the 15-25 feet of water at least 20-40 feet away from the banks and slow slap stickbaits and count down to 10 or longer before I move it. Colors are custom brown/orange colors or Clown/Tenn Shad/Yellow Purple in clear water has givin me some pay checks. Dirty water Deep crank baits to find them and then Jig n Pig to really get the bigger bites..
2) Bed Fishing, I'm also one that will stand on the fence on this one, only during a tournaments will I fish them, But If I can find a large spawning ground that has no pressure (Ya right), I will spend my time in there and not leave. I have found that on Table Rock, I find better fish hidden in or around the big rocks and drop offs with big rocks,Most fishermen go right on by and don't reall look them over good.
I agree with everyone else find the Post spawn fish first get a limit and then go back and bed fish for the bigger females for that Kicker fish.
The fish in Missouri will spawn anywhere they can, in tree tops (One fish is seen was out in the middle of the lake in a very large oak tree just under the water, we call it the boat killer.. She was right in the middle of the forks were all arms come into the base, very easy access to deep water if needed but setting in less that 3 feet of water was the bed...
One Trick, I use Lizards ( Green Pepper and Ruby Red ) no weight light line and just let it float down there and sit, Largemouth bass hate lizards, one of the worst preditors for a bass bed.
I have tried bumping the fish and that has also worked for me, it depends on the stage of the fish are in the spawn. If they are locked down and will not bite, I use a 3 inch Zoom Fluke (Bone White) I will dip the tail in blood red. I have found it drive the clear fish crazy!!! I also just let it float down and not move it. It takes two or three try's and they will just eat it, it's easy food source for them. Kinda like drive up fast food to us..
3) Equipment I use... Dirty water 6'6 rods with 17 pound p-line or with crankbaits down to 12-14 pound depends on how deep I need to get. Clear water 6'6 to 7'0 spinning rods with 6-8 pound test and all green lines for everything from stickbaits to grubs. I found the spinning rods drop straight down to the bed easier to get right in the middle of the bed also.
4) Well I gave some of them away already, and well I was looking for some more from you guys.. Just wait until we start talking about deep water fishing, have a whole box of tricks there!!
Good Fishing and thanks for this thread lets keep it going..
EAT SLEEP FISH
.. But here are a few.. All of my lakes in Missouri that I play in are in very clean water (Table Rock, Beaver) or really dirty water (Truman, Lake of the Ozarks)so here we go...
1) Post Spawn = I love creek bends / OX bows right next to flats... The best I have found are chunk rock banks about 45 degrees, but the important thing is to back off of the banks.. Stay 10 to 15 feet deeper than everyone else..
On Lake of the Ozarks everyone else will be fishing in 8-15 feet of water I will get in the 15-25 feet of water at least 20-40 feet away from the banks and slow slap stickbaits and count down to 10 or longer before I move it. Colors are custom brown/orange colors or Clown/Tenn Shad/Yellow Purple in clear water has givin me some pay checks. Dirty water Deep crank baits to find them and then Jig n Pig to really get the bigger bites..
2) Bed Fishing, I'm also one that will stand on the fence on this one, only during a tournaments will I fish them, But If I can find a large spawning ground that has no pressure (Ya right), I will spend my time in there and not leave. I have found that on Table Rock, I find better fish hidden in or around the big rocks and drop offs with big rocks,Most fishermen go right on by and don't reall look them over good.
I agree with everyone else find the Post spawn fish first get a limit and then go back and bed fish for the bigger females for that Kicker fish.
The fish in Missouri will spawn anywhere they can, in tree tops (One fish is seen was out in the middle of the lake in a very large oak tree just under the water, we call it the boat killer.. She was right in the middle of the forks were all arms come into the base, very easy access to deep water if needed but setting in less that 3 feet of water was the bed...
One Trick, I use Lizards ( Green Pepper and Ruby Red ) no weight light line and just let it float down there and sit, Largemouth bass hate lizards, one of the worst preditors for a bass bed.
I have tried bumping the fish and that has also worked for me, it depends on the stage of the fish are in the spawn. If they are locked down and will not bite, I use a 3 inch Zoom Fluke (Bone White) I will dip the tail in blood red. I have found it drive the clear fish crazy!!! I also just let it float down and not move it. It takes two or three try's and they will just eat it, it's easy food source for them. Kinda like drive up fast food to us..
3) Equipment I use... Dirty water 6'6 rods with 17 pound p-line or with crankbaits down to 12-14 pound depends on how deep I need to get. Clear water 6'6 to 7'0 spinning rods with 6-8 pound test and all green lines for everything from stickbaits to grubs. I found the spinning rods drop straight down to the bed easier to get right in the middle of the bed also.
4) Well I gave some of them away already, and well I was looking for some more from you guys.. Just wait until we start talking about deep water fishing, have a whole box of tricks there!!
Good Fishing and thanks for this thread lets keep it going..
EAT SLEEP FISH
Don House
-
catt951
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 5:00 pm
Spring Fishing
I would like to share a little known phenomena that take place on Toledo Bend Reservoir. Toledo Bend has two different types of bass, those found in the major creek coves (several miles long), and those found out on the main lake. Despite popular belief the main lake bass never migrate to the shore, they spawn in open water. Because the main lake bass has access to deeper water (80’) than do the bass in the creeks (45’), they are less effected by fronts. Because of it’s length (65 miles) one can start pre-spawn fishing up north in early February and follow the spawn south through mid to late April.
Pre-spawn:
In late January began searching creek channel mouths and major points in 12 to 14 ft of water slowly working shallower. Concentrate on wood (logs, stumps, or brush) making your cast hit the target and then letting it fall straight beside it.
For the main lake fish work ridges, humps, islands in the same manner. Work grass lines, brush piles, bald spots, stumps ect.
Spawn: See my post on extreme fishing
Tackle:
Texas Rig it may have a worm, craw worm, or lizard attached. A 6’ 10” med-heavy action rod with a 15lb-test line, a 4/0 hook, & ¼ oz. bullet weight.
Jig-n-Craw, the jig is usually 3/8 oz. Black/Blue with a 6” Black/Blue craw worm cutoff where the body starts. The rod is 7’ med-heavy action with 17lb-test line.
Regardless of time of the year, weather, depth, or what ever these two rods are always rigged and are used 90% of the time.
Pre-spawn:
In late January began searching creek channel mouths and major points in 12 to 14 ft of water slowly working shallower. Concentrate on wood (logs, stumps, or brush) making your cast hit the target and then letting it fall straight beside it.
For the main lake fish work ridges, humps, islands in the same manner. Work grass lines, brush piles, bald spots, stumps ect.
Spawn: See my post on extreme fishing
Tackle:
Texas Rig it may have a worm, craw worm, or lizard attached. A 6’ 10” med-heavy action rod with a 15lb-test line, a 4/0 hook, & ¼ oz. bullet weight.
Jig-n-Craw, the jig is usually 3/8 oz. Black/Blue with a 6” Black/Blue craw worm cutoff where the body starts. The rod is 7’ med-heavy action with 17lb-test line.
Regardless of time of the year, weather, depth, or what ever these two rods are always rigged and are used 90% of the time.