THE BASS COLLEGE

what are some of your guys favorite baits during the spawn on lakes? and how about rivers? just wondering, mine for lakes are chatterbait, shakyhead, and jig, and for rivers it would be lizard, jig, and tube

There are a lot if you can actually see the beds, which you can't in many places especially some of the rivers and certain lakes. 

When I can see the beds it's easy to me, challenging, difficult at times, but once you have figured it out, it's pretty easy at times. 

I throw a Power Tackle Lateral Perch, Tubes, Senkos, and swimbaits to irrate them, then a jig or plastic. There are a lot of baits that work well on the spawn, it is more of presentation and stealth, than the bait I think.

When I can see the smallies on beds nothing will beat a leech rigged with a slpit shot for me. I have seen many bass caught with jigs and swimbaits. Not just me.

I am just talking about largemouths. I never get to see a Smallmouth except when I travel more than 4 hours each way to get there, as we have none.

To me there is nothing better than flippin a dropshot with medium 7' spinning setup, 8lb line, a 1 or 1/0 gammy hook with a roboworm out to a Smallie bed in clear water at Lake Havasu and then hanging on for the rodeo!

It doesn't really matter that much as long as you can keep it on the bed. I normally go with a creature bait or craw though.

Zoom super hogs and lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits in bluegill shades, and some shaky heads.

I like slow rolling baits shallow. Spinnerbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits. Also things that imitate crawfish. Make sure ur shallow cause the bass are there spawing; and they're fat!

If they are on the beds, I use a Sweet Beaver/Smallie Beaver, Skinny Dipper, Swimbait, or if finicky a dropshot with 2-3 inch leader with whatever seems to work at the time.

Gotta agree with the AZ guys. Nothing beats a dropshot right in the middle of the bed. You can keep that thing just hovering right above the bed until they can't take it. Otherwise, I really like hopping a texas rigged hula-grub into the bed. If I really need to aggravate them that lateral perch will usually do the trick.

All this spawn talk has me going crazy for February/March at Havasu, as well as tournaments and playtime everywhere else! Is it spawn time yet!?

Delawarebass at January 8, 2012 at 12:19 PM

There are a lot if you can actually see the beds, which you can't in many places especially some of the rivers and certain lakes. 

When I can see the beds it's easy to me, challenging, difficult at times, but once you have figured it out, it's pretty easy at times. 

I throw a Power Tackle Lateral Perch, Tubes, Senkos, and swimbaits to irrate them, then a jig or plastic. There are a lot of baits that work well on the spawn, it is more of presentation and stealth, than the bait I think.

steve are there any ponds that are here in delaware? or is that water to dirty? if so what ponds/lakes?

alright good stuff. im syked!

Tube's and Senko would be my go too baits on beding fish .

Abbotts, mcGinnis, Blairs, Concord, Millsboro, Burtons, all can be bed fished and there are more, but Noxontown, Como, Garrisons, is too muddy, you cant see them, and so is Silver lake, Red Mill, etc no good for sight fishing. 

Search for ’em early

While biologists say 68 degrees is the optimum spawning temperature, bedding activity begins long before that. In fact, on some northern U.S. lakes, bass have been caught off beds in 50-degree water.

Shaw Grigsby says 60 degrees tends to be when activity picks up most on southern lakes, but he starts looking when the water hits 55 degrees.

“Follow the weather patterns closely,” he advises. “And by all means, start looking during full moon or new moon periods of early spring.”

Steve, what weight lateral perch do you throw?

Steve you are correct about abbotts being good for site fishing. I caught a 4 lb female on her bed from shore. I was using a 5" senko black and red color and she got irritated and took the bait. It took me nearly 20 casts on her bed before she took it.I don't remember how to post pictures so i can't show everyone the bass.

Nice.