fishingaddictsnorthwest.com

Pre-Spawn, Spawn and Post-Spawn Largemouth Bass are always a hot topic for committed Bass anglers. In the Pacific Northwest, the topic can almost drive you to distraction. That is because our changeable weather and differing waters can mean that the Spawn runs from early April to July or even later, and not just in separate bodies of water…..but even on the same lake!

Different sides of the lake warm at different times, and different ends of reservoirs reach different temperatures as well. Add to that coldwater springs in some lakes, and runoff from warmwater creeks in others – even the pumping of warm water by landowners from flooded fields into ponds or rivers – and you can get quite a wide-ranging spectrum of temperatures.

The magic temperature that forces Bass into reproductive mode is generally agreed to be 60 degrees farenheight, but fish can spawn in slightly colder or slightly warmer water than that. Once the right temperature is reached, the urge of nature becomes irresistable and Bass begin spawning.

In the same way that a Spring Chinook Salmon is driven by its genetic makeup to run up the Columbia from the ocean, seeking out its home spawning tributary and completing its life cycle, Largemouth Bass must find the right spot, build their nest and spawn when the temperature reaches that magic spot on the thermometer. Luckily for us Bass fishermen, this does not end the fish’s life cycle. It just starts new ones for another generation of Bass that manage to survive and beat nature’s harsh odds to adulthood.

This April started out cold and is warming only slowly. As I’ve mentioned before though, watch your thermometer and weather patterns closely. Warm weather and warm rains can cause a sudden jump in temperature. It pays to have a way to check the temperature for yourself. Your boat’s fish finder will tell you the surface temperature. You can also buy a castable glass thermometer that can measure either the surface or deepwater temperatures. They can be found at quality sporting goods stores such as Sportsman’s Warehouse/UFA or flyshops. Experiment with your thermometer and you’ll find quite a gradient from top to bottom at times. This may come in handy as we progress into Summer. More on that in later months.

Water temperatures are ranging from 46 degrees in the Columbia in warmer areas, to 53 and higher in various lakes and reservoirs. This means that most Bass will still be in Pre-Spawn mode. The Pre-Spawn tactics and baits discussed in last month’s column will work just fine, but because we are nearing spawning temperatures – especially for bigger fish – it is good to start including a few baits for the Spawn in your arsenal.

Besides those spinnerbaits and jig-and-grubs for Pre-Spawn, think about soft plastics like lizards, worms and tube baits for subtle presentations in reedbeds, weedbeds and likely spawning areas. Texas rigs, skin-hooked will prove more manageable than Carolina rigs at this time. Dropshotting with small, subtle amounts of lead will work as well.
You may well find spawning beds that appear as well-defined light spots or dark spots (This depends on the composition of the bottom in that area) in comparison with the rest of the area. Take your time and use your polarized sunglasses and you may also catch sight of a fish, or its shape, hovering near a bed. Soft plastics can be dragged over beds or allowed to actually settle into the bed. This may stimulate a savage strike. Bass can also gently pick up the bait and deposit it away from the bed without really ‘eating’ it. For this reason, some recommend brightly colored baits so that you can actually watch what the fish is doing. You will not always have this luxury, so I recommend paying close attention and staying attuned to your line and rod. For obvious biological and sporting reasons, please handle any spawning bed fish carefully at the water level, get the hook out gently and release an upright, rested and revived fish. The fish and all your fellow bass fisherman will be grateful!
Another great bait around the ‘crazy time’ of the Spawn, when big fish can sometimes be the least wary, is the floating stickbait. A Bomber Long A or Rapala in a baitfish pattern such as rainbow trout or perch can be deadly. Look for an opening in a brush pocket, or along green grass growing up out of the water along a point, or over the top of flooded brush and submerged stumps, or along the outside lines of reeds, or over actual beds which you will find about 10 feet out from shore. Hmmmm! Sounds like there are quite a few spots where these baits will work!

You may need to experiment with a larger bait or a smaller bait, or a different color pattern, but the stickbait can be a real producer, and there is no fancy or secret technique involved here. Just find a likely spot like those mentioned above. Toss the stickbait near the grassline or reedline, or beyond the brush or submerged wood. Let it sit. Let all the ripples from its entrance into the water disappear. Let it sit a little more! Often just the appearance of this bait will cause a savage attack. I have actually watched a big bass rise out of the water and pounce downward on my stickbait. Heart attack time!
If no immediate strike occurs, and after waiting as long as you can, gently twitch the bait. As minimal a movement as you can make. Let it sit some more. Repeat this process a few times. This can also be irresistably tantalizing to Bass.
If you still have no bite, move the bait. Don’t reel it down and dive it. Just pull gently and move the bait over the top of the water. Anywhere from 6 inches to a foot or more. Use this time to ‘position’ your bait if you are going after fish hiding in submerged wood. Make use of the time it is directly over your target to twitch it again. This tactic can also stimulate a charging or a sipping bite from the hiding fish.
I was fishing from shore in a backwater of the Columbia, casting to a favorite submerged ‘schoolmarm’ or forked log, with some of the forks exposed above water. My brother laughed as I complained about getting my stickbait and its treble hooks ‘too close’ to the exposed wood. Concerned about losing this expensive bait, I held my rod to the side and painstakingly, slowly pulled the bait between two threatening stickups. I thought I had escaped the trap when to my dismay, I came up hard against what I thought was a submerged stick. Wrong! A huge bass had decided that my bait would travel no further past his hideout! When I finally battled the fish in, my brother just laughed and said maybe a little ‘worrying’ was a good thing!
After exhausting your sitting, twitching and pulling reflexes, one last tactic remains: Get your line tight, reel quickly for about 4 or 5 turns of the reel handle, forcing the bait to dive and swim erratically, then stop the retrieve and let up. Often this ‘escaping’ action of your stickbait is just too much for the Bass. Repeat this process back to the boat or your position on shore, if depth allows.
Who knows what your Spawn adventure will be? Get out there, experiment, look for likely spawning areas, and you might be ‘worrying’ about a monster on the line too!
See you next month, when we’ll get into some specifics about topwaters and tactics.

As the days grow longer and the water begins to warm up past 45 degrees, Largemouth Bass are moving up out of their Winter haunts and beginning to look for spawning areas.  This is great news for all of us who like to catch these beautiful, powerful, challenging fish.

Under the proper conditions, some of your greatest successes of the year can come during the Spring. It’s good to bear in mind that as the bigger, smarter fish make their first moves into shallower water and brighter light, they can be very spooky.  Remember not to throw your shadow over them, get your boat too close or make too much noise from the boat or from land. Just a bang from a paddle or a tackle box, or a few rocks clinked together by a misplaced boot, and Mr. Bigmouth will squirt away. These fish have grown to their large size by being cautious.  Stealth is the word! With the powerful, unpredictable influence of marine weather from the Pacific Ocean and/or possible flows of cold Canadian air masses down into our region, planning Spring fishing trips can be challenging.  The ideal condition would be an early, sustained warming trend, a full moon for lake or river fishermen, and high Spring tides for devoted river fishermen.  Watch for warm rains, which will warm up lakes and even the river much faster than warm air temperatures.  I like to remember that fish are not afraid of rain, and neither should I be.  I have caught several very big Bass during warmer, rainy Spring weather. But what we in the Pacific Northwest often get is prolonged chilly spells, with cold rain, snow or hail falling into our water. This time of year it’s best to find areas of shallower water adjacent to deep water. The skinny water warms quicker, and when it begins to climb through 45 degrees and above, fish will seek out that water. These fish are in pre-spawn mode. When the water temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees, Bass get serious about spawning. Whether in the backwaters of the Columbia or in lakes, pre-spawn fish will be cruising the shallows, sometimes even ‘setting up’ or remaining in a certain area. Contrary to some reports, a cold front will not necessarily drive these fish back out into deeper water. They often will actually push deeper into cover when this happens. Pre-spawn bass can be found cruising in flooded shoreline brush, or hanging in areas of outside structure – near future spawning sites – such as rocks, rockpiles, underwater humps, stumps, logs or points {Actual spawning flats will be approximately 10 feet out from shore and in stable depths of anywhere from a foot or so to 6 feet, with bigger fish nesting deeper}.  There are several baits that work best for pre-spawn fish. A jig-and-pig or jig-and-grub fished slowly in heavier cover can be very effective. Try a slow, steady retrieve, feeling for a ‘mushy’ slow-down, or a light ‘tick’ as the fish bites. Also try a slow, reel, hop, reel approach, using very gentle twitches of the rod tip to impart a little extra motion to the jig. This bait and these retrieves can also be effective in more open areas right near the heavier cover. Try both. But retrieve s-l-o-w-l-y!  I like to use a little attractant, such as crawdad scent, on my jigs. At this time of year a 1/2 ounce jig in dark brown, dark green or black is a good choice. If the water is not clear, a rattling jig might help. One of my favorites for warmer, pre-spawn water is floating stick-baits such as Rapalas in Rainbow Trout pattern. I don’t do much swimming of the bait, instead I prefer to just toss it into an open area in flooded brush, or near a log or stump, let it sit, then twitch it.  Often the fish will hit before any motion is given to the lure.  If a still bait or twitching do not work, try four or five fast turns on the reel handle, then ease up. This causes the bait to make a shallow dive as if escaping, then pause and begin to rise. Often the Bass will hit just at the slowdown. This same tactic, perhaps with a quicker retrieve, also works well on spawning fish. I am also not shy about using larger baits, 5 1/2 inches or longer. Jointed versions will work well too. Another excellent pre-spawn bait is a 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce twin-blade spinnerbait. A black, white or white and chartreuse skirt works well. I like a small Colorado blade in front and a large willowleaf blade in back. I usually use a grub trailer with the tail pointed down.  Even with a grub trailer on, it is often wise to put an additional or ‘trailer hook’ on behind the spinnerbait’s hook. Cut off a small piece of surgical tubing, put it over the eye of the trailer hook, then punch the spinnerbait hook point through the tubing and eye of the trailer hook, keeping the trailer hook oriented in the same ‘up’ position as the spinnerbait hook.  Soft-biting or ‘short-striking’ Spring Bass will often hang up on the trailer hook, when they would have missed the main hook.  ‘Slow-roll’ a spinnerbait by keeping it in relatively constant contact with the bottom, bumping and banging its way over the cover. It will act somewhat like a jig, only with additional flash from the blades. Try a big crankbait as well. Chrome, baitfish, firetiger, citrus or crawdad colors are good. A stop-and-go retrieve might be just what it takes to make the fish hit.  Try flat-sided as well as the beefier models. Some folks also crawl  or slow-roll a lipless crankbait on the bottom and convince fish to strike. This can be a Winter tactic as well. Try a suspending stickbait. It can be deadly on early pre-spawn fish.  Reel it down and ‘park’ it in a good mid-depth area. Then give it a short ‘rip’ with a moderate lateral sweep of the rod tip. Repeat this process and be ready for the take.  This also works well for Smallmouth Bass. If you sense that your offerings are just a little too much for the wary pre-spawn fish you’re after, don’t neglect the lowly tube bait.  Its non-threatening, do-nothing presentation might just convince a wary fish to go for a quick meal. An eighth ounce or possibly heavier tube jig head in a motor oil and red flake, or possibly watermelon and black flake tube can be good offerings. Retrieve it slowly near the bottom and stay alert for ‘taps’. On the other hand, if you feel confident that the water is warming well, you can throw topwater buzzbaits out on the edges of cover. Agressive pre-spawn Bass will kayo a buzzbait at times, but it would probably be my last choice unless I was sure the water was well on it’s way toward spawning temperatures.

As in Bass fishing at any time of year, pay attention to depth, structure, cover and local land features when you catch a fish.  Look for similar areas as you move from place to place.  And try to stick to warmer water, if you can find it! Try to get out fishing as often as you can this season.  Conditions change – Improve! – quickly in Spring Bass fishing.  You want to be there when that magical time happens!