When do bass go on bed

Summer bass fishing can be tough. The longer days, hotter temperatures and direct sunlight can send bass from the shoreline areas to deeper summer haunts. The best times to fish are early morning, the last two hours of daylight, cloudy days and nighttime.

While productive depths during the early summer are dependent on the lake, I like 6 to 12 feet of water. During the height of summer, bass may move as deep as 15 or 20 feet, especially in clear water. Weeds have grown by summer and bass will relate to them. Weed edges that are well defined, like a wall of weeds, will hold the best fishing. These edges are usually so defined because of a drop-off bordering the weeds. Early morning bass will be positioned toward the outside, so pull right up to the weed edge and fish parallel to it.

Use crankbaits, spinnerbaits or jigs. Try slow-rolling the spinnerbait along the bottom as close to the weeds as possible. During the day, bass will move toward deeper water or deeper inside the weeds. When the sun is high, always fish the shady side of cover no matter how deep or shallow. Cast a frog into the weeds, pausing and twitching the bait at any openings. Pitch a jig into the same openings—you may need a heavy jig to break through the canopy.

In deeper lakes, some largemouths will seek out cooler water by moving to offshore structure such as small- to medium-sized gravel, hard bottom or shell beds. Underwater humps surrounded by deeper water, long points that lead to deep water, areas where the channel swings close to shore, sunken brush piles, fallen trees and channels or deep depressions in coves will also hold summer largemouths.

Fish these structures with drop-shot rigs, football-head jigs, Carolina rigs and crankbaits. Summer Tip: Get some good foul weather gear and make sure to be on the water when a low-pressure system is approaching as long as there is no lightning.

As soon as it begins to rain, get to the best area of the lake—the big fish will start feeding soon after. As the water cools in the fall, bass move shallower to feed and pack on weight for the lean winter. Once the water drops to 55 degrees, the bite can turn on. Another bonus is that few anglers are still fishing at this time of year. Dress properly and you will have awesome days all to yourself. There are large fish still to be caught as well as large quantities. The bass will stack up in prime areas and you can catch them one after another.

Early in the fall, before the lake turns over, bass will move back into the same shallow areas where they were feeding before the spawn. A small- to medium-sized spinnerbait, like the War Eagle, and a square-billed crankbait will work wonders in the month of September.

Points once again will be sure spots for fish as well as any cover adjacent to deeper water. Article: Deer Season Bass Strategies. I have three go-to lures for fall—a medium-diving crankbait, a lipless crankbait, and a jerkbait.

Topwaters, spoons and spinnerbaits can also be effective. As the lake turns over, fishing will be tough for a stretch. After turnover, when the lake has settled and cleared up again, bass will move to the steepest ledges leading to flats with the last remaining weeds on them.

Pay attention to the weeds that get stuck on your hooks. When the water starts to warm after the winter chill, bass will start to think about heading to the bedding areas. Although some bass will be in a prespawn pattern when the water is still in the 50s, the biggest rush of bedding bass will occur after the water temperatures reach the 60s.

These temperatures are dictated by rainfall, length of day and amount of sunshine warming the water. It has nothing to do with anything else. The bad weather is over. So visiting anglers who want to get on Lake Guntersville to sight fishing for bedding bass can almost set their calendars. Early April would be a good time to book a trip. Captain Tim makes a point of saying that bass anglers who are sight fishing the beds on Guntersville will very rarely actually see the biggest bass on their beds.

We usually do not see the 7-pound or better bass on their beds. The really big bass bed deeper, usually in four to six feet of water where they are not visible. Captain Tim has been in the bass fishing game for a long time and he has seen several bedding seasons come and go. He has some very good advice for anglers who want to try to get into the sight fishing game for bedding bass. Work your way around the bank with your trolling motor.

Just keep looking into the water. By the way, a good pair of polarized sunglasses is crucial to help see the beds and the fish.

You can probably catch that fish you can see. Patience is absolutely required when it comes to bed fishing for bass. Captain Tim says. When the sinker taps shells or rocks, Scroggins slows down with short pulls and long pauses. Before he begins casting, Scroggins shoves a bamboo tomato stake into the bottom at the back of the nest. Then he backs away far enough that he can't see the bass, which means the bass can't see him either.

Because many of the beds Scroggins fishes are in grass, he casts beyond the stake and pulls the Craw Papi through the grass into the bed.

Then he lets the bait soak and barely shakes it on a slack line. The moon phase influences how long it takes to catch a bedding bass, claims Scroggins. The bass are more aggressive during a full or new moon when waves of spawners swarm into the shallows. There are fewer bass on the beds during the first and third quarters of the moon, and the bass are more reluctant to bite then.

Scroggins calls it "rolling" when he sees a female bass locked on a bed and dropping eggs. She typically rocks back and forth on the bottom, and the male hits her in the sides to break the eggs loose. You can usually fish close enough to see rolling bass without spooking them. However, it's hard to get their attention with your lures when they're in this state.

Though it's hard to catch a female while she's rolling, it's now-or-never time. She will leave as soon as she finishes dropping her eggs. Scroggins often starts working on a rolling bass by marking the bed, backing off and casting the Craw Papi to it. The bright color helps him see the bait, which needs to be fished close to the bass' mouth. Plankton is blown there which attract the baitfish which in turn attract the bass.

Bass become more active as the water cools back into the low 70s and 60s and will attack a faster-moving bait, such as a crankbait. Fish on long, tapering points with a deep-water access; some bass will be shallow and some still deep, and a long point interfaces with both environments.

Boat docks and similar shallow structures offer good fishing during the fall. River channel bars and ledges provide places for the bass to feed on baitfish.

And most bass tournaments held in fall are won along channel edges in the far back ends of creeks. Search for steeper shorelines, vertical drop-offs and green weeds. Topwaters are still a good choice as are spinnerbaits, jigs and oversized crankbaits.

As it gets colder, slow down your presentation and downsize your lures. Flip jigs and plastics on remaining green weeds and drag plastics on deep outside breaks. Largemouth fishing is typically slow in the winter but it's a good time to catch a big fish.

Fish in shallow lakes and concentrate on dense, shallow cover with slow-moving lures like jigs. Look for deep suspended bass on river channel drop-offs and submerged stumps. Focus on the base of deep drops and green weedlines. Fish slowly using a vertical presentation with jigs and spoons. Fish smaller baits for largemouths during cold weather than you might fish at other times.

Their metabolism has slowed to the extent that they feed less often and take smaller bites when they do. Fishing Articles Fishing Articles. Fishing Forums Fishing Forums. Tools Tools. Write for BassResource! Fishing Glossary Frequently Asked Questions.