How do you know when bass are spawning?

The best way to know if the bass are spawning in the lakes, ponds and rivers in your area is to bring a thermometer. The spawn is all about water temperatures and now that you know what temperatures you are looking for, then it is easy to know when the bass are spawning.

You can also tell when the bass are spawning because of the circular nests that they build in the shallows. You will see those nest and a male bass guarding them. The males are the ones that take care of the eggs and small fry when they hatch.

The females will often lay eggs in multiple nests to give here eggs genetic diversity and to minimize the risk of having all of her eggs in one nest. The female bass will have huge bellies when they are ready to spawn. It takes a huge metabolic toll on the females so they lay their eggs and head to deeper water to replenish their energy levels.

How long is bass spawning season?

Bass spawning season goes from February to June depending upon what state that you live in. It is all about water temperatures. I probably sound like a broken record at this point but the spawn is triggered by steady temperatures from 55 to 60 degrees. That is what will trigger the bass to lay eggs.

Down here in Florida we are lucky because our state is so long. We get at the spawning bass first in south Florida around February and can follow the spawning bass cycle all the way up the state. In the Northern part of Florida the spawn might not end until early April.

Texas is even better for targeting spawning bass because the southern parts of that state has spawning bass in February. The spawn in the northern parts of Texas might keep going until late April or even early May depending upon extreme the winter was in Texas.

How do you find spawning bass?

The best way to find spawning bass is to hit the shallows. You can usually tell that there are spawning bass on the nests because you can see them. If you can’t see them because the water is stained or conditions don’t allow it, then you will still have to hit the shallows from about 8 feet deep up to a couple of feet deep.

Bass will have nests deeper than 8 feet if the water is very clear and they can have nests in just a couple of feet of water too. You just have to cover a lot of water and figure out where the fish are. The bass will all choose a similar spot to spawn so if you find one bass then you will probably find a whole bunch more too.

The type of underwater topography that you want to look for is a good hard bottom that is somewhat protected by wind. The bass don’t want an area where the wind can stir up silt or sand and cover their eggs so a protected area that is close to deeper water is what you are looking for.

The shallow nests are very easy to see. They are usually 2 feet across and a different color than the surrounding ground because the male bass will use there tails to keep them clean and help oxygenate the water for their babies. When the water is deep, then you can’t see the nests.

How do you catch spawning bass?

If you have read any of my other articles then you know that I like 3 different colors of soft plastics for bass fishing. I like watermelon for clear water; green pumpkin for stained water and black for dirty water. Those are really the only 3 colors that you need to have in your tackle box.

Spawning bass have many egg predators. Bluegills and other pan fish love to eat baby bass and bass eggs. A goby will eat bass eggs and bass babies along with other bass and crawdads. Salamanders will eat bass eggs too. The male bass that are guarding the nest know this and will kill anything that looks like one of these creatures.

What are the best crankbait lures to use when bass are spawning?

Crankbaits are great lures to get those territorial male bass to bite during the spawn. A square billed crankbait is a good one for super shallow water nesting bass. Just about any color will work because the bass is killing it to protect its babies.

When the nests are deeper then you will want a normal billed crankbait to run through the nesting areas in the bodies of water where you live. You will want to vary your retrieval speeds until you find the one that works best for getting the bass to hit.

What are the best spinnerbait lures to use when bass are spawning?

Spinnerbaits are another great lure to use to catch spawning bass. Those blades will pump out a lot of the low frequency vibrations that will get the bass’ attention and get them to try and kill it.

Colorado blades put out more vibrations but you have to fish them more slowly. Those are a good choice when the bass want a slower retrieve. When the bass want something that is moving faster then you can use a spinnerbait with willow leaf blades and really burn it across the beds to get more bass strikes.

You will have to try them both to figure out what technique will work the best where you are. The colors are not very important but you really only need a white and a dark spinnerbait for every fishing scenario anyways. That means that you only need two colors to catch as many bass as you want.

What are the best soft plastic lures to use when bass are spawning?

The best soft plastic lures to use when the bass are spawning are any that look like the bass egg predators mentioned above. A lizard is a really good choice for fishing the bedding bass areas of your lakes and ponds. The best set up is probably a Texas rigged lizard for that scenario.

A crawdad is another great soft plastic lure choice for fishing for those spawning bass. You can rig that one with a Texas rig too. Just work it through the bass beds and wait for the bass to kill it.

A creature bait is another great soft plastic lure choice for catching spawning male bass. You know the colors that you need with all of these soft plastics. The only colors that you need is watermelon, green pumpkin and black. Grab yourself a bag or two of these colors and you are good to go.

Do you like how to bass fishing articles like this one? If you answered yes, then sign up for our email list because you will receive a new how to fishing article every week. SIGN UP TODAY and receive your FREE online bass fishing course too.