Other Indications Of Prespawn Bass Besides Temperature? 2024
BooyahMan reply :
Getting really excited for this year's bass fishing, and especially intrigued by hitting the pre-spawn. Are there any other indicators that the spawning-aged bass are moving into shallower water besides getting water temperature readings? The reason I ask is because I kept a log of my observations last year in terms of when the lily pads started growing (May) and when Sunfish and juvenile bass started showing up near the shoreline, as well as when I managed to hook/catch anything. However, I didn't have a means of measuring water temperature so I don't have any data on that. I started getting bites during the last week of March last year from dinks (10 inches or less...yes true dinks) just off the shore in water that ranges from 3 to 6 feet deep; would this be a good indication that the big bass are starting to come shallow looking to feed as well? Better yet, are there any correlations between prespawn and some other phenomenon such as when the cherry blossoms start to bloom, for example?
Thanks for any insight. Don't want to miss out on this opportunity to tangle with some trophy fish!
WRB reply :
Pacific coast of Canada is the far northern range of LMB. Water temperature is a key factor, it indicates changes in seasonal periods. Pre spawn follows winter or cold water period, 55 degrees or less at the depth the bass are located is a baseline for winter or cold water for bass. Depending on the climate, weather conditions where you located, the water warms slowly. Larger and deeper bodies of water warm slower than smaller shallow bodies of water, so it's difficult to predict seasonal periods using the calendar, water temps are far more accurate.
Get yourself a digital thermometer and take the body temperature of the bass you catch, that indicates the water temps the bass was in.
The first sign of the end of pre spawn is seeing bass cruising the spawn bays and wind protected areas, that usually happens when the water is about 60 degrees with stable weather conditions. The bass may not move up until the weather is stable.
If your lakes have crappie, they spawn about a month before the bass spawn.
Tom
BooyahMan reply :
Thanks for that really informative post WRB! Looks like I'll just have to invest in a thermometer and hit the lake at every opportunity I can until I start catching them.
The lakes here don't have any Crappie, only Pumpkinseeds. Do pumpkinseed follow the same timeline as Crappie? I do have a timeline for when they were spawning last year.
Catch 22 reply :
WRB== excellent
WRB reply :
No, pumpkinseeds spawn after the bass when the water is close to or above 70 degrees and very shallow water.On 2/28/2015 at 11:36 AM, BooyahMan said:Thanks for that really informative post WRB! Looks like I'll just have to invest in a thermometer and hit the lake at every opportunity I can until I start catching them.
The lakes here don't have any Crappie, only Pumpkinseeds. Do pumpkinseed follow the same timeline as Crappie? I do have a timeline for when they were spawning last year.
You can check the surface water temps with a inexpensive floating pool thermometer.
Tom
Catt reply :
Other Indications of Pre-spawn Besides Temperature?
Hang up the iphone, turn off the ipad, get off the computer!
Get youself outside 
Look at the trees, bugs, birds, & nature; they will give you all the indications you need if you just open your eyes!
HookdUP reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 12:44 PM, Catt said:Other Indications of Pre-spawn Besides Temperature?
Hang up the iphone, turn off the ipad, get off the computer!
Get youself outside
Look at the trees, bugs, birds, & nature; they will give you all the indications you need if you just open your eyes!
This can't be said enough ... There is no replacement for time on the water
Paul Roberts reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 12:44 PM, Catt said:Other Indications of Pre-spawn Besides Temperature?
Hang up the iphone, turn off the ipad, get off the computer!
Get youself outside
Look at the trees, bugs, birds, & nature; they will give you all the indications you need if you just open your eyes!
Ditto. But add a thermometer and access to weather trends and that would be me. It's best if you don't have a job.
BooyahMan reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 12:21 PM, WRB said:No, pumpkinseeds spawn after the bass when the water is close to or above 70 degrees and very shallow water.
You can check the surface water temps with a inexpensive floating pool thermometer.
Tom
Interesting. Thanks again; that sort of gives me an idea of when to start looking. Looks like I will be investing in a thermometer for sure.
On 2/28/2015 at 12:44 PM, Catt said:Other Indications of Pre-spawn Besides Temperature?
Hang up the iphone, turn off the ipad, get off the computer!
Get youself outside
Look at the trees, bugs, birds, & nature; they will give you all the indications you need if you just open your eyes!
Definitely couldn't agree more; was asking more out of curiosity than anything. I plan to be out there as much as I can and the second I start having success I'll be letting everyone know. 
On 2/28/2015 at 1:08 PM, Paul Roberts said:Ditto. But add a thermometer and access to weather trends and that would be me. It's best if you don't have a job.
Looks like I've got to quit my job then. Although the employee discounts on fishing gear are incredibly tempting. Good thing I'm graduating from post-secondary this semester!
Thanks everyone!
Catt reply :
Do you know which trees, bushes, grasses are pollinating?
Do you know which trees, bushes, grasses at budding?
What are the Honey Bee's doing?
What's the cold fronts doing?
Did ya know this week was the first cold front from the west instead of north?
Do you know why that matters?
Ya can learn these indications before work, after work, during your lunch break.
Everything around you is talking...are you listening?
RoLo reply :
Water temperature is among the worst indicators to use for pinpointing the spawn.
On the other hand, 'photoperiod' is one of the most reliable indicators.
In Florida, there are several spring-fed waters that maintain a year-round temperature between 70 and 72 degrees.
Despite a perennially constant water temperature, the bass spawn once-a-year unerringly.
Roger
WRB reply :
The OP is located in BC Canada, further north than Main. The storms are cold from the northwest out of the gulf of Alaska and occur almost weekly.
Where live in SoCal the spawn has started in coastal lakes, another month 30 miles inland and 100 miles further south, at Big Bear lake the spawn will not start for at least 3.months as the lake is still frozen over and snowing as I write this, it will that long until the water temps reach the 60's.
The difference isn't latitude or photoperiod, it's altitude and water temperature.
Tom
Sam reply :
In Virginia, when the Dogwoods bloom the bass are on their beds.
So when the Dogwood trees start to have buds on them it means the bass are starting to move up.
Have no idea if you have Dogwood trees in your area. If you do, watch them carefully.
Catt reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 3:20 PM, WRB said:The OP is located in BC Canada, further north than Main. The storms are cold from the northwest out of the gulf of Alaska and occur almost weekly.
Where live in SoCal the spawn has started in coastal lakes, another month 30 miles inland and 100 miles further south, at Big Bear lake the spawn will not start for at least 3.months as the lake is still frozen over and snowing as I write this, it will that long until the water temps reach the 60's.
The difference isn't latitude or photoperiod, it's altitude and water temperature.
Tom
my mistake, I thought Canada was still on planet earth!
I'll say it again, "If y'all watch nothing but water temperature y'all will miss most of the pre-spawn".
I din't care if it South Canada or South Louisiana!
WRB reply :
Agree with the other factors...spring is made up of everything that creates winter to spring transition or pre spawn period. Your answers were directed to the OP's question. Water temps are a major factor during this time everywhere bass spawn, not the only factor.On 2/28/2015 at 8:37 PM, Catt said:my mistake, I thought Canada was still on planet earth!
I'll say it again, "If y'all watch nothing but water temperature y'all will miss most of the pre-spawn".
I din't care if it South Canada or South Louisiana!
Tom
Dypsis reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 1:29 PM, Catt said:Did ya know this week was the first cold front from the west instead of north?
Do you know why that matters?
Catt - what does this mean and why does it matter?
Matt
RoLo reply :
On 3/1/2015 at 12:33 AM, Dypsis said:Catt - what does this mean and why does it matter?
Matt
A north wind is cold, no matter what direction it comes from 
Dypsis reply :
On 3/1/2015 at 12:43 AM, RoLo said:A north wind is cold, no matter what direction it comes from
Makes perfect sense - thanks!
WRB reply :
During the winter most storms are generated in the north artic zones move south with the jet stream, then across the country east bringing cold weather and this has been the pattern this year. Storms generated near the equator move north, picked up by the west to east jet stream and bring warm rain. Out west we call the warm storms El Niño affect and we hope it's coming to end our drought. This weekend the storm is from the north and cold weather will move across the country west to east again.
Tom
Catt reply :
Artic fronts bring sub-zero temperatures, frozen perception, and winter.
Pacific fronts bring warmer temperatures, rain, and spring.
Tom, the OP asked for "Other Indications Of Pre-spawn Bass Besides Temperature", ya gave him temperature.
WRB reply :
I realized that, you answered his question.On 3/1/2015 at 3:16 AM, Catt said:Artic fronts bring sub-zero temperatures, frozen perception, and winter.
Pacific fronts bring warmer temperatures, rain, and spring.
Tom, the OP asked for "Other Indications Of Pre-spawn Bass Besides Temperature", ya gave him temperature.
We haven't had any warm pacific storms yet, everything is out of the Alaskian gulf and cold, that is why we have snow instead of rain in March. Nothing is blooming, the trees are not leafing out, but the water is in the low 60's at Casitas (near the beach), so the bass are up and males are making nest sites. Following this weekend storm, the bass will move down and return in about a week if the weather stabilizes. Normally there would be signs of spring, not this year so far.
Peace.
Tom
Catt reply :
Surface temperatures here are right at 60 degrees and have been for 10-12 days but the spawn is still a good 4-6 weeks away.
The 60 degrees is reached during mid-day and lost by evening and night.
So what good is that 60 degrees reading?
Then you can go the other direction and have the bass spawn in temperatures in the mid 50s.
ww2farmer reply :
A good indication around here is we'll start getting busy at work, and I'll have far less time to fish than I want to. LOL
Catt reply :
On 3/1/2015 at 6:30 AM, ww2farmer said:A good indication around here is we'll start getting busy at work, and I'll have far less time to fish than I want to. LOL
I'm retired and I struggle just to get a day per week this year!
matuka reply :
My swimming pool, (unheated) mimics the surface temp of my home lake pretty darn close. As others have said, certain foliage helps. Dogwoods, Redbuds etc. My neighborhood has a lot of trees that stink when they bloom, but it tends to indicate it's rippin time. If you wait for the ornamental cherry blossoms, you may be a bit late.
RoLo reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 3:20 PM, WRB said:Where live in SoCal the spawn has started in coastal lakes, another month 30 miles inland and 100 miles further south,
at Big Bear lake the spawn will not start for at least 3.months as the lake is still frozen over and snowing as I write this,
it will that long until the water temps reach the 60's. The difference isn't latitude or photoperiod, it's altitude and water temperature.
Tom
You Can't Be Serious!
Pollination, blossoming, bird migration and scores of other natural events are all linked directly to "Photoperiod".
The bond is so close that countless annual events in nature recur the same time every year within days.
A natural event that depended on water temperature could never be predicted within days, because temperature
is volatile and unpredictable. I feed wildlife in my backyard all year long, however we only see red fox
during their mating season. Every year, we see our first red fox between April 6 & April 10, every year
regardless of weather or air temperature. The same is true for migratory birds, where the Audubon Society
knows the arrival dates and departure dates of all transient species. The birds follow those schedules
like clockwork, because they're governed by "photoperiod", not by air temperature. Ideal temperatures
are only coincidental, and may be achieved numerous times without triggering departure or arrival.
The vegetable kingdom and animal kingdom are interdependent, they are inextricably linked.
You labeled "water temperature" as a key factor, but water temperature is not causative, it's coincidental.
As Mother Nature would have it, fish eggs hatch in a wide range of water temperatures, it's not a critical constraint.
During the past couple of weeks, the weather in central Florida has been schizoid. Our lake temperatures
have seesawed between 55 to 69 degrees. Many anglers hold that 65-deg water is perfect for spawning bass.
Nevertheless, bedding activity in central Florida remains sparse at best, but this is normal for this time of year,
regardless of ever-fluctuating water temperatures.
If water temperature was in fact the key, then fish would spawn twice a year. They would spawn once in spring
and again in fall during the same water temperature range. In reality, 'photoperiod' prevents this from happening,
because 'day-length' is in a downtrend during the fall, which prevents the secretion of reproductive hormones.
In post #11 above, I discussed the spring-fed waters in Florida that maintain a "year-round" water temperature
of 70 to 72 degrees. Yet, despite a constant water temperature, the bass in these waterbodies spawn unerringly,
once every year in spring. You denounced photoperiod as a timing factor, so you'll need to explain how
water temperature can trigger the reproductive urge in lakes where water temperature is stable throughout the year?
Roger
WRB reply :
Roger, I am willing to keep an open mind, post a link to fishery management study that supports photoperiod being the major factor to LMB spawn and water temperature secondary.
You reference a spring feed lake with year around constant water temperatures 70-72 degrees, do the bass spawn the week each year?
I referenced 3 lakes in the same photoperiod with 100 miles of each other, the spawn periods are about 1 month different each year. I need to study photoperiod more to understand how the same exact length of day light or photoperiod can do different where these lakes are located. The plants bloom within a week period, the migration of birds is very predicable at these lakes, the bass spawn varies with water temperature do to very different night time temperatures, similar day time temps. Lake Castaic the day time temps are warmer than Casitas, the night time colder, photoperiod similar. Mustard plant for example bloom the same week at both these lakes, the bass spawn is 6 weeks different on average. I added a Big Bear lake, a 7,000 foot alitutde mountain lake with LMB population because I lived there and know this lake, the bass spawn late May to End of June. Casitas and Casitas I have fished for over 45 years and know them very well. The spawn at Casitas is usually starts sometime between Feburary and March, Castaic starts about 4-6 weeks later late March to May.
Tom
Catt reply :
I'm the dumb Cajun in this conversation but even I understand how this works. The water temperature can only increase as the photoperiod increases. The photoperiod can only increase by the length of daylight increasing (spring time).
So Tom if your water temperature is in fact at your magical "60 degrees" it can only be due to the fact the length of daylight has increased.
We also must include the earth is once again getting closer to the sun (spring time).
This is just a dumb Cajun's understanding
WRB reply :
All I am asking how can the lakes within a 30 mile radius with the same photoperiod be so different. These lakes are the same size, depth and exposure to sunlight. The lake that always spawns first is Castias, it' s closer to the ocean, about 5 miles. Castaic is inland about 35 miles further. I know why the air temperature differ, the photoperiods are identicle. Less wind at Castias then Castaic, colder nights, both combine to cool the water, but supports water temperature not sunlight exposure time.On 3/2/2015 at 6:36 AM, Catt said:I'm the dumb Cajun in this conversation but even I understand how this works. The water temperature can only increase as the photoperiod increases. The photoperiod can only increase by the length of daylight increasing (spring time).
So Tom if your water temperature is in fact at your magical "60 degrees" it can only be due to the fact the length of daylight has increased.
We also must include the earth is once again getting closer to the sun (spring time).
This is just a dumb Cajun's understanding
Then there are the higher elevation mountain lakes that have the same photoperiod, very cold nights with cooler days that prevent the water to warm until June when the spawn occurs.
I would like to,agree and do understand the affects of sunlight warming water.
Tom
Catt reply :
Tom, how can the northern end of Toledo Bend spawn before the southern end which is 65 miles closer to the coast?
Common sense would say the southern end should spawn first!
Are not both exposed to the same photoperiod?
Josh Smith reply :
I just watch for increased Adam and Eve deliveries to the lake. That's a pretty good sign.
RoLo reply :
Water temperature and air temperature both fluctuate back-&-forth, but photoperiod is predictable.
A spring day might have the same day-length as a fall day, but they’re easily distinguished
because spring day-length is in an uptrend, while fall day-length is in a downtrend.
Nevertheless, events triggered by photoperiod can vary a great deal depending on the species in question.
For instance, different species of flowers fill entirely different niches, which is why flowers may be in bloom
during all four seasons of the year. Events in the animal kingdom are also hard-wired to photoperiod,
which comes as no surprise since both kingdoms are inseparably linked.
WRB, I think the following might help address your question.
To bolster spawning success, fish eggs hatch in a wide range of water temperatures.
But the temperature range & spawn timing is furthermore widened ,
when northern-strain, Florida-strain & intergrade bass all spawn in the same waterbody.
Roger
Paul Roberts reply :
Here's my present understanding...
Photoperiod and temperature are related of course. But there's lots more to it. That's like saying, “bass spawn in spring”. True, but waters across the same latitude can spawn at different times. Even ponds one next to the other can do so. Water source, depth, and sun incidence, and weather are the primary factors that affect spawn timing because they control heating. Heat is what counts, and all waters gain heat a bit differently due to environmental particulars. Bass spawns get delayed some years.
Temperature is the “master” environmental factor for fish; it’s the best measure of spawn timing there is. One reason the ~60F thing holds up year after year is because 55F is the floor for bass eggs, where significant mortality occurs essentially culling a lot of nests that were placed too early, in the wrong place, or by whims of weather.
Flowers, again, tell us it's spring, even early, mid, or late spring. But, individuals vary and blooming tends to occur across weeks. If you plan to watch the … choke cherries, say… then pick one individual, and hope it doesn’t get chopped down. Even then, likely what you’ll find is that the circumstances that affect blooming in choke cherries are not lock-step with what happens with bass, or hummingbirds for that matter. Would be nice if things were simple, but they’re not. The best thing about time on the water is you get to keep your finger on the pulse. It’s a moving target. Photoperiod keeps things lock-step to a certain degree, but not enough to fish by. Otherwise, all we’d need is a regular old calendar to plan all our future trips. And we know how that pans out.
RoLo reply :
On 3/2/2015 at 12:46 PM, Paul Roberts said:Photoperiod keeps things lock-step to a certain degree, but not enough to fish by. Otherwise, all we’d need is a regular old calendar to plan all our future trips. And we know how that pans out.
Crystal River, Florida has a year-round water temperature of 72 degrees.
What would you do with your water thermometer?
With a calendar (i.e. photoperiod), it's impossible to miss the pre-spawn period.
Rainbow River, Florida has a year-round water temperature of 73 deg
What good is a water thermometer?
With a calendar (i.e. photoperiod) it's a cinch to nail the pre-spawn period every year.
Ponce De Leon Springs, Florida has a year-round temperature of 68 deg
Otter Springs, Florida has a year-round temperature of 73 degrees.
Etcetera, etc.
Roger
Paul Roberts reply :
Those bass may be cued by photoperiod alone. In some fully tropical waters that never drop below 75F, introduced largemouth's have been known to have extended spawning periods with spawns initiated by water level increases. But I wouldn't extrapolate either to the rest of the planet. In 99.999999% of bass waters, temperature is the cue. Apparently, spawning seasons stretch longer the further south you go, and shorter as you go north.
I'm guessing that there are water temperature changes in those springs too, however slight. Bass are, apparently (according to Keith Jones -I haven't found the original research), sensitive to temperature changes of 0.1 degree C. Regardless, without a floor, the bass populations don't have that restriction. They conform to what works -a cue- and it probably coincides with food production in a very few waters in which temperature change is limited. Photoperiod may wind up acting alone in such a case. I know at least one 1955 paper on Silver Springs says so, but I'm not up on the latest there.
WRB reply :
The is a PRF paper "water temperature drives the spawn", U of Florida.
If you search largemoutg bass spawn, every state has similar published papers, can't find any paper that mentions photoperiod as a primary factor or make reference.
Tom
Catt reply :
I think there is a misunderstanding of what the original post is.
I understand temperature plays a huge role in the incubation & hatching of the eggs (spawn). But if we are talking "Other Indications Of Prespawn Bass Besides Temperature", then no.
I'm goona give y'all some empirical evidence based on some 1,000s of hours chasing these little green demons around in circles. If y'all sit around watching for some mystical number on a thermometer y'all will miss a big portion of the pre-spawn.
A-Jay reply :
On 3/3/2015 at 1:02 AM, Catt said:I think there is a misunderstanding of what the original post is.
I understand temperature plays a huge role in the incubation & hatching of the eggs (spawn). But if we are talking "Other Indications Of Prespawn Bass Besides Temperature", then no.
I'm goona give y'all some empirical evidence based on some 1,000s of hours chasing these little green demons around in circles. If y'all sit around watching for some mystical number on a thermometer y'all will miss a big portion of the pre-spawn.
The only "Factor" I believe to be totally true regarding when the Pre-spawn actually begins is;
It always seems to starts much earlier than I expect it to.
A-Jay
Catt reply :
On 3/3/2015 at 1:08 AM, A-Jay said:The only "Factor" I believe to be totally true regarding when the Pre-spawn actually begins is;
It always seems to starts much earlier than I expect it to.
A-Jay
All empirical evidence points to there being no set reason for pre-spawn as far as I know & water temperature had very little if anything to do with it.
hoosierbass07 reply :
How about this - last spring (early spring) I went to a strip pit (with very clear water) and saw lots of small bass in the shallow water in the sunlight. Since I saw lots of small bass there, does that mean the larger bass are also moving around and getting read to spawn somewhere in the pond? I was only bank fishing at that time and the only bass I saw were those small ones getting some sun.
Choporoz reply :
If I recall correctly, think that last year we were approaching 'pre-spawn' activity almost perfectly in synchronization with Catt and WRB squaring off - in only the friendliest, most respectful manner, of course
A-Jay reply :
On 3/3/2015 at 2:56 AM, Catt said:All empirical evidence points to there being no set reason for pre-spawn as far as I know & water temperature had very little if anything to do with it.
I don't care to know Why some of the biggest fish of the season come a little shallower & ready to eat making them easier to target, I just try to be there when they do.
A-Jay
RoLo reply :
On 3/3/2015 at 6:32 AM, A-Jay said:I don't care to know Why some of the biggest fish of the season come a little shallower & ready to eat making them easier to target,
I just try to be there when they do.
A-Jay
The problem being, 'apathy' has a very poor record for repeatability and duplication.
In lieu, I invested in an ichthyic meter that quantifies the sex hormone in cow bass.
It's called an "Estrogenograph", but be warned it's time-consuming and very expensive 
Roger
WRB reply :
What is pre spawn to you?
Some believe pre spawn starts when the female eggs begin to develop during the summer and technically that would be correct.
To me pre spawn means the time period when bass transition from the cold water or winter period most lakes experience. Generally bass go deeper to find warmer water and stay deep until the pre spawn transition starts. Deep is relative to the lake where you fish and the type of prey the bass stay close to. For me pre spawn is about a 3 month period where I fish; late Jan to March, depending on how cold or warm the weather is during that time period. This year pre spawn the bass started to locate at pre spawn areas in mid Dec.
The bass and bait are about 30' to 60' deep and slowly move up to about 15' over that period.
The spawn is easy to determine, you can see the bass cruising or near beds. Pre spawn, can't see the bass without your sonar and no beds yet, until the first wave of spawner's.
After the spawn starts there are groups of bass in variuos stages of per spawn, spawn and post for a few months.
Tom
Paul Roberts reply :
On 2/28/2015 at 9:58 AM, BooyahMan said:Getting really excited for this year's bass fishing, and especially intrigued by hitting the pre-spawn. Are there any other indicators that the spawning-aged bass are moving into shallower water besides getting water temperature readings? The reason I ask is because I kept a log of my observations last year in terms of when the lily pads started growing (May) and when Sunfish and juvenile bass started showing up near the shoreline, as well as when I managed to hook/catch anything. However, I didn't have a means of measuring water temperature so I don't have any data on that. I started getting bites during the last week of March last year from dinks (10 inches or less...yes true dinks) just off the shore in water that ranges from 3 to 6 feet deep; would this be a good indication that the big bass are starting to come shallow looking to feed as well? Better yet, are there any correlations between prespawn and some other phenomenon such as when the cherry blossoms start to bloom, for example?
Thanks for any insight. Don't want to miss out on this opportunity to tangle with some trophy fish!
There is a LOT of info out there on this, but it’s not readily accessible by the general public. I’m working on bridging that gap. Wish me luck; it’s no small task.
This topic gets discussed every year about this time. It’s worth searching back for pre-spawn discussions. Here are a couple from the archives:
http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/77208-the-spawn-how-long-does-it-go-on-for/
http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/81078-triggers-for-pre-spawnspawn/
hawgenvy reply :
"Water Temps Drive the Spawn," by Mark Rogers and Dr Mike Allen, Bass Times, Jan 2006:
http://sfrc.ufl.edu/allenlab/Popular%20Articles/Rogers&Allen_BassTimes.pdf
hawgenvy reply :
Keep in mind that the spawn period is much longer the further south you go. In the tropics and south Florida, the bass spawn can last for several months. In the far north it could last only three weeks. Seasonal climatic changes (temp and day length) and seasonal biological changes (cyclic features of other related flora and fauna -- like insect hatches or the blue gill spawns) occur more abruptly the further north you go. Here in So Florida, summer seems to last practically all year and winter water temps can be in the 70s. And lots of water is shallow in SoFlo. The day length changes are less dramatic too. And pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn bass can all linger in the same area at the same time.
Tonight the frogs are singing like crazy. I wonder if that corresponds to anything bassy. Maybe it's the frog chirp that is the proximate (most direct) signal for the initiation of the bass spawn! You can be sure that there is much interesting fish ecology/biology waiting to be discovered.
Comfortably Numb reply :
An old timer told me when the dogwoods bloom fish are on the bed.
Trek reply :
I don't know about the rest of the nation but up north here our days are getting longer. All of nature reacts to that. I noticed the tree buds were starting to swell up. It was -10 last week so temp had nothing to do with this. I believe bass are no different. When the ice comes off those bass already have eggs in them. They can't hold them for ever. We've had years where the winter seems to drag on for ever and some years it over in March. So I do believe up north here the water temps play a big roll on how good the spawn is ( survival rate ) but has little to do with when they lay their eggs. That process is already in motion.
DrKnew reply :
In Minnesota there is a saying that when the Lilacs are blooming , the Bass are spawning, and, while only a saying, it seems to play out that way.....Hard to miss as Lilacs have a wonderful fragrance and are plentiful up north.
WRB reply :
The largemouth bass have the best recruitment success laying eggs in water temps between 62-67 degrees during a warming trend. When the water gets into the 70's the depth the LMB spawn bluegill are spawning in the same areas and bass egg survival rate drop dramatically. Water in 58-60 degree temps are when both Smallmouth and Spotted bass prefer to spawn, one reason you don"t see Smallmouth or Spotted hybrids with LMB and will have Smallmouth and Spotted bass hybrids.
If the water remains too cold, the bass egg development slows down, cold blood animal everything slows down, if the water doesn't warm up enough the eggs revert and consumed inside the females egg sacks or they abort the eggs resulting in a low recruitment year cycle.
Normal weather years native plants, trees and water all all warm with the longer day light, it goes hand in hand. Very cold years like this the spawn will be later then normal because the water is colder.
In SoCal the only native trees are Oakes, Sycamore and pine, aspen at higher altitudes. We have trees and plants from all corners of the world that are not native to our areas and their time table to photoperiods are random at best, it takes centuries for the plants to adjust to a new zone. For example my crape myrtle tree bloom s March one year and June the next and same with most imported plants or trees. All our fresh water bass are transplants adjusting to a new* environment.
* Smallmouth & NLMB, -1890's, FLMB - 1960's, Spotted bass-1940's, a blink of time for change in animals or plants to adjust.
Tom
keagbassr reply :
bumble bees
RoLo reply :
At the latitude of the US/Canada border, the first brood of red-winged blackbirds
coincides perfectly with the pre-spawn peak of largemouth bass.
I learned this association by accident, getting dive-bombed nonstop by blackbirds when inadvertently
approaching an active nest. They artfully weave their nest among cattail stalks, a beautiful sight
when filled with their light-blue speckled eggs. Bass could not be kept however,
because the Ontario bass season didn't open until the late pre-spawn (may be different today).
Roger
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