When Do You Start Prespawn Fishing? 2024
1099gl reply :
My fishing is pretty much done here in Missouri so I figured I would ask when you all start prespawn fishing?
ChrisWi reply :
Whenever the ice goes away.
Scott F reply :
I fish when I can, but the bites don't REALLY start where I fish until the water hits 50 degrees. It's like somebody threw a switch that tells the bass to feed.
smallieking reply :
no fish eat all the time even when the water is hard you just need to get away from the bank and learn how to catch bass in cold water. 44 degrees in the spring is fish start there prespawn activities and as anglers we can start patterning them and predicting where theyll be.
RoLo reply :
For sure, the "pre-spawn" period is the peak season for beer-keg lunkers 
The timing of the pre-spawn hinges on geographic latitude and strain of bass.
Here in central Florida, I don't get serious about pre-spawn fishing until after New Years Day,
a season that normally continues through March (quarter of a year).
The definition of coldwater is relevant to the strain of bass. For Florida-strain bass, anything below 65-deg F
is cold (they're not uncomfortable, but behave differently). For this reason, bass fishing grows increasingly
more productive 'after' the pre-spawn, and the months of April & May usually provide the best action of the year.
On the downside, the mean weight of bass during the post-spawn is lower than during the pre-spawn.
Roger
Raul reply :
Many moons ago when I had time and hunted the beeg mommas prespawning the hunt began in February for the Gulf and Pacific coast, then it was time for my local waters, March and April and then it was time to climb to higher grounds in May.
Bassguytom reply :
I start pre spawn fishing after the spawn. I'm pre spawn fishing now. I fish for the fat bottomed girls when the water hits 45 degrees or so with jigs and lipless cranks in the red craw color.
Sam reply :
Virginia - April when the Dogwood trees bloom.
teamtrout reply :
For me in MA, it always seems to be the same week - April 22-28. Not sure why, thats just when they seem to pre-spawn in my local lakes, but we usually have similar conditions if you compare one year to another.
gulfcaptain reply :
Now. Prespawn in S. Cal normally starts right after fall. The bigger fish target the larger swimbaits and trout stocks. But gernerally Feb starts to produce more fish.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Late February/early March here and it should be about the same in your area.
Catt reply :
Now! 
I'm gonna follow the bass I'm on right now all the way to the nest!
ww2farmer reply :
I have caught a lot of fish from ice out till the water got into the low 50's, but once it hit's that 50 degree mark, it's like a switch is flipped. Some years it happens two weeks after the ice is gone, some years a month, or more. But generally it starts mid April in the backwaters/creeks feeding the lakes, early May on the main lake.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Toward the end of February, I'll riding by the ponds almost daily, hoping for ice out conditions. But usually that doesn't start to really get going until mid-March around here (MA). I'm not a fan of ice fishing, but as soon as open water occurs, I'll be out there for sure! 
stepchild reply :
It's illegal to target bass here in Ontario until the 3rd or 4th weekend of June, when the bass have usually finished spawning....so in short, no prespawn fishing for us!
To scratch that fishing itch, the walleye/pike season usually opens mid-May.
Dave Jakes reply :
Now, pretty much. Not a whole lot of winter season here in the part of AZ I fish. Lakes don't get much below 50 degrees for a long period of time here. The bigger lakes tend to slow down a bit more than the smaller ones but I can always manage a fish or two. Just yesterday I caugh 8 bass in about two hours on a lipless with a fairly quick retrieve in 10 feet of water. The worst part about winter time fishing here is the sunburns!
Matthew2000 reply :
Before the spawn
ColdSVT reply :
As soon as i can launch my boat!
Usually late march early april...
Bankbeater reply :
I fish as long as there is no ice. You can really tell a difference in the bite around mid-March. The bass start going after moving baits.
long island basser reply :
On 12/24/2014 at 8:20 AM, 1099gl said:My fishing is pretty much done here in Missouri so I figured I would ask when you all start prespawn fishing?
April
fisherrw reply :
Here in CA around late jan to early February is when I start
WRB reply :
About 2 weeks!
Tom
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
Right after spawn....,,,,
RoLo reply :
On 12/25/2014 at 7:35 AM, 5 Dollar Fishing Game said:Right after spawn....,,,,
Why wait for the spawn? 
Roger
Senko lover reply :
Technically, we start the prespawn right after the postspawn. But I guess for me I'll start seriously fishing again in late February, early April.
GANGGREEN reply :
As others have pointed out, the actual prespawn is a distinct pattern and time of year, but I've had some of my very best days, particularly for smallmouth, during the late winter period. When I can find open water, I'll fish as early as March when many lakes in my area are still iced over and water temps are in the 30s. The fish are lethargic, but they'll definitely bite on the right presentation and when it's the only game in town, I'm all over it.
WRB reply :
Pre spawn starts about 2 months "before" the spawn and continues until the spawn, post spawn is "after" the spawn.On 12/25/2014 at 10:21 AM, Senko lover said:Technically, we start the prespawn right after the postspawn. But I guess for me I'll start seriously fishing again in late February, early April.
Tom
*Hootie reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 5:25 AM, Senko lover said:Well, in the technical (not fishing) sense of the word, "pre" means before, and anytime after the "post" spawn is technically prespawn, if you get my drift. But I wasn't really serious (rarely am).
Not trying to be sarcastic but that doesn't make sense to me. Am I missing something?
Hootie
Senko lover reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 5:30 AM, *Hootie said:Not trying to be sarcastic but that doesn't make sense to me. Am I missing something?
Hootie
Forget it lol, I'm geeky.
WRB reply :
Some folks don't believe in seasonal periods, there is the spawn and the balance of the year. After bass spawn, the bass recover and start a new life cycle, the females start to develop eggs during the summer. For those anglers pre spawn starts when eggs start to develop.
My belief is defined by my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar*; 6 seasonal periods, winter, pre spawn, spawn, post spawn, summer, fall.
Tom
* search Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar.
*Hootie reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 5:55 AM, WRB said:Some folks don't believe in seasonal periods, there is the spawn and the balance of the year. After bass spawn, the bass recover and start a new life cycle, the females start to develop eggs during the summer. For those anglers pre spawn starts when eggs start to develop.
My belief is defined by my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar*; 6 seasonal periods, winter, pre spawn, spawn, post spawn, summer, fall.
Tom
* search Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar.
Tom, and Senko lover, you guys are just too smart for me...lol.
Hootie
Catt reply :
On 12/26/2014 at 5:55 AM, WRB said:Some folks don't believe in seasonal periods, there is the spawn and the balance of the year. After bass spawn, the bass recover and start a new life cycle, the females start to develop eggs during the summer. For those anglers pre spawn starts when eggs start to develop.
My belief is defined by my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar*; 6 seasonal periods, winter, pre spawn, spawn, post spawn, summer, fall.
Tom
* search Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar.
Unless you're a Cajun
Cajun seasons!
Pre-spawn
Spawn
Post spawn
Summer
Football
Hunting
WRB reply :
Merry Christmas Catt, In needed that!On 12/26/2014 at 6:41 AM, Catt said:Unless you're a Cajun
Cajun seasons!
Pre-spawn
Spawn
Post spawn
Summer
Football
Hunting
Tom
fayegarnett reply :
On 12/24/2014 at 8:20 AM, 1099gl said:My fishing is pretty much done here in Missouri so I figured I would ask when you all start prespawn fishing?
why is it done already? i'm still fishing in st. louis.
RipzLipz reply :
Here in IN, I'm done fishing in state until ice out in Feb. or Mar. Then it's time to whack those fat bottom gals with a jig & craw.
DogBone_384 reply :
On 12/24/2014 at 8:24 AM, ChrisWi said:Whenever the ice goes away.
X2
scaleface reply :
After ice out and several successive days of warm weather. Here in Northern missouri that might be as early as February . I always had a hard time catching fish in the morning at this time but in the afternoon with the sun shining I have caught some of my largest bass . I have had the most success on steeper banks and a crankbait reeled "Very" slowly. Fred Argobast Mudbugs are a good choice.
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