test your spawn i.q. 2024
paul. reply :
with the spawn already here in some parts of the country, and rapidly approaching in others, i thought a little refresher quiz might be kinda fun. see how much you actually know about spawn time fishing. post your answers here if you dare and you will be graded (c'mon, do it, we're all friends here ;D). i cannot post the grades here for a while to avoid spoiling the test for others. if you want to know your grade before i post them, let me know and i will gladly p.m. you. who'll score the highest? will anyone get a perfect score? just 4 rules. (1) take the test individually-no answer sharing. (2) this is a "closed book" test. no researching. (3) you cannot look at someone else's answers before you take the test. (4) you cannot go back and change your answers.
after one week, if there is decent participation in this thread, i will post the correct answers, along with the source from whence they came. hopefully this thread will spark some good learning and discussion. remember, for grading purposes, if part of a statement is false, the correct answer is "false". and please remember, this is for fun, not competition. ;D
good luck y'all! 
here's the test:
1. true or false - to avoid spooking fish unnecessarily, when approaching bedded bass, it is a good idea to position your boat on the deeper water side of the nest if possible.
2. if you find a bed with only a male fish guarding, and the female does not manifest herself, the quickest, easiest, and best way to find her if she's still in the area is usually by:
a. quickly backing away from the nest site a little. females are more wary and sometimes will not show themselves if they perceive any danger at all.
b. watch what the male does.
c. search carefully in any cover close to the nest where she might be hiding.
d. cast to all areas around the bed thoroughly. you will probably spook her out if she's there. make a note of where she was and return later to try and catch her.
3. true or false - you should attempt to catch the female bass first by making sure she's not close to the more aggressive male when you cast to her lest he ****** the bait away.
4. true or false - there is a usually a spot, often referred to as the "sweet spot", in the nest which will be more likely to trigger a strike from bedded bass.
5. true or false - you can identify how "catchable" a bedding fish is by paying attention to its coloration.
6. true or false - bass will attempt to bed around logs, stumps, and other cover or obstacles.
7. true or false - the steeper the incline of the lake bottom, the less likely it is that fish will attempt to spawn there.
8. of the following, which is the most important factor in determining how deep bass will attempt to spawn:
a. fishing pressure.
b. water clarity.
c. water temperature.
d. weather conditions.
9. once a bedded bass is hooked, he or she will most likely:
a. move towards nearby cover.
b. attempt to jump.
c. move towards the resistance of the angler's line.
d. move away from the resistance of the angler's line.
10. true or false - the biggest bass in the lake will usually spawn earlier or later than the majority of the other bass.
CJ reply :
Well this is my weakest subject paul. LOL! Here on Ky. Lake I get the luxury of fishing around the spawn with fish becoming in all three stages at one point or the other. But here goes buddy.
1. true though I think positioning downwind might help?
2. b
3. false
4. false
5. false
6. true
7. true
8. b
9. d
10. false
I'll be surprised if I have even a passing grade.
camman reply :
1 false
2 B
3 false
4 true
5 false
6 true
7 true
8 c
9 b
10 true
Bassn Blvd reply :
Geez Paul, I hate school. I have yet to spend more than 30 minutes targeting bedding bass so Ill gladly accept my "F".
1. F
2. D
3. F
4. T
5. T
6. T
7. T
8. B
9. A
10. F
I can't wait a week for the answer. I'll go absolutely bonkers
mattm reply :
I don't claim to be a bed fishing expert so like Cj I will be suprised if I do well
1)T
2)d
3)F
4)t
5)f
6)t
7)t
8)C
9)d
10)T
mattm reply :
Lol....I don't mean to pick on Bassn and Cj but by their answer for #10 they don't have a lot of experience with true or false q's.
CJ reply :
mattm, you're right, I don't have a lot of experience with true or false. I stand corrected. I miss read the question. I will correct that for you.
CJ
Bassn Blvd reply :
The jokes on you. Paul worded the question wrong. It's true or false but he gave you a multiple choice. The choices are earlier OR later which makes it impossible to answer with a true or false response.
mattm reply :
Bassn if you believe that big fish typically spawn later or earlier than the majority of fish than the answer is true. If you think they spawn with everyone else or there is no correlation than then answer is false. I know your from Florida but lets not turn this into a hanging chad stlye ballot.
Bassn Blvd reply :
QuoteBassn if you believe that big fish typically spawn later or earlier than the majority of fish than the answer is true. If you think they spawn with everyone else or there is no correlation than then answer is false. I know your from Florida but lets not turn this into a hanging chad stlye ballot.
I'm sticking to my guns and saying it's a TRICK question until we get clarification from some of the other hillbillies.
paul. reply :
y'all are killin' me here. ;D ;D ;D. #10 is a true or false question and has been correctly interpreted by matt. any answer other than "true" or "false" is incorrect. sorry for the confusion. 
Catt reply :
1. true
2. A
3. false
4. true
5. false
6. false
7. true
8. C
9. A
10. false
senile1 reply :
Paul, I would give my answers but I would have to disqualify myself. I have your source bookmarked and was just researching this a week ago in preparation for fishing the spawn, so I know all the answers. Too bad. I could have nailed this. 
Paul Roberts reply :
I believe I know, at least one, of your major sources too.
And, like Catt's bound to say, "Don't believe everything you read." Or at least run too far afield with it. Nature is full of surprises.
Low_Budget_Hooker reply :
1. true though I think positioning downwind might help?
2. b
3. false
4. false
5. false
6. true
7. true
8. b
9. d
10. false
I just copied CJ to the dime,......practicing for next week,lmao ;D ;D
CJ reply :
Quote1. true though I think positioning downwind might help?2. b
3. false
4. false
5. false
6. true
7. true
8. b
9. d
10. false
I just copied CJ to the dime,......practicing for next week,lmao ;D ;D
And that's what you get for cheating!
senile1 reply :
QuoteI believe I know, at least one, of your major sources too.And, like Catt's bound to say, "Don't believe everything you read." Or at least run too far afield with it. Nature is full of surprises.
True. Just when you think you have 'em figured out, they'll prove you wrong.
Bankbeater reply :
I didn't study. How much of the total grade is this quiz worth?
Pitchinkid reply :
LOL i saw this post right after Paul posted it and i really didnt want to be the first to answer it, fearing i would write all the wrong answers. So like a big chicken i waited and i still havent answered
ZeNoob reply :
1. true
2. c
3. true
4. true
5. false
6. false
7. true
8. c
9. a
10. false
FHUAngler reply :
1. false
2. B
3. false
4. false
5. false
6. true
7. true
8. D
9. C
10. false
SteveF reply :
1. false - I find that positioning the boat so that my shadow does not go over the bed as the most important factor.
2. a. - however I personally feel catching the male is the best way to bring the female out of hiding.
3. false - I personally do not believe it matters, however I will hold the male (if legal) until I can catch the female.
4. false - I have never found any part of the bed to be any different than the rest.
5. false - there coloration is typically going to be set by cover, water depth/clarity and not relative to the spawn.
6. true - this is difficult as smallmouth typically spawn on gravel flats, where as the largemouth will typically spawn around cover.
7. true - they are referred to as "spawning flats" for a reason.
8. b. - as water clarity affects the overal water temperature as it determines light penetration.
9. b. - I don't know that this is set in stone, however typically bedding fish do jump regularly.
10. false - I do not believe that any bass in the lake spawn relative to there size.
Glenn reply :
I haven't read any of the responses and didn't do any research. These answers are based soley off my own experiences:
1. False
2. True for all
3. True.
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. b
9. a - always pay attention to where he/she will run, and position your boat for the best advantage BEFORE making that first cast.
10. True - most often earlier
SuperNewbie reply :
f
t
t
t
t
t
t
b
a
t
thanks glenn
lololololololololololol
ChopperIA reply :
1. T
2. B
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. T
7. T
8. C
9. A
10. T
Bassn Blvd reply :
Ok Mattm, I concede. You were right and I was wrong about Q #10. My IQ is so high that I have a hard time reading fundamental questions.
mattm reply :
Fortunately I don't have that problem.
Low_Budget_Hooker reply :
QuoteI haven't read any of the responses and didn't do any research. These answers are based soley off my own experiences:
1. False
2. True for all
3. True.
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. b
9. a - always pay attention to where he/she will run, and position your boat for the best advantage BEFORE making that first cast.
10. True - most often earlier
Always with the disclaimer,...... :
Catt reply :
QuoteQuoteI haven't read any of the responses and didn't do any research. These answers are based soley off my own experiences:
1. False
2. True for all
3. True.
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. b
9. a - always pay attention to where he/she will run, and position your boat for the best advantage BEFORE making that first cast.
10. True - most often earlier
Always with the disclaimer,...... :
CYA
dmac14 reply :
1.false
2.d
3.true
4.false
5.true
6.false
7.true
8.c
9.d
10.false
6pointbuck2003 reply :
1 false
2 d
3 false
4 true
5 false
6 true
7 true
8 b
9 c
10 later
JUST reply :
1 F
2 D
3 F
4 T
5 T
6 T
7 T
8 B
9 A
10 T
Jake. reply :
1. False
2. A
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. B
9. C
10. True
Mattlures reply :
1.F
2. A and B
3. F. you use the male to get the female hot.
4. T
5. T kind of. You can guage a little from color but you can tell more from behavior
6. T
7. T
8. This depends. Water clarity is the most important but pressure will push the bigger fish to spawn deeper
9. A and then B
10. T
What do I win Paul
paul. reply :
********spoiler alert!!!!!!**********
if you have not taken the test yet and want to, stop reading now because i'm about to post the answers!!!!
this quiz came from this article. this is one of the best spawn articles i have ever read.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/fishing/bass/how-fish/2007/11/going-deep-name-bass-research
now i realize that everyone's experiences vary. and i realize that some will want to argue. if so that's fine. argue with field and stream or if you think you know more than john kerr, argue with him. or argue amongst yourselves if you want. i didn't post this to argue with anyone and i'm not going to, so don't try. ;D ;D ;D
i'm sure this will generate some further discussion among us, and that was my goal. i hope y'all enjoyed this little exercise, and more importantly i hope we learn from the article and each other.
best of luck to everyone this season whether you bed fish or not.
without further delay, here are the answers as per the field and stream article. everyone please post your grade now along with any thoughts you want. no going back and changing answers! obviously, each question is worth 10 points. did anyone get a perfect score?
oh btw, matt old buddy, if i have stumped everyone who responded and no one got a perfect score, then do i get a prize? ;D ;D ;D
1. false. this approach could cut off the bass' "escape route" and make them more spooky instead of less.
2. b. when you cannot find the female, the male will often "point" right towards her, making her easier to locate.
3. false. many times the only way to engage the female is for her to see the male get agitated first.
4. false. somewhat of a trick question. while it is true that there are "sweet spots" that will aggravate bedding fish more than the other surrounding area, these are not always IN the bed itself. quite frequently the female will have a different "sweet spot" than the male and it may not be in the bed at all, but somewhere on the perimeter.
5. even though it sounds somewhat silly on the surface, this is true.
6. true. beds which have a "backdrop" (stump, log, etc.) are easier to defend. hence fish will seek out these type of areas to make their nests.
7. true. bass prefer to bed on flat or mostly flat surfaces whenever possible.
8. b. although the other answers might be in some situations somewhat correct, the best answer is "water clarity" since this determines the essential element of light penetration.
9. a. a fish hooked on a bed will most likely move to cover when possible.
10. true. the idea that big bass do things differently frequently applies to the spawn just like it does to other fishing scenarios.
IdahoLunkerHunter reply :
1. False
2. I think all will work and should be done.
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. b
9. a
10. True
I don't know If I answered 10 right. It just didn't sound right. And #2 is all of the above I don't care what ya say
Mattlures reply :
But I did get them all right. read the wording of #4. Answering true does not make it wrong. Your explanation just meand there are times when her spot is different then his.
BTW John is my friend and we fish the same lakes and tip each other off. We also compare notes about bed fishing . I am not as good as he is though. He can see better then anybody else I have ever seen. He has bionic super sight.
John gave away alot of good tips in this article but he still kept a few secrets
Also I have a question for you. of all your questions which is the most important?
paul. reply :
QuoteAlso I have a question for you. of all your questions which is the most important?
the most important of my questions you say? well i guess it would have to be this one:
Quoteoh btw, matt old buddy, if i have stumped everyone who responded and no one got a perfect score, then do i get a prize?
because so far it looks like i'm batting 1000. how about one of those new hard baby bass like randall posted. well, actually 2 would be better. one autographed by yourself, mike long, john kerr, fish chris, and jay.
the other one i'll fish with. ;D ;D ;D
Mattlures reply :
alright since you dont want to play I'll give you the answer. You probably already knew it.
The most important thing is how you set up on the bed. Before you ever start you need to let the fish be as comfortable as possible. This is what John was talking about when he said blocking thier escape route. If you position your self badly you have greatly reduced your odds before you even start.
I can get you an autograph from Mike and John but JaY and Chris might as well be in TX. CA is a big state and they are no where near me.
Bassn Blvd reply :
Quote1. False2. I think all will work and should be done.
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. b
9. a
10. True
I don't know If I answered 10 right. It just didn't sound right. And #2 is all of the above I don't care what ya say
I knew I would find someone like me, or to agree with me.
FordNFishinLover reply :
1. true
2.b. watch what the male does.
3. true
4. true
5. false
6. true
7. true
8. c. water temperature.
9. c. move towards the resistance of the angler's line.
10. false
paul. reply :
Quotealright since you dont want to play I'll give you the answer. You probably already knew it.The most important thing is how you set up on the bed. Before you ever start you need to let the fish be as comfortable as possible. This is what John was talking about when he said blocking thier escape route. If you position your self badly you have greatly reduced your odds before you even start.
I can get you an autograph from Mike and John but JaY and Chris might as well be in TX. CA is a big state and they are no where near me.
matt this is great stuff. thanks you very much.
my thoughts on "the most important thing" in a bed fishing scenario, or any other fishing scenario go a little sumpn' like this:
"the most important thing" is always the thing that we failed to do correctly, thus causing less than optimum results. even the most insignificant detail becomes "the most important thing" if doing that thing or not doing it results in failure.
"the most important thing" also varies from fish to fish in the bed fishing game. for some fish, how you set up on them seems to make little difference if any as long as you are stealthy and avoid foolish blunders. there have been a few fish that i have realized this with and actually gotten closer to them so that i could more easily see the drama unfold before me. with these fish the set up was not the most important thing. it was the bait presentation that was most important. with other fish i have encountered, they would hit just about anything i tossed in the nest regardless of how it was presented as long as it wasn't downright clumsy. but if they saw me, it was game over. in this case the set up was the most important thing. and so on and so on with the important aspects of sight fishing.
i guess what i'm saying is that the smart move is to treat every aspect of your fishing trip, no matter how small, like it is the "most important thing" because it just might be.
Mattlures reply :
The entire spawn fishing game is a process of elimintion. There are many factors in each chess match. It all starts with your aproach but there are alot of other things that you can do wrong or wright. I see soo many guys that keep doing the same thing without getting posative feedback. Its actualy a simple process. If something is working keep doing it. If something is not working do something else. If something spooks them or you get a negative responce DONT DO IT AGAIN.
Eventualy you will learn to read the fish and you will know from thier body language what is a posative and a negative and a non responce.
The biggest mistakes I see guys make are #1 they set up bad. and #2 the get no responce but they keep doing what they are doing. Each fish is different and Johns article is a general guide and a very good one at that but as you and I both know there are always exceptions. Thats what makes it soo challenging.
Fish Chris reply :
Hmmm. A few were asked in kind of a goofy way, that doesn't usually pertain to my fishing.... like #9... the fish will move towards cover ? Most often, in our CA lakes, their is no cover, so the fish moves away from you, and towards the deeper water.
Or #3..... I'm not supposed to target the usually WAAAY bigger female bass first ? Heck, if I can avoid catching the male altogether, I will. He will still get plenty fired up enough, for that to rub off on the female.....
Anyway, I did get #10 right. Yes, often the biggest bass spawn first. Surprised so many missed that one.
Think I got 8 out of 10.
Peace,
Fish
PS, John Kerr is an awesome angler, for both tournaments, and trophy bass fishing. For anyone who might not know, he is Mike Longs long time friend, and fishing partner.
ChazfromVA reply :
1.t
2.a
3.t
4.t
5.f
6.t
7.f
8.b
9.b
10.t
Paul Roberts reply :
Fun thread.
Matt and paul, just great follow up posts on "the most important thing".
Fishing sure can be an intricate game, highlighted especially well in sight fishing. Now...extrapolate this stuff to your blind fishing... fish that aren't necessarily tied down to a single spot, and you can't see their reactions. Sure puts some perspective on things!
WRB reply :
Quote********spoiler alert!!!!!!**********if you have not taken the test yet and want to, stop reading now because i'm about to post the answers!!!!
this quiz came from this article. this is one of the best spawn articles i have ever read.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/fishing/bass/how-fish/2007/11/going-deep-name-bass-research
now i realize that everyone's experiences vary. and i realize that some will want to argue. if so that's fine. argue with field and stream or if you think you know more than john kerr, argue with him. or argue amongst yourselves if you want. i didn't post this to argue with anyone and i'm not going to, so don't try. ;D ;D ;D
i'm sure this will generate some further discussion among us, and that was my goal. i hope y'all enjoyed this little exercise, and more importantly i hope we learn from the article and each other.
best of luck to everyone this season whether you bed fish or not.
without further delay, here are the answers as per the field and stream article. everyone please post your grade now along with any thoughts you want. no going back and changing answers!
oh btw, matt old buddy, if i have stumped everyone who responded and no one got a perfect score, then do i get a prize? ;D ;D ;D
1. false. this approach could cut off the bass' "escape route" and make them more spooky instead of less.
** most bass beds are in shallow water, less than 4'. approaching with a boat between the shoreline and bed will spook the bass. The place to position the boat is with the sun at you back and your shadow off the bed area.
2. b. when you cannot find the female, the male will often "point" right towards her, making her easier to locate.
** females are only on a bed a short time and move between nest sites after dropping a portion of their eggs. Once the female has deposited eggs on a bed the male will chase it off.
3. false. many times the only way to engage the female is for her to see the male get agitated first.
** see #2, if you don't see the female return after a few minutes, it more than likely moved on.
4. false. somewhat of a trick question. while it is true that there are "sweet spots" that will aggravate bedding fish more than the other surrounding area, these are not always IN the bed itself. quite frequently the female will have a different "sweet spot" than the male and it may not be in the bed at all, but somewhere on the perimeter.
** female bass don't protect the bed, the male does all that work. You can aggravate the female into striking, if she wants to lay eggs in that bed.
5. even though it sounds somewhat silly on the surface, this is true.
** females intent on laying eggs are often lite up light green color.
6. true. beds which have a "backdrop" (stump, log, etc.) are easier to defend. hence fish will seek out these type of areas to make their nests.
** true
7. true. bass prefer to bed on flat or mostly flat surfaces whenever possible.
** true
8. b. although the other answers might be in some situations somewhat correct, the best answer is "water clarity" since this determines the essential element of light penetration.
** water clarity is important to sight fish, water temperature and lack of current are far more important than water clarity.
9. a. a fish hooked on a bed will most likely move to cover when possible.
** It has been my experience they run straight out into brush in deeper water.
10. true. the idea that big bass do things differently frequently applies to the spawn just like it does to other fishing
scenarios.
** big bass usually spawn earlier or deeper, rarely later.
** my 2C on the subject
WRB
PS; Kerr & Long are without question phenomenal bed fishing experts.
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