Tips to help you determine when to fish shallow during the spawn.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
- Here are some of the reasons when you should determine when to go shallow during the spawn. Many people want to fish shallow when it gets warm, but that doesn't mean the fish are up there. What really determines when they push up?
For me, I would switch your number 1 and 2. To me, the length of the day in terms of sun (light exposure/penetration) duration is a more important factor than the water temperature.
I think that fish have an internal clock. When the days start getting longer and the water temperature gets stable.
Your knowledge sharing is much appreciated.
Call me crazy - when I was in elementary, my Grand Dad always waited until the dogwoods were blooming well before fishing for spawning fish. Redbuds start to go first and then the dogwoods come out - then we would hammer them in a 14’ Jon boat.
Thanks for keeping it real Todd.
The jointed jitterbug kills them
totally agree, length of daylight is primary factor. Good stuff Todd!
This was one of your best. Appreciate it. Also, I agree there are zero rules in fishing. Wish I knew that 20 years ago.
I like Toledo Bend at 171 ft steady. Longer days, higher water temp, unfortunately they won’t let the water come up on the bend. My best time ever on Toledo bend 171.5 ft. Sad they won’t let the lake fill.
I definitely agree with you length of daylight hours has big effect on them. I think more than full moon. But I'll be keeping track of all my 4+ pounders again this year so maybe I'll be able to get something out of all of it for helping me targeting those bigger bass.
I think the night water temperature means more. Like when you launch the boat at crack of light if it's 60 thay probably spawning. I think people get confused seeing water temperature 65 at 4 in the afternoon with the sun out.
Now I’ve got to rethink my fantasy picks! Back to “Live scope only” choices! lol.
Great content, as always, Todd!
I've seen bass on beds here in southern SC this time of year, last 2 weeks of February. It's definitely not the normal & don't see alot but I do find one here & there. I'm originally from southwest OH & this is my 3rd spring down here. So I'm still learning how much different the fish are here compared to what I grew up fishing. Mother nature is not that predictable. I don't believe she plays to any set of rules. There's always fish doing things I wouldn't expect any time of the year.
Seen that plenty Minnesota. Winter runs too far into spring. Messes things up. See it in all species Strong year classes. Years of a popular walleye lake goes bad for a few years. People start to complain. Than Boom 💥. Population is strong again. People are catching them again.
My experience is length of day, then water temp. I don't think the moon phase matters. Old fisherman tales around here have them spawning when the Dogwoods bloom. After years of stocking, Chicakamauga now has the vast majority of the LM with Florida strain genetics. Being in the TVA system, water levels are critical to a successful spawn. The TVA does a pretty good job of maintaining water levels conducive to a good spawn. Thanks for the excellent video.
I think your right on fishing for spawn temp and light are the two most important. In hunting its reversed light the temp. They know by lenght of day when to breed.
Nothing is set in stone when it comes to fishing. Just guidelines, we just fluctuate our technique based off the guideline.
Hey Todd, very interesting points. I fished Choke Canyon yesterday. I found water from 69-77 degrees all over the lake. You would think the fish are up on beds. NOPE! There were very few fish up shallow and no fish on beds. FYI, Choke is in rough shape. I have fished it for over 20 years and she just doesn’t look healthy.
Where i live in PA you could bank on the 2nd week of may ! But the last 10 years or so with climate change its 2nd week of june < Witch is usually opening day of bass ! Thought it was always water temp * And moon phase ?? 😮😮😮
I think you are right Todd. We will never figure it out 100%. Water temperature, length of day, and stable to rising water are your best bets. Of course it is all general, so if you think about it, you just have to be out there a lot and keep learning. Good stuff man.
I heard someone float a similar theory for deer rut times. In the Midwest those deer can’t have fawns too early, because they wouldn’t survive the tail end of the Midwest winter. Conversely, where I live on the Texas coast, our deer rut in September and drop fawns super early. I suspect this is due to the need for growth to a certain level for a fawn to survive our harsh summers. The third factor this theory noted is around when the forage in the area is best, which is crucial for fawn survival. Basically, all the moon phase, daylight changes, and temperature changes are factors, but they’re smaller factors than most people think. In reality, the answer (based on this theory) is much more simple than we try to make it. I personally subscribe to this theory and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to learn that fish spawn and cycle through the seasons for the same reasons.
Length of day must play a role . It does with so many other things in nature. When deer run, when birds migrate etc. Like you said it may be a certain water temp but they still know instinctively that the water could still cool off suddenly and affect their spawn
So I took Mullins last week on my fantasy pics after he said he wouldn't start the year out so Rusty 22nd place pretty good I think I'm going to pick him again this week. Thanks Todd for bring my comment up and for letting him know i wasn't hating on him. He's one of my favorite angles
Thanks Todd! Solid information
I always have seen it was hours of direct sunlight. As in I have seen them hold off in warmer water till the sun is hitting the water correctly. This can include weather patterns and water clarity.
Here's the facts from a fisheries biologist. Every bass in the lake doesn't move up and spawn every spring season. Some will spawn every other year. The spawning process is extremely hard on the bass and almost kills them. Most of the bass you see on beds this spring won't spawn again next year. They usually spawn every other year due to the toll it takes on them. That's why you see guys still catching them out deep full of eggs. Or somebody will catch a big one still full of eggs at the end of May or first part of June and the fish is healthy and not beat up, looks still to be prepawn. When they don't spawn those eggs are reabsorbed and burned off like food calories.
Most anglers are under the misconception that every bass in the lake hits the banks and spawns in the spring at some point. That's not the case. They don't all move up.
Thanks Todd ,i think they dont all pull up at once because it is Gods way of sustaining the species,in case the fish do pull up and spawn and a cold front does hit.
Do you think bass move areas more at night or during the day? Like maybe I'm talking about waves of fish or suspended loaners or even just bass in general or when do you think they're the most active? During the feeding times on the apps?
Do you not think each individual fish has to have at least 350 days of growing eggs to have successful spawn. Or some period of time similar. Water temp gets up at 320 days. I dont think a swawn will happen for that fish. And yes fish spawn in groups. Soo?
Will Kirkpatrick used to tell me the males are dumb and will move up at the first signs of spring, but the females won't start moving up unitl we have a low over 60 deg. for 3 consecutive nights..... I don't have a clue if it is true but that's the East Texas piney woods logic I use now
Sounds correct. I am seeing small buck bass moving up in the last few days in East Texas. Haven't seen any on beds yet. Water temp was 60-63 today.
One of my favorites is that the biggest fish spawn first, that is not what I witnessed at Fork during the glory years. I caught a 9-14 after Easter in the middle of april in a year where the majority of the spawn was in March .It got very warm if not hot in mid to late March and fish were on beds everywhere, but there were a few on beds when I caught that fish including some that were bigger than the one I landed.
I agree I've never seen that to be true.
I think it has to do with the length of day also
I’ve caught a lot of bass looking at them on Toledo over the years. I’ve experienced first hand that they do some things you can’t quite explain. In 2016 in Feb around the 20th I believe in ttt they flooded the bank in one week. It was around the new moon but I had almost 27lbs sight fishing and barely made the top 10. Most guys above me were looking at them too. I’ve also caught a bass on bed the first week of June on Rayburn in 2014 when we had that extremely cold winter that they didn’t start till late March during the Toyota on Toledo I believe you either won or was top 2-3. I think we will never know the perfect answer. We just gotta go look for them soon as it starts getting warm enough 😂
I didn't wach the video tell today. You sure called it about fork just saying anyway you have lots of good info thanks the video
You bet
Boom!!! Time of year and water temp! That’s the two biggest things that trigger the spawn. It’s not all of the reasons but those are the two biggest!
Agreed....but...Toyota on Toledo actually could be Bed Fishing Bonanza for a few anglers that actually know how to see em..but even that tournament will see at least 70% of the field out there jigging a minner
I always wondered how tva lakes that raise the water 20ft in spring have good spawns. Cherokee as an example.
I believe They “know” because of the photo period. It’s based on sun and light. They don’t really know, it’s just instinctive based on survival.
Same way everything works. Sun (light) dictates the season’s.
Genesis 1:14 KJV
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”
Water temp has some factors to it, it’s a major part of the incubation process but it’s not the main contributing factor. I learned this fishing the red river and other current related fisheries, they always spawned a month a head of all the lakes like Toledo, Rayburn etc. I remember Matt Herren telling me that they did that on the coosa and when they came up shallow on the red in the 2009 classic it took a lot of guys off guard because water temp was actually falling and they were moving up to spawn. From my experience dirty water impoundments with current fish tend to stay shallow all year thus getting more exposure to light.
I think the waves of migration is based on the general debth the fish lives at, deeper fish tend to spawn later (less light), we see this on toledo. South end typically spawns later than the north, fish generally live deeper where there is not the light penetration. A lot of people say this is because it warms up faster up north. I don’t believe that is the only contributing factor because a local lake where I live they spawn on the south first. You can find shallow coves on the south end of Toledo with the same temp on the same day as you would in say the game reserve.
I have even seen bass absorb their eggs with highly fluctuating water. I know this because I have cleaned them in mid to later summer with eggs still in them.
Deer rut is also based on the photo period (length of light) there are contributing factors like weather, pressure, food availability etc.
I use my xray vision
I’m just glad I’m not a fish, I wanna pro-create more than once a year.
God is always on-time, the creator knows when to send um.>
The oddest thing been happening on my home lake the last few years. They been spawning well into July. Like for years I never seen a single fish past June first. Now it's like almost August before they quit. You probably don't believe it lol it's hard for me to believe and I see it with my own eyes. When I say they are spawning in July I mean lots of them not just a few like you can see 25 a day.
I’m curious about your location and elevation. I have spring feed lake that stays cold for a long time and they spawn late and it will be for two months or more.
@johnhumphreys9732 the temperature don't stay cool at all. They spawning in 85 degree water. n VA
Do u know Jeff luger? I used fish in same bass club as him, in mid 2000s extremebassanglerz
Let's see what chat gpt says.
It sounds like you don’t like muddy water? I’ve heard other guy’s talking about how much they love muddy water, can elaborate?
Can’t study fish in muddy water.
Got my Randy Blaukat signature sunglasses - you can literally SEE the fish ! better than FFS - just troll around looking down - it's awsome
Live scope Randy lmao
Why all the hate on RB?
Are the glasses actually that good ?
That way, people feel better about themselves. @@Crankinstien
I troll and catch them
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