Early Season Bass Tourney's

[sea nympho]

Anyone else find patterning non-spawning fish (w/other fish bedding) rather inconsistent & variable? Now don't give away your hard-earned competitive edge on the WWW, just tell me if I'm crazy for calling those pre/post spawn bass crazy, I'll take it from there! ;)

I'll still fish 'em b/c points count for the season. But it's frustrating b/c I either gotta KNOW exactly where & WHEN (which requires diligent prefishing I can't always count on having the time to do), or be damn lucky. I wouldn't say I'm particularly lucky...being on the right spot at the right time supernaturally isn't a skill I've acquired yet. :lol:

I pounded the same spot that won a gig last spring for a while, up & down knowing it was a good place, only an hour before the guys who won took the 17# they weighed in (smallies) off beds...we didn't see a single fish or get a reaction, just empty beds & pike! :dizzy:

Reminds me of Flava Flav, "...that's the way the ball bounces, G!" :bouncy:

I don't care to debate the ethics of fishing for spawning bass, if that's your bag please start another thread I can decline to participate in. ;)

[waterfoul]

Yeah, some one answer him please! That day sucked!!

[bassdisaster]

If there are bed's?
Then you know they either are or have already started the spawn!
If they are not on the bed's, the most likely place for them to be is nearby!
Usually in the deeper water, outside the weedline, , waiting for the weather or a partner to get it on with!
Now I have to believe that a weather change can and does halt the spawn, But I also believe they wont abandon that bed either, but hang nearby waiting!
My opinion!

BD

[waterfoul]

I would agree Carl. But that day we just couldn't find fish anywhere!! It was the worst tourney we fished all season by far.

BUT, I think we learned a few things that day.

Too bad we aren't fishing that lake this year.

[Jason Ammerman]

If you are talking about smallies don't fish the fish fish the beds, I will say 1 thing drift and drag.

[bassdisaster]

If you are talking about smallies don't fish the fish fish the beds, I will say 1 thing drift and drag.

Ya Draggin a lizzard or large worm always gets lathargic fish to bite, western bass are especially vulnerable to a splitshot/carolina rig! no good reason our fish wouldent react the same!

BD

[Jason Ammerman]

ya draggin a lizzard or large worm always gets lathargic fish to bite, western bass are especially vulnerable to a splitshot/carolina rig! No good reason our fish wouldent react the same!

Bd

nope! It is a system i use to fish smallies on beds, it took a long time to figure them out but once you do it is so easy. The guys that won that tournament on croton did what i am talking about.

[bassdisaster]

Ok W.E. dude if you say so!

[waterfoul]

Yeah, I know how those guys caught those fish that day... but those fish were not on the beds in the morning... or even an hour before weighin. They came up around 11:15 or so and they just happened to be in the right spot. Which is why you need to keep checking your favorite spots... those spots you saw fish while pre-fishing. You just never know when the hens will move up. Persistance is key... and they had it that day and it paid off for them.

[sea nympho]

I agree w/ WF, I believe the guys that won did so by being in the right place at the right time-by luck or skill-I don't know.

Jason, if you're saying stay on the beds & wait for fish to come up, I can follow the logic but thta brongs up several other questions...maybe later;)

BD, of course they're nearby!:lol: We fished nearby, farby, fast, slow, etc... But not all fish in the system are gonna be doing the nasty at the same time. So when I saw the beds empty and no response, I targeted pre & post spawners, but that wound up sucking.

Sometimes **** happens. We get a skunk or suck that day b/c the powers that be say we're due. Maybe that's what it was...maybe I did something wrong or could have done something better, beyong aquiring supernatural luck. That's the question that's been keeping me up at night.

[bassdisaster]

I agree w/ WF, I believe the guys that won did so by being in the right place at the right time-by luck or skill-I don't know.

Jason, if you're saying stay on the beds & wait for fish to come up, I can follow the logic but thta brongs up several other questions...maybe later;)

BD, of course they're nearby!:lol: We fished nearby, farby, fast, slow, etc... But not all fish in the system are gonna be doing the nasty at the same time. So when I saw the beds empty and no response, I targeted pre & post spawners, but that wound up sucking.

Sometimes **** happens. We get a skunk or suck that day b/c the powers that be say we're due. Maybe that's what it was...maybe I did something wrong or could have done something better, beyong aquiring supernatural luck. That's the question that's been keeping me up at night.

I wouldent let it keep you up at nite, every one flop's now and again, look at the classic, KVD missing the cut, but my Boy Casey Ashley did make the Cut, so go figure!

BD

[waterfoul]

That day has bugged me greatly. It was the worst tourney I have ever fished... but we did very well at the rest of them!

[wolverines]

If you are talking about smallies don't fish the fish fish the beds, I will say 1 thing drift and drag.




I've seen guys doing that on Caddilac/Mithcell a lot (if I'm on the same page with you)...never tried it myself but I know it works.

I've always believed a smallmouth on a bed is one of the easiest fish to catch. You can catch them, release them, and go back and catch them again...

I do know you can take a smallie off a bed and chances are another one will move up on the bed at some point. I don't think largemouth will do that...

[AMAS77]

Depending on where your from, I think they also call this method " lock an load".
If i'm also on the same page as J.

[jstfish48162]

back off to the first break and start ripping jerkbaits and burning spinnerbaits to get some kind of reaction. followers on spinnerbaits are signs of life and we know smallies can't resist atleast "looking" at a spinnerbait/jerkbait going mach1.

we did this on Burt/Mullett a few years back and once we located the fish with the spinnerbaits, we put the smackdown on them with albino flukes with chartreuse tails......very unforgettable couple days.....that was right at spawn...most fish still in pre-spawn and fish starting to bed as the days went by....timed it just right.

:fish:

[Bulletproof]

Drift and drag works well in the right lakes. I can think of several flats on certain lakes where I wouldn't think of doing anything different. I have camped out all day on said flats without ever thinking of moving. Don't even put the TM down in those situations.

Smallmouth are terribly easy to catch on their beds, which is fine by me. Can't take the stress of fishing to big fish that are stubborn.:lol:

I'll take pre spawn and spawning smallies all day. It's the post-spawners that can absolutely humble you. "Here today, gone tomorrow".

[bassdisaster]

I hit into a bunch of post spawner's last year on croton with cranks, usually early in the day, both on lipless and deep diving, when they move off the beds, actually they are feeding, after all the work of reproducing its easy to understand!
They will tend to be more scattered, as the early spawner's are feeding and there are still fish moving up to the bed's too!
And during these times I always look for bed's late in the day, as the high temp for the day has settled in, any scattered gravel flats points etc where the sun lite penetrates to the bottom!
Cruising fish are abundant but usually are spooky! where LEGAL a drop shot is killer on those cruising bass!
Like Ike says NEVER GIVE UP!

BD