Bass Fishing Apr 2017 | Page 55

Tactics and tournament strategies for when bass are on the beds M APRIL 2017 I FLWFISHING.COM By Curtis Niedermier any seasons, it seems as if FLW’s tournament trails wend their way around the country throughout spring on the same schedule as the bass spawn. The fish are always “fixin’ to move up” when the anglers roll into town, and so it goes until summer finally sets in. It’s no coincidence. The peri- od from early March through May (earlier in the Deep South and later up north) comprises both the heart of tournament season and the time when water temperature and length of day are right for bass to undergo their annual reproduc- tive process. As tournament anglers, it’s important to understand not just how to catch bass on beds, but how to efficiently find them in practice, develop a strategy to deal with fishing pressure and put them in the boat. 53