iDeal Spawning locaTionS
laKeS & reServoirS
In lakes and reservoirs, suitable
spawning habitat is abundant, so most
bass bed in shallow bays, coves and
flats. Smallmouths prefer areas that
have small cobble or pea gravel, and
largemouths will fan out a nest along
pretty much any shallow shoreline.
riverS
Scoured hard bottom is everywhere
in river systems such as the Ohio,
Susquehanna and Columbia, but heavy
current makes most of that habitat
unsuitable for spawning. Consequently,
bass will get out of the current and
spawn in marinas, backwater lakes,
around manmade features such as
industrial loading areas and dredge
holes, and behind major current
breaks such as wingdams or large
boulders. Smaller current breaks such
as laydowns can work as well in areas
with light flow.
TiDal SySTemS
Siltation is common in tidal systems,
and ideal hard-bottom areas often are
scarce. In the Mississippi River Delta or
Atchafalaya Basin, for example, bass
might be compelled to nest on lily pad
root masses, stumps, cypress knees
and even manmade features such as
dock footings.
MORE TIPS FOR LOCATING SPAWNING BASS
Watch for vegetation movement – If you know you’re in a spawning
area and there’s emergent vegetation such as “hay grass,” cattails and
small reeds, watch carefully as you ease through the area on the trolling
motor. Bass sometimes reveal their location by bumping stalks and caus-
ing the plant above the water to move.
Study local vegetation – If you’re not sure what areas might attract
spawners, particularly in grass-filled fisheries, talk to a local fisheries biol-
ogist or an experienced angler about the types of aquatic vegetation that
grow there. Some plant life grows best in gravelly or sandy areas, which
are the places that bass build nests. Find those plants, and you’ll find
spawning bass.
Practice stealth and scan carefully – Most importantly, stay quiet in
spawning areas. Don’t talk, and don’t slam compartment lids. Ease
around on the trolling motor at a slow speed, without stopping and start-
ing, and scan the water out in front for subtle movements, a “dark spot”
that might actually be a bass tail or any discoloration on the lake bottom
that might be a bed.
february-march 2017 i flwfiShing.com
O BY
By Curtis Niedermier
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