As late winter turns to early spring bass began to feel the urge to full fill their primary need in nature, reproducing! Keeping in mind that bass must reproduce every year and understanding what they need to have a successful spawn are the best tools you can keep in your tackle box during the spring transition.


Largemouth's optimal water temp for spawning is 63-70 degrees and the best bottom composition for them is a light sand/gravel bottom that can easily be swept clean. The first step is finding the good bottom that they will spawn on. Look in the back of coves, pockets and flats. Once you have found the right bottom you can start to track and anticipate the water temps as to when they will actually show up to do their thing and you can be one step ahead of them.

Knowing that the majority of bass have wintered out on the main lake points and features, you now have your starting point to search for their migration route to where you had found the prime spawning grounds. In the late stage of winter and very first signs of spring fish the very outside of the spawning areas near the main lake, as the water begins to warm and spring progress work your way to the secondary points heading towards the spawning area. As spring has progressed into the later stages and the water temps have started to reach 60 degrees start looking from the secondary points all the way back to the flats where they will spawn. In other words as the water temps increase fish further and further back into the spawning bays that you have found to have the good spawning bottoms.

Some simple research and a good understanding of bass seasonal movements will increase your catching greatly in spring. Get out to your lake way ahead of spring and even during the winter draw downs and start looking for those good spawning grounds, this way when the water rises and the temps start coming up you will already know where they are headed to and you will be there waiting!

Good luck out there and please practice catch and release during the spawn.

Dan Wells
- See more at: http://www.rbbassfishing.net/2013/02/25/spring-bass-tips-by-dan-wells/#sthash.xwnIActa.dpuf