KVD's 6-season bass guideKevin VanDam needs no introduction. He's done everything there is to be done in the world of professional bass fishing ... multiple times.

I've shared a boat with VanDam several times, and I have been amazed at his uncanny ability to find and catch bass on lakes he either hasn't fished for years or has never fished before. When I asked him about his gift, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I just follow my Seasonal Guide. It works on any bass lake, anywhere in the country."

Just what is this mysterious "Seasonal Guide" VanDam refers to? How is it different from the seasonal patterns bass anglers have long used to guide them to lures and locations?

VanDam agreed to explain his all-purpose approach to bass fishing in his own words to Bassmaster.com readers. We guarantee it's a framework you can use to get on bass quickly all year long, regardless of where you're fishing.

The Seasonal Guide is a system I've adapted to help find bass on unfamiliar waters. As a touring pro, I fish all kinds of lakes in many regions throughout the year. Obviously, I don't have time to become intimately familiar with each of these venues prior to tournament competition. When you only have three practice days to unlock the secrets of a 75,000-acre body of water, you need some guidance to help you quickly get on a viable fish catching pattern. The Seasonal Guide provides that information, regardless of where or when I'm fishing. It helps me make educated guesses about where bass are most likely to be at any given time of the year. It's a system that quickly eliminates unproductive water and helps me home in on areas holding the most bass.

The concept operates on the theory that at any given time, the majority of bass in a given lake will be on certain key types of structure. Of course, not all bass will adhere to this "rule." I could probably catch some bass off flats or in shallow bays in winter if I spent long enough trying, but in a tournament, I'm better off spending my limited fishing time in high percentage areas. The Seasonal Guide gives me the general direction I need to form a fish catching pattern quickly. How well I fine-tune this generalized pattern during competition determines how high I'll finish in the standings.

The temperature of the water is critical information — you can't fish the Seasonal Guide without knowing how cold or warm the water is.

Sometimes, especially in prespawn, water that's just one degree warmer will hold most of the bass. If you don't have a surface temperature monitor on your boat, get one.

Of course, the weather helps drive the Seasonal Guide. I'm addicted to The Weather Channel, and stay tuned to it constantly before and during tournament competition. I pay attention to both general weather trends and daily conditions. For example, I want to know if there's a warm front or cold front on the way in or out. I begin checking conditions for the area I'll be fishing as early as 15 days before a tournament.

In using the Seasonal Guide, it helps to determine what type of lake you're fishing, because bass use different places in different types of lakes. I follow the classification of

bass waters that divides them into lowland reservoirs, highland reservoirs, natural lakes, tidewater lakes and rivers, both natural and dammed.

Let's take a walk through the six seasons of the bass fishing year and see what direction the Seasonal Guide can give us about each.

WINTER: 48 DEGREES AND BELOWIn reservoirs and natural lakes, most of the bass population will be on the main body of water, as opposed to tributary arms. They will be relating strongly to vertical and fast sloping structure: rock bluffs, river channel dropoffs, standing timber, 45-degree rock or earthen banks, or standing timber. These are all places where they can make a major depth change by moving up or down: In cold water, bass are lethargic, and won't swim long distances to change depths. In clear lakes, bass often suspend in the water column rather than hold tight to cover.

Water clarity is a major determinant of bass depth in winter. In clear lakes, bass can go extremely deep — 50 to 60 feet is not uncommon. In murky lakes, they'll be much shallower.

Since bass are sluggish, I'll use a slow presentation. In any season, I use search lures to find active bass. In winter, I prefer ones that draw strikes without moving fast. Suspending jerkbaits are my favorite winter artificials, if the water clarity is sufficient to use them (these lures don't work as well in very stained water). The fact that you can fish these lures in the same place for long periods of time makes them extremely deadly on suspending bass. Leadhead grubs also work great now; they probe vertical and fast sloping structure efficiently. The same goes for jigs, metal blade baits and spoons. I may fish a crankbait in the upper end of the winter temperature spectrum.

While searching out likely bass holding areas, I'll fish parallel to the structure; this keeps my lure deeper in the water column longer.

This generalized winter pattern applies to natural lakes and all reservoirs, but in rivers, it's important to fish areas with no current. A big hole in the river bottom, where current washes overhead, is a good spot for smallmouth. Largemouth like backwater areas with some depth to them, like close to a marina.

PRESPAWN: 48 TO 55 DEGREESBass begin moving from their deep winter haunts toward their eventual spawning areas. I fish the same type of vertical areas now as in winter, but they should be close to a flat area, because bass like to spawn on flat places in protected water. If I had been fishing bluffs in winter, I would now fish the ends of the bluffs, close to some shallower water.

Northern banks are very important now because they're warmer than other areas on the lake. Avoid places hit by cold north winds.

Once the water hits 50 degrees, bass are definitely in a prespawn mode. Migration routes are important now in lakes and reservoirs. Bass will follow ditches, depth contours, tapering points and fallen trees on sloping banks toward shallower water.

If there's some stain to the water, a deep running crawfish pattern crankbait rooted along the bottom is strong now; bass feed heavily on crawfish emerging from hibernation during the late winter/early spring transition period. A slow rolled spinnerbait also works well. For combing large expanses of water, I love a lipless rattling crankbait like the Strike King Red Eye Shad, and I'll use this faster moving lure in the upper ranges of the prespawn temperature zone. I'll also continue to use a suspending jerkbait in clear water. Bass relate to cover such as stumps strongly now, especially in murky lakes; a jig-and-pig rules here.

I pick up my fishing pace considerably as the water hits around 52 degrees, and I may run down a bank while quickly throwing a Red Eye Shad or spinnerbait, then pause to pitch a jig when I come to a submerged log or brushpile.

SPAWN: 55 TO 70 DEGREESMany bass will now be on flat, protected structure. Large expanses of shallow water are critical (10 feet or less on a lowland reservoir or natural lake, 8 to 20 feet deep on a highland reservoir). Look for areas on a contour map where the lines are spread far apart, not close together.

Not all bass spawn at once. Many will move onto their spawning beds around the new or full moon, or when the sun comes out after a long period of cloudy weather. At the same time many bass are spawning, others will be in a pre- or postspawn mode. Normally, the biggest bass are the first to spawn. You need to make a decision now as to which group of fish you'll target, because different approaches are required for each. Personally, I like to stay with prespawn bass as long as I can, because they're more aggressive and they'll weigh more.

The upper end and the north side of a reservoir are two major spawning magnets. In spring, the water warms up earliest in the upper end, and later in the lower end. You can therefore target spawning bass in April in the upper end, and May in the lower end.

Again, look for migration routes leading to shallow, protected water. In clear reservoirs and many natural lakes, you'll be able to see bass on their beds; a tube bait is awesome here, as is a floating worm. A soft jerkbait works well for spawners if the water is a bit stained.

POSTSPAWN: 70 TO 75 DEGREESThis is a real tough time to pattern bass. I try to target either the fish that spawned earliest and are moving out toward their summer digs, or the late bedders.

When bass leave their beds, they're likely to hang around their spawning grounds awhile. Cover that's sticking up vertically from the bottom is very important now. They'll hang around boat dock pilings, submerged bushes or the trunk of a standing tree. You'll

often see bass suspending near the surface now, looking like they're sunning themselves. Most bass are not very aggressive and won't feed much right after spawning, but they can be tempted to bite a reaction-type lure.

It's real important to keep your presentation up high in the water column, as opposed to bumping bottom. In dirty water, I'll swim a 1/4-ounce jig with a grub trailer — just reel it in, not hop it on bottom. A tandem Colorado or Colorado/Indiana spinnerbait is excellent in stained water. In clear lakes, topwaters work great: try Strike King's Spittin' King and KVD Floating Wild Shiner, or Lucky Craft's Sammy. These stay in the strike zone a long time — a big plus during postspawn.

SUMMER: 75 TO 90+Summer is main lake time. Bass migrate back onto the main body of water, where they hang around channel-oriented structure: humps, points, dropoffs, ledges. Your best bet in the first part of this phase is a slow tapering point at the mouth of a spawning cove.

In summer, light penetration is a major factor in determining bass depth. Bass will hold at the lower end of the light penetration spectrum, where they can still see adequately but remain concealed from their prey. In extremely hot water, bass avoid overstressing themselves by holding or suspending near cover or a dropoff for long periods, then feeding in short, aggressive bursts.

Rivers and river-run reservoirs are especially good in summer; they stay cooler longer and have sufficient dissolved oxygen from top to bottom. Smallmouth will be right in the current, often behind a rock or stump; largemouth favor slack water close to some flow. Bass in river-run reservoirs often have been conditioned not to feed until the upstream dam releases water and the resulting current repositions baitfish. Once current picks up, they focus in tight groups and often move shallower to feed.

Weed growth proliferates in natural lakes and in some reservoirs. Baitfish and bass will gravitate to weedy bays and pockets, where the water is cooler and highly oxygenated. Bass position themselves near irregularities in the weed bed, such as holes, pockets and points. They can be taken on the surface with a weedless frog or rat, or by flipping or pitching a plastic worm or tube bait through the grass.

Where weeds aren't prevalent, this is the best time to crank, especially if the water has a little stain to it. In clear lakes, a topwater lure can draw strikes until the sun gets above the tree line.

FALL: 75 TO 55 DEGREESI actually begin fishing a fall pattern when the water has cooled 10 degrees below its hottest point of the summer — this can vary greatly from lake to lake. A rapid temperature drop is best, for this can really put bass on the move from deep main lake structure to shallow water. Bass react to cooling water by moving shallower to big flats, long points with a gradual taper, and tributary arms.

Bass are more baitfish-oriented now than in any other season. Look for large schools of shad, alewives, etc., on your graph. In reservoirs, cooling water causes vast numbers of shad to migrate into tributary arms, and bass are close behind. Follow this migration by fishing the first third of creek arms in early fall, then gradually pressing farther back into the tributary as the surface temperature drops. I'll often idle my boat up a creek arm, watching my graph for suspended shad schools or looking for bait flipping on the surface. Isolated wood cover or boat docks in the backs of creek arms are dependable fall bass patterns. In lakes that don't have shad, bass feed heavily on bluegill and shiners, both grass-oriented species, so target weedy areas.

It's important now to keep your lure off the bottom, because most baitfish are suspended in the water column. Match lure size to baitfish size. My fall lure preferences include spinnerbaits with willow leaf blades (they match the profile of baitfish), and shallow to medium running crankbaits. In clear lakes, I like shad patterns; in murky lakes, I want standout colors, like chartreuse with a black or blue back.

Their aggressive pursuit of baitfish means bass often school on the surface in fall. Always keep a topwater lure, especially a noisy chugger, tied on now. As the water cools to the lower end of the autumn range, a suspending jerkbait will catch fish.

Seasonal Habits of the Largemouth Bass  

PrespawnEarly spring is one of the easiest times to catch largemouth bass. They will start to move up from deep water when the water temperature starts climbing above the 45 degree mark. Keep an eye on the weather. Warm rain warms up a lake faster than air temperature. Generally you will find largemouths in 2 - 12 feet of water. Start fishing for bass in the early spring in the Northwest corner of the lake or reservoir, where the water temperature will be slightly warmer than elsewhere on the lake. Concentrate on outside structure off spawning flats (points, logs, humps, rocks etc.). Look for bass in shallow creek arms with wood and weed cover after a warm rain. Other bass will still be deeper, associated with river channel points.

Baits for PrespawnFish the first emerging weeds and grasses with large spinnerbaits and jigs. Slow roll a spinnerbait over structure and flip and pitch the heaviest cover you can find. A stop and go retrieve with large crankbaits and spinnerbaits can be deadly.

When Do Bass Spawn?

When the water temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees, largemouth bass will seek out a shallow, protected area for spawning. Lakes, especially the larger ones, don't warm up uniformally. Therefore, not all bass will spawn at the same time. Generally, the Northwest side of lakes and the upper areas of reservoirs warm up first. The spawning area must have direct access to the sun's rays, so look for shallow flats protected from rough water. This spot is usually within 10 feet of shore in depth ranging from 1 to 6 feet. The male chooses a site that is easy to defend, near a pocket of bulrushes, next to a sunken log or a

boulder, and within easy access to deep water. In addition, the male will not build a nest within 30 feet of another visible spawning nest. Occasionally, bass nests will be closer together, but only if they are not in a direct visual line with each other. The nests look like black or white patches (depending on bottom make up). Generally speaking, the bigger the bass, the deeper the water and the earlier they will spawn.

Baits for the SpawnFish spinnerbaits and soft plastic baits in reedbeds. Topwater baits work best on the outside edges of reedbeds, secondary points, over cover and over beds. After a cold front moves through, bass will not seek deeper water, they move into heavy cover. Therefore flip the cover with jigs and worms.   If you're getting bit but not hooking up, you're probably attracting bedding bass that are just moving the bait, but not taking it. Use gitzits to catch bass off beds. When a bass angles down to your bait on a bed, watch his pectoral fins. If they're "revolving" and/or the fish turns a lighter shade of green (i.e. brighter), he's going to bite. Use bright baits on beds because bass don't care about the color. You need to see the bait and the strike so use a bright color. Use a 5 inch reaper when bluegill are spawning (usually during and just after bass spawn).

Post SpawnIf the beds are empty, fish points and drop-offs near flats and search for suspended bass. Post spawn bass typically are tough to catch. They spend the first two weeks after the spawn recooperating. After that, they start feeding again. Post spawn generally doesn't happen to an entire lake or at the same time due to differences in water temperature. Use a topwater bait such as a Zara Spook, even if they're 20 feet deep. Bass will also suspend under floating docks and log booms just after the spawn. Use a jerkbait, then use a jig on the second pass.

SummerAs the water temperature climbs into the 80s or 90s, largemouths must conserve their metabolic energy, and will move around less. Look for them to associate strongly with cover in 1-20 feet of water, where they can hold and ambush prey. Reservoir and lake bass move off-shore to deeper channel ledges, points, open water rockpiles and drop-offs, where they await schools of baitfish and intercept them as they pass. Just how deep they go depends on particular factors of each lake or reservoir - current, structure, temperature, oxygen, and availability of food. The larger fish tend to go into deeper waters, while the smaller fish may stay in relatively shallow areas. Even in the heat of midsummer, however, bass often return to shallow waters to feed in the early morning, evening, and late hours. Even so, they are rarely found in shallow waters in the middle of the day, especially when the sun is bright and the wind is calm. Schooling behavior begins to occur as bass feed heavily in short bursts, then move back to their holding stations to conserve energy.   This is the time of year when a bass' attention is focused on feeding. Therefore stock your tacklebox with crankbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, worms, spoons, topwaters and finesse lures. Search for submerged weedlines with your depthfinder and concentrate on the inside edges in the morning and outside edges in the afternoon - the more erratic the edge the better. Look for isolated patches of weeds and fish those first. Fish all types of weeds until a pattern is developed. Bass will be in an ambush mode, and won't chase your lures. Therefore fish parallel to the structure. Use a rattletrap over these areas in the morning, then switch to small worms as the day progresses. Topwater baits can produce all day long, especially on overcast days. Lily pads, algea, matted weeds and other heavy cover are bass magnets. Fish these by either scooting a frog, rat or spoon over the top or punch through with a heavy jig or worm. If it's windy, focus on the windy side of structure. Plankton is blown there which attract the baitfish which in turn attract the bass.

Fall

Bass become more active as the water cools back into the low 70s and 60s and will attack a faster-moving bait, such as a crankbait. Fish on long, tapering points with a deep-water access; some bass will be shallow and some still deep, and a long point interfaces with both environments. Boat docks and similar shallow structures offer good fishing during the fall. River channel bars and ledges provide places for the bass to feed on baitfish. And most bass tournaments held in fall are won along channel edges in the far back ends of creeks. Search for steeper shorelines, vertical drop-offs and green weeds. Topwaters are still a good choice as are spinnerbaits, jigs and oversized crankbaits. As it gets colder, slow down your presentation and downsize your lures. Flip jigs and plastics on remaining green weeds and drag plastics on deep outside breaks.

WinterLargemouth fishing is typically slow in the winter but it's a good time to catch a big fish. Fish in shallow lakes and concentrate on dense, shallow cover with slow-moving lures like jigs. Look for deep suspended bass on river channel drop-offs and submerged stumps. Focus on the base of deep drops and green weedlines. Fish slowly using a vertical presentation with jigs and spoons. Fish smaller baits for largemouths during cold weather than you might fish at other times. Their metabolism has slowed to the extent that they feed less often and take smaller bites when they do.

Unlocking The Secrets Of Weather Systems

Unlocking The Secrets Of Weather Systems

The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind.

Perhaps the one thing that eludes us in our quest for bass fishing intelligence is what really happens to bass when weather systems push through an area. One thing we do know for sure is that bass are effected by changes in the weather that is above their watery domains. Over the years I have noticed a number of tendencies exhibited by bass when it comes to weather, and these tendencies seem to center around two major factors: Water temperature and light penetration.  Water Temperature plays a major role in what a bass does. Remembering that a bass is a cold-blooded creature, sudden changes, especially sudden drops in water temperature can have drastic effects on what a bass needs and wants to do. Warmer water causes a bass' metabolism to increase, which would explain why bass chase shad to the surface all over the lake during the hottest times of the year. Cold water slows a bass' metabolism which would account for the inactivity bass demonstrate during the year's colder months. Of course water temperature is also the triggering factor for the Spring migrations into shallow water that many anglers look forward to. In different areas of the country, water temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees will set bass into a spawning mode that will change the whole complexion of the lake we are fishing. Water temperature should also play a role in lure selection. Remembering that certain lures play on a bass' aggressive nature while others provide a subtle, non threatening presentation that trigger strikes from non aggressive fish, I can begin to put together lure systems that will work under varying temperature ranges. Speed of retrieve is also very important. Burning a crank bait in 52 degree water may look very unnatural in the "slowed down world" of cold water, kind of like a crawdad on caffeine. Understanding which lures relate best to different temperature ranges is very helpful, and can provide us with a starting point in our quest for the little green fish. As a rule, I use the following temperature table to help in lure selection: (F)=Finesse Offering (R)=Reaction Offering Keith Nighswonger's Temperature/Lure Selection TableWater Temp, Lures Of Choice, Speed Of Retrieve

49-51 degrees 1. 3/8 jig and pig (F)2. 1/2 Silverbuddy spoon (F)Dead Stick-SLOWShake on bottom near baitfish.

52-54 degrees 1. 3/8 jig and pig (F)2. 1/2 Silverbuddy spoon (F)3. Split shot grub (F)Shake slowlySlow vertical (near bait fish)Slowly pulled over rock.

55-57 degrees 1. 3/8 jig and pig (F)2. Deep-diving crankbait (R)3. Split shot grub (F)Shake slowly up hillSlow crank, pull, stop-repeatSlowly pulled over rock.

58-60 degrees 1. 3/8 jig and pig (F)2. Texas Rigged Strait-tail worm (4") (F)3. "Look Alive" Soft plastic Rip bait. (F) 4. Deep-diving crank bait(R)5. 1/2 Spinner bait (R) Crawled slowly, up hillShake slowly up hillDead stickSlow, start-stop-pauseSlow

61-64 degrees 1. 1/2 Spinner bait (R)2. Suspending Rip bait (R)3. "Look Alive" Soft plastic Rip bait. (F) 4. Texas Rigged Strait-tail worm (4") (F)MediumMedium Start-stop-pauseSlow twitchShaken slowly, up hill

65-68 degrees 1. 1/2 Spinner bait (R)2. Suspending Rip bait (R)3. Top water (R) 4. Look Alive Soft Plastic Twitch Bait (F)Medium

Medium Start-stop-pauseSlow cadence, 1-2-3-pauseQuick, erratic retrieve

69-72 degrees 1. 1/2 Spinner bait (R)2. Suspending Rip bait (R)3. Top water (R) 4. Silverbuddy (F)Medium-FastFast Start-stop-pauseFast cadence, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-pauseRipped through schools of baitfish on the surface

This table should serve as a guide for using water temperature in selecting lures. These are my preferred lures, others may be substituted, however, the trend is what is important. The colder the water, the more finesse (F) presentations are effective. As the water warms, (and a bass' metabolism increases,) the emphasis on reaction (R) lures increases. It should also be noted that the amount of light penetration will play a major role in whether I will use a finesse approach or reaction lures.

Light penetration does some interesting things to bass, especially in their positioning related to cover. My experience has demonstrated that under bright conditions, shallow water bass will seek heavy cover or shade much in the same way you or I might decide to move indoors during the extreme part of the day. There are many theories as to why this is true, sensitive eyes, fear of predators, ability to surprise-attack. To me it boils down to one word: Comfort. Bass that do not live in the shallows will tend to move into deeper water when bright conditions are dominant. In both conditions, one thing is for sure, the more light penetration, the more difficult it is to get bass to bite.

When light penetration is low, it tends to position bass next to or on the edge of cover. For what ever reason, under low light conditions, bass tend to come out of hiding places and they tend to become more aggressive. Bass that are deeper, will move up on points and also become more aggressive. Aggressive bass require aggressive presentations, thus, reaction lures become the better choice in these situations.

Reaction lures work best with some wind. (TL) Silverbuddy, Excalibur Minnow Nichols Pulsator Spinnerbait. (BL) Excalibur Fat Free Shad-deep diver, Excalibur Fat Free Shad-medium diver, Nichols Lightening Shad

What Causes Low Light Conditions? Low light conditions are caused by a number of things: Darkness-All right, this is very obvious, but anywhere you go in this country, the very best bass fishing occurs at night! For a most exciting experience, try fishing a night tournament at Lake Casitas during the Summer where a three fish limit can weigh 27 to 30 pounds! Get the point? Early Morning, Late Afternoon-Any time the Sun is not directly overhead, low light conditions are created. Storm Fronts-Cloud cover or fog, tends to block light penetration creating low light conditions.  Shade-Caused by high canyon walls, logs or brush piles, shade is often craved by bass as a source of comfort. Wind-On bright, sunny days, wind causes a choppy surface which breaks up light penetration. Often in tournament situations, you hear pros begging for a breeze to make skittish bass "turn on." Lures For Light Penetration As a rule, when light penetration is at its brightest, finesse presentations tend to be more effective. Small, subtle finesse baits can fool leery bass into biting because these baits offer a non-threatening action, which represents an easy meal.

Under clam conditions in clear water, finesse lures are the best bet. (TR) R & R Stroker worms, (LL) Skinnybear jig, Nichols Salty Mother Tube jigs, Nichols Impact jig and "Looks Alive" Soft Plastic Twitch bait. During periods of low light, reaction lures become a better choice because of the bass' natural aggressive tendencies. Being positioned next to cover, the bass is in better position to intercept a passing crank bait or spinner bait. It should also be noted that under some low light conditions, such as those caused by wind, the bass may have a difficult time finding a very subtle, actionless lure like a small worm.

Weather PatternsHaving discussed the effects of water temperature and light penetration, we now shift our focus to the effects of weather patterns. When barometric pressure is stable, lake conditions also begin to stabilize. Warm, calm days will cause water temperature to rise, which will cause bass metabolism to increase, which should increase a bass' aggressiveness. However, under these stable conditions remember, we will likely not have any wind, or cloud cover, which means light penetration will be extreme, which means that we will likely face slow fishing during the hours of the day when the Sun is at its highest point. On days like this, I like to take advantage of the low light morning hours. Typically, if the water temperature is right, I will start off with a top water lure and fish as much low light as possible. On lakes like Southern Nevada's Lake Mead, I can fish my top water patterns well into mid morning by "running and gunning," moving from one shady area to another, fishing tight to steep canyon walls that still have shade on them. By mid day, however, I will begin to run out of shade, and if the barometer is stable, the lack of wind will force me to abandon my reaction patterns and opt for a finesse presentation. Under stable conditions, I will be comfortable, but the high light penetration will force the bass to seek more comfortable surroundings, which forces me to change my approach.  If I had my way, I would like to see a little bit of barometric change take place during the day. A slight change in barometric pressure is usually enough to cause a breeze which is what I need to get the bass positioned next to cover or up on points where I can catch them on a reaction bait like a spinner bait or crank bait. A falling barometer seems to be better than a rising barometer. Falling barometric pressure indicates that a front is passing through. A front can be slight or extreme, but for whatever reason, bass tend to let go and get active as a front approaches.  Cold Fronts If you can fish ahead of a cold front, this can sometimes be the best fishing possible. The sudden drop in barometric pressure can really turn the bass on. As the wind comes up, the bass reposition, bait fish get stirred up and the reaction bite can really be there, (it should be noted that wind does not push bait fish, wind blows above the water not below it. What wind does is churn up water, dispersing micro organisms, which attract bait fish and generally gets the food chain active, including Mr. Bass.) As a front passes through however, we often experience a drop in water temperature. This drop in water temperature can be extreme and very often shuts off any good reaction fishing that we may have been experiencing. Fish that were on points may pull off and suspend, shallow fish may also shut down. Sudden drops in water temperature often ruin what were good fishing conditions. When the bite shuts down due to the passing of a front, we may need to turn to our finesse lures. Split shotting, down shotting, doodling or vertically jigging a spoon my not seem all that glamorous, but these techniques will help us get those fish that do decide to bite. After the front moves through the area, we experience a rise in barometric pressure. This pressure rise is what "blows the storm front through." Here again we get the wind and clearing conditions develop. The sudden brightness will again make fishing difficult, however the wind may help us get a few crank bait fish. As the weather again begins to stabilize, things will again start to return to normal. The water will warm up, the fish will become more active and I will hope for a slight breeze to position the bass next tocover so I can get them with my reaction lures. When it comes to unlocking the mysteries of weather patterns, the answer may indeed be blowing in the wind. *Blowing in the wind is a Bob Dylan song.

Life CycleLargemouths usually spawn in the spring when water temperatures are between 60°F and 70°F. However, if water conditions are unsuitable and

disrupt the planned spawning season, the fish can wait for as long as sixty days to resume spawning.

As mentioned above, the largemouth bass is actually a member of the sunfish family. And in similar fashion to the sunfish, largemouths tend to create rounded, saucer-like nests generally from between 2 to 4 feet of water and often within ten feet from shore, in bottom conditions ranging from sand to mud, hard clay, rock or gravel.

In discoloured, muddy bodies of water, nests are usually shallow; while in clear lakes nests tend to be deeper. Arranged in about twenty feet intervals, nests require some sort of structure or cover that offers security for their young and discourages predators from infiltrating the breeding grounds.

After the female produces her thirty thousand eggs and deposits them into the nest, the female then leaves the male to guard the nest and eggs, fending off any predators until the young are able to fend for themselves. Once the eggs have been dropped by the female, the male releases his milt over the area, 'sweeping' with his tail to ensure all the eggs are fertilized.

After spawning, the male positions himself over the nest, maintaining a vigilant watch for hungry intruders. If two or three pairs of bass spawn in the same nest, only the dominant pair will remain to guard the young.

For about two to five days after the initial spawning, the female guards the area from her post away from the nest, repelling trespassers that seek entrance to the nest from deep water. Afterwards, she drifts into deeper water or into open pockets in the weeds. There, she suspends her exhausted body between the surface and the bottom, recuperating from the spawning effort. Some females that are not in good physical condition die after spawning, simply unable to recover from the exhausting process. Most females, however, recover quickly. Bass do not feed while recovering their strength after spawning.

If the nest is successfully protected from predators, the young hatch and the male bass continues his watch for a few more days. Afterwards, he moves to deeper water and begins a recuperation period of seven or more days. In a few days the bass fry absorb their yolk sacs, then school in shallow water near protective cover. Their feed consists of microscopic plankton until they reach about two inches in length; at this size, they begin to seek increasingly larger food items such as insects, worms and smaller fishes. A translucent yellow colour and showing a distinctive black stripe down each side, bass fry are a favourite target for other predator fish species.

BehaviorBass vary in their eating habits throughout their lifetime. Young bass are indiscriminate feeders, eating almost anything they catch. Older bass,

especially big inactive lunker bass, tend to prefer a specialized high-protein diet of golden shiners, shad, crawfish, and salamanders.

Typical bass foods are smaller fish, crayfish, frogs, salamanders and insects, however, one reason why the largemouth bass has such a wide distribution across North America is because of its ability to adapt to almost any type of freshwater and eat such a wide variety of foods.

Largemouth bass generally will shy away from very bright sunlight and most actively feed in dim conditions. On very sunny summer days, expect them to feed early in the morning and early to late evening.

The eyes of the bass contain rods and cones similar to human eyes, and under low light conditions, bass cannot differentiate between lure colours. When vision plays a role during the day, colour may be an important factor in lure selection.

Experimental studies suggest that when in an aggressive state, bass prefer green and blue colours but are repelled by gold and yellow. Some fish may prefer certain hues during different times of the day and season, but most studies are inconclusive. However, anglers that research the common forage and match their lures to similar local bait are generally more successful in their fishing endeavors.

TemperatureBass, like all fish, are cold blooded, which means that their body temperature is always the same as the water in which they swim. Although some anglers disagree on which water temperature is the best for bass fishing, almost everyone agrees that the metabolic rate of bass is influenced by temperature, and this means that the behavior, especially the feeding characteristics, of bass is also influenced. If there is an ideal water temperature for bass fishing, it probably falls between 68° and 74°F.

LightIt is a well established fact that bass hate bright light. When the sun is bright, bass have little choice but to find relief by seeking deeper, darker water areas or finding some sort of cover to shade them. If you like to fish for bass on the surface, a bright sunshiny day will probably not be your best bet. The deeper the sun penetrates the water, the deeper the bass will go. And, the deeper they go, the tougher they are to catch.

For some reason, young bass are not so much affected by the sun. But the lunkers, the ones fishermen want, are. It has long been known that bass bite

best just before or after a storm. Protected from the sun by cloud cover, the big bass are free to roam the shallows in search of food.

Where to Find themFrom shallow muddy streams to deep clear water reserves, largemouths thrive in a variety of waters. However, in all of its diverse habitats, the largemouth is never far from "structure" - any distinct underwater feature or object - including drowned brush piles, logs, stumps, old creek beds, changes in bottom formations, ledges, submerged islands, deep points, docks, bridge supports, etc.

Largemouth bass are attracted to irregular objects ranging from changes in bottom composition to uncharacteristic underwater formations, and especially like structures that offer shade and security. Quoted by many an angler, "You may find structure without bass, but you will never find bass without structure."

Electronic equipment like the new Lowrance Structure Scan is helpful in finding underwater formations likely to attract large concentrations of fish. Another effective way of recognizing potential fishing hot spots is to visually scan the lake for the largest brush piles and most noticeable structures. Remember, structure means object, and the more irregular the object, the greater the potential of the object to attract, and hold, legions of bass.

To find Large Mouth in Idaho's waters explore the chain lakes along the Coeur d’Alene River in the Panhandle Region, Lake Lowell and Crane Falls Lake in the Southwest Region, and most small ponds and reservoirs in southern and southeast Idaho.

Spring Fishing TechniquesThe spring is one of the favourite times of the year for bass fishing with the crew at Fishresource.com. The excitement of the snow melting, the ice finally leaving the lake and the thought of getting back out on the water after a long winter is enough to get us to bundle up and fight the cold in the hopes of hooking a lunker.

The largemouth bass has such a wide variety of prey that the angler has many options available and sometimes making the right choice can be a tough thing to do. It's good to have a solid understanding of how a bass works and the natural prey of the spring waters that you fish.

The largemouth bass is an incredible fish - they have a high ratio of fin surface to body size which enables the bass to maneuver in quick bursts in any

direction. Their large mouths and external lips contain extremely sensitive taste buds. Sensitive nostrils can smell traces, in parts per million, of substances in the water. Water temperature makes a difference too, and spring water temperatures are generally cooler, so the bass tend to look for stiller waters that warm faster.

Bass are nearsighted - they have no eyelids and the iris of each eye is fixed in place, which explains why the fish prefer areas with restricted light. Nearsightedness does not, however, prevent bass from observing above the surface of the water on calm days. Above-water sight is limited, but an angler sitting lower in the boat and out of the line-of-vision will scare fewer fish than one standing or fishing from an elevated seat.

Bass become accustomed to sounds and recognize familiar forage by their vibrations. Since injured forage fish send distinct vibrations or "signatures" that excite and entice the bass, "sonic" lures that emit familiar underwater vibrations will draw more fish into the area.

Anglers that use sonic lures must experiment with the lure until finding the distress signals resembling those of the common forage. An alternative to the sonic lure is to trigger a feeding reaction by clipping a portion of the tail of a bait fish, prompting it to elicit distress signals.

Before the spring fish spawn, water temperatures are ideal for some of the best fishing of the year. Because bass spawning occurs throughout the spring, some areas are closed to fishing, lest an over-zealous angler upset the natural balance, doing irreparable harm to the breeding population. This is especially pertinent to smaller lakes, particularly lakes in northern U.S. and Canada, where the warm growing season is short and the limited breeding population is vulnerable to over-fishing. Fish caught during the spring should be carefully reeled in, held by the lower lip and partially out of the water while the hooks are gently removed, and then released.

Bass fishing in the spring is directly influenced by the weather; until the temperature reaches 55°F bass remain sluggish and drastically reduce feeding. Shallow, dark-coloured bays and the western side of a body of water (which absorbs the sun's rays first in the morning) warm faster than other areas of the lake. In these areas, temperatures may be as much as five degrees warmer than surrounding waters.

Just before spawning, bass feed aggressively and do not require specific lures to entice them. It is often thought that they strike during this period when hungry, however, what makes the bass additionally vulnerable at this time is that they also strike out of reflex and a natural instinct to defend - hungry or not.

By drifting into deeper water, casting onto the bank, and by slowly retrieving a quarter-ounce spinner bait (any colour) into the shallows, anglers often hook large bass mere feet from shore. Sometimes smaller male bass assemble in the shallows, in which case some anglers try letting the lure rest on the

bottom edge of the deeper water, where larger females hover near the deeper drop-off areas.

When water temperatures are warm enough (60-65°F) to begin the spawn, female bass become cautious and less aggressive. Though no longer feeding, males remain aggressive; they strike at almost anything within the protected nesting area. Do not fish at this time, because the moment a male bass is removed from his designated zone, predators move in and destroy the nest. In addition, male bass are drained after the struggle of being hooked and landed, and a quick release does not ensure the bass have enough strength to successfully guard the nest.

Summer Fishing TechniquesSummer fishing conditions generally last from two to six months, depending on the location. By now, the fish and lakes have established warm-water patterns, spawning is complete, plant growth has matured, and the lake ecosystem is at its growing peak.

Bass can be found and caught relatively easily at this time of year. Most bass inhabit the same waters as the fodder fish and recently hatched schools of forage fry - those with varying bottom compositions of mud to rock and ranging from four to twenty-feet deep. Hunting on the deep side of weed beds, or "flats," bass frequent feeding areas surrounded with pockets of plant growth that offers shade, protection, and excellent hunting.

Structures providing shade are bass fishing hot spots. Consider the angle of the sun and the shadows cast from the weed beds to determine where to work the lures. Fish in the outer edges of weed beds, moving with the shadows as the sun changes position throughout the day. In muddy water, present your bait in quick jumps along the deep side of the structure; in clear water, slowly crawl it through pockets in the weeds.

When fishing floating weed beds that do not reach the bottom, hook a six or eight-inch golden shiner at the base of its tale and coax it to swim under the weed bed. This technique hooks big bass that like the cooler shallow waters. We've snared some nice Northern Pike with this method as well!

Alternatively, mimic the pattern of a wounded bait fish using a minnow and a bobber - bass pick up on the "sonic signatures" very well. Lightly hook the minnow under its back fin, and place the bobber above the minnow with enough line in between to allow the minnow to reach inches from the bottom. Add enough weight to let the minnow swim to the surface and drift downwards, imitating a wounded bait fish

On hot summer afternoons, try using dead shiners (from morning fishing) with spinner baits. Try hooking a large dead shiner through both lips on a mid to large treble hook with a tail. This technique is especially worthwhile if pickerel

persist to kill live bait; the size of the lure discourages small pickerel, but big bass along the edges of weed beds love the lure. This lure is effective when cast parallel to thick weed beds, or when trolled a few feet off the bottom in water fifteen or twenty feet deep.

In the heat of the summer, do not persist to fish the holes in weed beds with top water lures. During the summer, bass prefer the cooler shady water closer to the bottom, and feed at the surface only on windy, overcast days or under low-light conditions. Avoid tossing top water lures; instead, fish bottom areas with plastic worms, jig-and-minnow combinations, or slow-moving spinner baits. Crank baits work well in muddy water, but in clear water, some fish are startled by loud Crank baits In clear conditions, fish feed predominantly by sight - avoid using rattle-type lures that usually only frighten away potential catches. At least, this has been our experience with these noise makers.

Anglers must familiarize themselves with the usual action of the lure to recognize the unnatural clicks and slack that indicate a strike. Bass strike different lures in various ways, and sometimes inhale and expel a lure before the angler notices a change in line tension. Some bass strike after a lure rebounds off an underwater object, and are hard to detect.

Bass often approach spinner baits. from the side, and hits do not register as distinct pulls. Any movement on spinner baits., therefore, should be answered with a quick pull to set the hook. To enhance the action of the spinner bait, add a stinger (a trailer hook - a No. 2/0 or larger) with a large eye over the point and barb of the hook on the lure.

If by accident a lure is thrown over a tree branch overhanging the water, let it rest for a moment as the bass below position themselves beneath the lure. Relax. This is something we don't do enough of. Once the lure is tugged free, let it sit where it lands beneath the branch, and await a strike. Let spinner baits., Crank baits, jigs, and worms sit for a while if they do not instantly produce a strike.

In discoloured water, bass often strike a plastic worm as it drifts toward the bottom. If the worm reaches the bottom, pull the worm in little jumps across the lake floor. However, in clear water, do not actively hop the plastic worm.

Bass prefer lures that are still-fished and barely moved; otherwise, they may swim away. When the lure is moved, drag it very slowly and cover barely an inch at a time. It is likely that a bass has struck the lure when a change in pressure and line tension occurs, or when the line is lightly twitched and tapped. Some anglers choose weighted worm lures to easily set the hook after a strike, and use stronger 17-pound test line in obstruction-filled waters.

Top water lures are the most popular and easy to fish. They can be used in all depths, thrown into pockets of weeds, twitched, or left unmoving. Larger bass may quietly strike a lure, while smaller bass cause explosive surface strikes. A large bass will swim beneath the sitting lure, and pull the lure into its mouth with the movement of its gills. These strikes are easy to miss because the fish leaves behind only a small surface whirlpool in its wake. Anglers fishing with

top water lures require a lot of patience; many bass strike a lure left sitting unmoved for more than two or three minutes.

Deep Water Fishing TechniquesMost bass are caught in waters from four to twenty feet deep, but in southern California, the deep lakes were stocked with northern largemouths (in the 1940's) and the Florida subspecies (in the1950's). Large bass over twenty pounds have been caught in these lakes. The largest largemouth, twenty-two pounds four ounces, was taken from Montgomery Lake in Georgia. In deep lakes, bass inhabit the same structures as in shallow lakes, only the submerged formations are very deep.

Trolling for deep-water lunkers is expensive. A depth finder is needed for finding structures at depths exceeding eighty feet, and the lures (at over five dollars each) are often snagged on bottom obstacles. Anglers use large reels, a heavy rod, lead-core line testing up to thirty pounds, and large deep-diving Crank baits, and lures resembling small rainbow trout.

When trolling for deep-water bass, there may be over 100 yards of line between the rod and the lure. Tension between the rod and the lure is weak. Some anglers prefer to maintain a hold on the rod, rather than using a holder, in case they miss subtle strikes.

Lures & BaitFishing tackle for bass should include light to medium action rods with 6 to 10 pound test line. Largemouth will strike a variety of soft plastic worms and jigs, spinner baits and minnow-imitation lures.

Bass Baiting by Season Understand the Cyclical Feeding Habits of BassBass are among the most sought-after freshwater game fish. Everyone from professional anglers to weekend fishermen spend countless hours trying to discover the magic lure to catch bass every time they fish. But the truth is, there is no single bait that mimics all the forage opportunities bass have throughout the year. Knowing the primary forage bass eat at any given time improves your chances of catching them.

Specific, reliable forage opportunities for bass come and go with the seasons. In spring, bass have the most complex feeding habits, so let’s start there.Spring into ActionThere are three stages to a bass’s life cycle in the spring: pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn. Each stage has its own available forage. When the temperatures begin to rise, a bass’s metabolism speeds up and it needs more food to survive. During spring, all species of fish start moving toward shallow bays and north- or west-facing bank lines to capture the sun’s warmth. Larger baitfish that survived the winter limit the available food sources for bass. Shad, minnows, bream/bluegill, and other smaller species are all primary targets for bass. In spring, bass are not picky eaters and devour anything available. Presenting larger baits better mimics the available forage size.

CloseEmbed ImagePre-Spawn: As spring advances, bass start preparing for the spawning season. Bass feed heavily prior to the spawning ritual because they know that during the 10 to 14 days of spawning they will not feed at all. As the water warms above 50 degrees, bass change their primary forage to a high-protein diet. This helps egg development in females. Because of the protein content, crawfish are a highly sought-after food source during pre-spawning. Lures that have the size and color of lake crawfish species are the best options for mimicking what the bass search for during this time of year.Spawn: During the spawning phase, a bass’s attitude changes, becoming defensive. Bluegill, bream, crawfish, salamanders, and even small turtles will attack a bass’s nest. Bass will aggressively assault these species, not for food but as a threat. First, a bass will try and run these pillagers away from the nests. If an invader returns, the bass will kill it. Anglers should choose baits that imitate these species that threaten bass eggs.Post-Spawn: The last phase in the spring cycle is the post-spawn. In this cycle, the females leave the males to guard the fry. The majority of the female bass can be found in deeper water, resting from the spawning ritual. The males will stay near the nests, protecting the recently hatched fry. Bait options vary depending on whether you target male or female bass. To target male bass guarding fry along the shorelines, use top-water baits. The fry stay very shallow and near the surface, so the male bass protecting them swim just beneath and attack anything that poses a threat to the fry. Surface baits that make noise and scare the fry become an immediate enemy of the male bass.Female bass migrate to slightly deeper water; although they are healing from the spawn, they are very hungry. Just about any bait that’s slow is a good choice. By now the water has warmed significantly and the shad in the lake will migrate to the shallows for their own spawning season. Their migration intersects with females moving toward deeper water, and the shad become a primary food source as the two fish cross paths.After the bass spawning cycle is complete in spring, the tables turn and the bass becomes the predator again. As the water continues to warm, other species begin spawning cycles. Bass utilize these spawning species to their advantage for easy feeding opportunities.As the water temperature gets to about 70 degrees, shad start to spawn; this typically occurs about two or three weeks after the bass spawn.

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When shad follow a bait to the boat, that’s a telltale sign of shad spawn. That signifies male shad looking for a female mate. At the water’s edge, you will also notice small groups of shad chasing each other around items such as rocks, dock pylons, vegetation, or any debris in the water. This is how they spawn.I like to call the shad spawn Mother Nature’s way of fattening up the bass after they have spawned. Hungry bass gorge themselves on this abundant food source in the shallow waters. Once you notice the shad spawn, choose baits that mimic the same size, shape, and color of the shad in your local lakes. Silver or white baits with a green or blue hue are very effective.Bream, bluegill, and other sunfish species start their spawning rituals after the shad spawn. You’ll see this by locating small, cleared-out circles cleared on the bottom of shallow pockets. A good bream/bluegill bedding ground will have 20-50 of these circles inside a 20-yard square. Large bass prowl the edges of these spawning grounds, waiting for weak or tired bream/bluegill to swim by. These species have a tremendous color variance across the country. It is important to investigate the local waters to best match the colors of the species. During this phase, bait choices should mimic the bream or small sunfish in your area.Summer Lovin’As the season moves into mid-summer, forage opportunities for bass open up, consisting of everything from shad that have migrated back to deeper waters to bream/bluegill that live in shallow water most of the year and crawfish that are plentiful in all lake depths. As summer progresses, shallow waters become extremely warm and bass seek deeper water for cooler temperatures. Bass use creek channels, ledges, deep grass lines, or points to migrate in search of shad. Finding one of these structures and presenting baits that mimic shad will increase your chances of landing bass.

Falling for itIn autumn, the water cools down and everything in the lake seems to migrate to the backs of creek channels. As the fall rains wash nutrients from summer growth into the lake, these nutrients trigger plankton explosions. Shad, in search of this food source, migrate towards incoming water. Your lake’s larger feeder creeks fill up with shad and the bass are never far behind. Bass use the fall shad migration as a means to fatten up for the winter. This time of year bait choices are nearly unlimited. Bass aggressively feed and eat anything that resembles a shad. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and top-water baits all allow you to cover a lot of water and draw violent strikes from bass.As the water temperatures continue to decrease in winter, forage starts to die off. These dying species become prime targets for bass. Most shad species cannot survive when the water temperatures fall below the mid-

40s: they become easy meals for bass. This time of year, if you find shad, you find bass. Use baits that fall through and around shad. The slow-falling bait mimics a dying shad and bass aggressively strike.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!Once winter has a firm grip, feeding opportunities for bass become slim. Cold-blooded bass are the same temperature as their surroundings. The bass’s metabolism slows tremendously and they don’t need to feed as often, which means they’re difficult to catch. The available food sources are the largest of the forage species that survive the cold. Your best chance is to mimic any species in the lake with larger bait and a very slow retrieve.

As an angler, there are some general feeding habit rules that should be considered. First and foremost: bass are opportunistic feeders. When presented with an easy meal and the energy used to capture it is less than the energy gained from eating it, the bass sees this as a benefit and takes the opportunity to eat. Second: there are geographic feeding habits that can’t be ignored. An example is the West Coast. Bass have adapted to eating the trout that are stocked in lakes; this forage has to be considered when fishing lakes stocked with any kind of fingerlings. Lastly: crawfish are in every lake, river, and stream, making them available, year-round forage. When choosing baits that mimic crawfish, pay close attention to water temperature. The colder the water, the slower your presentation.By knowing the feeding habits of bass, anglers can present a bait choice that the bass seek out. Choose baits that mimic the size and color of the forage bass are feeding on for the season. There are many keys to a

successful day on the water and using the proper bait starts you in the right direction.

What Are Largemouth Bass Fishing Patterns?Broadly speaking bass fishing patterns are, and this is my definition so others may vary:

"repetitious bass behaviors during a specific period of time, be it hours, a day or several days, throughout a specific body of water".

"Seasonal patterns", wherein bass tend to engage in certain instinctive behaviors at certain times of the year, triggered by changes in water temperature and number of daylight hours, are the broadest bass fishing patterns. These are the "major" movements bass make during a year.

Spring finds largemouth bass moving into shallow coves, onto flats and around points. Summer heat drive bass to deeper water. They move to offshore structure and deeper into the main channel. Fall days shorten, water cools and bass move shallow again into the creeks where they were found in the spring. Winter's short days and cold temperatures call bass back to the depths.

The seasonal patterns of change, though not exact and varying from region to region, are good starting points for locating bass. Within them there are other patterns, patterns within patterns if you will. Identifying them and then applying the best lures and techniques to catch them is "pattern fishing".

First Things First

In this article let's look first at the what natural forces influence the movements and locations of largemouth. These are the foundation of bass fishing patterns.

Where Do You Start? How About Temperature?

Remember, a bass is a bass no matter where it may live. It's wired by nature to behave according to the ever changing cues in its habitat that drive it to seek food, procreate or quite simply, survive. These cues usually turn on water temperature and length of day. Seasonal changes in water temperature and daylight hours do trigger predictable instinctual behaviors in bass. However, daily and weekly changes to daylight, current, water depth, wind, barometric pressure, inflow of fresh water from spring rains, water clarity, degree of dissolved oxygen and changes in bottom substrate within the seasonal trends makes identifying a "pattern" to fish difficult even for the pros.

Largemouth, Water Temperature and SurvivalFurther complicating the identification a "pattern" based solely on water temperature is the fact that largemouth bass can function quite well in water between just above freezing to a high of 98° with the "sweet spot" being between 65-85°. This presents a wide latitude for bass movement.Nevertheless, the single most significant influence on the movement and behavior of bass is probably "water temperature". Why? Because a bass' body temperature is determined by the temperature of the water around it. It can control its body temperature only by moving to a different area of water where the temperature is more to its liking. Furthermore water temperature contributes greatly to initiation of spawning activity. So for the angler, water temperature is indeed important in identifying bass fishing patterns for bass but it must be taken into consideration within the context of the season, weather conditions, water clarity and even the length and time of day, all of which influence largemouth behavior/location.

Primary Largemouth Patterns and Water Temperature

The primary influence on largemouth bass movement is the coming and going of the four seasons, each of which comprise roughly three months. Of course these seasons beginnings, durations and ends are not the same everywhere. Winters are longer and usually harsher in the northern states while summer has a longer duration the farther south one goes.

Temperature Happens, When It Happens!No exact dates can be pointed to as the day(s) when water temperature in any body of water will reach that magical degree that triggers the beginning and end of spawn. Temperature and length of daylight combined do so and predicting this "alignment" is next to impossible. Furthermore, not all bass move shallow or spawn simultaneously as different parts of a lake warm at different times regardless of daylight duration.Florida may see largemouth finished spawning while in Tennessee they're in pre-spawn and in Wisconsin they're still hunkered down in their cold water haunts. Take a look at the map below. The three colored areas indicate general seasonal areas. Within each, the nature of a body of water, largemouth instincts, the impact of seasonal changes in daylight hours and the ever changing seasonal variations in weather on a body of water function to determine when and where largemouth can be found. Exactly when these changes occur in each region, be it Spring, spawn or Fall, will be different. However, the order in which these changes occur in each region will always be the same. The same applies to bass fishing patterns in the regions.

Seasonal Water Temperature, Daylight Hours And Their Effect On Largemouth Bass Movement and Location

Spring movement centers around the urge to spawn and so will spring bass fishing patterns. Longer periods of daylight, from around 12 hours in March to 14 hours in May, triggers the instinct that pulls bass toward their spawning grounds.

Pre-Spawn, which begins when water temperature reaches into the upper 40's, finds bass moving near to spawning grounds but still mostly in deeper water. Remember, deeper is relative depending on the nature of the water body. Look for them on shallow flats just outside river and creek channels in man-made lakes. In natural lakes they'll be in shallow bays, especially those filled with grass/weeds. In rivers they will move to weedy sloughs, grass or stump fields. As the water warms into the 50's they will begin feeding heavily.

Spawn for largemouth usually occurs in water 1-4' deep when the water temperature reaches 60° or so. The behavior of largemouth bass during the stages of spawn is a very defined bass fishing pattern. Especially to "bed fishermen". Note, however, that the key trigger for spawning is length of day and temperature together. If a few warmer than normal days occur early and warms the water into the 60's sooner than normal this will not induce spawning if daylight hours are not "right".

Post-Spawn begins roughly when the water reaches 70°. As temperature continues its downward trend to cold water, largemouth resume feeding as they slowly make their way out to deeper water (remember, deep is relevant) where they will ultimately reside during the heat of summer. During this transition period, after a week or so of

"lockjaw" recovering from spawn, they will routinely move from deep to shallow water to feed then back deep. They are hungry and anxious to "refuel". This can be a time of plenty for largemouth anglers. Look for them to be holding close to the first area outside the spawning bed which has easy access to deep water, like a ledge. They can be commonly found in 15'-20' of water.

Summer time is hot weather fishing time. The sun is high in the sky. Daylight in June and July is 15 hours long. With this combination comes heat and warmer water which nudges bass out of the shallows. Initially they will be scattered and suspended but eventually will school to chase baitfish.

Shallow Water warms up quickest sending bass deeper where they often form schools around deep structure like rock-piles, humps and saddles. Some will move shallow to feed during cooler times of the day, early morning and evening. Anglers that enjoy night fishing can do quite well summer evenings.

Deep Water is where largemouth bass go on "summer holiday" in reservoirs to avoid the reduced oxygen levels of hot, shallow water. Those that are adept at fishing deep water structure can score big. Note that in northern "natural lakes" largemouth don't find it necessary to retreat to deep water as they do farther south in deeper reservoirs. The abundance of aquatic vegetation provides ample oxygen in shallow areas of natural lakes throughout the summer. Note that the larger, older bass haunt the depths of reservoirs in summer, really year round. This bass fishing pattern finds the big girls and guys hanging on humps, rock piles and long deep points.

Fall cold fronts and shorter days begin cooling the water of lakes and rivers causing bass to again become active. Fall bass fishing patterns center on largemouth moving to main lake humps, points and to shallows looking to feed on shad moving into coves and creek arms.

Early Fall is considered by most anglers, depending on where they're located, as September or early October. Whenever cooling autumn weather begins to cool down water surface temperature from the 80's slowly to the 60's. Bass will still be holding in their summer refuges but will be actively traveling along migration routes back and forth between deep and shallow water.

Mid Fall is viewed by some as the second half of October through November. Certainly in the Southeastern states this is the case. Water temperatures are in the 60's and 50's respectively and the daylight hours are fewer, about 10 hours. A great bass fishing pattern happens at this time when largemouth will be enthusiastically pursuing shad onto flats and into the back reaches of creeks and coves. They will be hang out next to almost any type cover, even a single stickup, to ambush passing schools of shad.

Late Fall finds water temperatures in the 50's and 40's. Water can be quite murky from both water inflow from rains as well as "lake turnover". Largemouth will be found in shallow areas closest to their migration routes as they slowly move toward their winter haunts. Look for them in the backs of creeks as these areas often provide them both shallow and deep water in relatively small areas close to their migration routes.

Winter bass fishing finds cold air, cold water and fewer daylight hours, no more than 10. Largemouth seek the warmest, most stable water they can find. This usually means deep (again, remember depth is relative to the body of water you're fishing) where they become sluggish and feeding is intermittent with long periods between meals. Why? Because the metabolism of a largemouth bass slows markedly in winter and it may take a week or more to digest a good size meal.

Shallow water in the cold of winter holds few bass. It's that simple. Deep water is where the bass are in winter. Look at depths between 15' and 30'. Winter bass fishing patterns

revolve around vertical surfaces. Here the bass fishing pattern is one where bass hold deep along bluffs, deep creek channels, ditches and even standing submerged trees.

Migration Routes And Largemouth Bass Fishing Patterns

Find the Migration Routes and You'll Pick Off Bass Like Indians Knocked Off Settlers From Wagon Trains

Primary Seasonal Migration

There are two primary seasonal movements where bass move in mass and engage in the most recognized bass fishing patterns. One is the spring migration from deep water to shallow to satisfy natures call to reproduce. The other is from deep water in the late summer, early fall to shallow in order to feed. The latter happens because of the instinctive urge to "fill up" reserves needed to help survive the winter months.

An important aspect of these "seasonal movements" and the bass fishing patterns within them is the fact that largemouth make them by moving back and forth between shallow and deep water via "migratory routes", not greatly different than many wild game animals. These migratory moves will most always relate to routes along "edges" and rarely exceed more than a quarter mile distance.

Edges Are To Bass What Pubs Are To Beer Drinkers Ecologists describe edges in nature as places where two or more different habitats merge. These places hold special attraction for both aquatic and terrestrial creatures. They offer more of everything a largemouth bass likes, cover, food, structure, ambush locations and safety. What comprises an edge? Tree lines, fence rows, stumps, sunken roads, bluff walls, grass, rock piles, points, stream channels, drop-offs or even a sunken bass boat, ouch!

Secondary "Temporary" Moves

Largemouth make other movements, less predictable and irregular, that center on finding food or more hospitable water in terms of temperature and dissolved oxygen. As bass fishing patterns these movements are short in duration as well as distance. They are temporary movements confined within their "home range" and they occur along defined paths, such as old roadbeds, tree lines or twisting, turning river channels. If you can identify the routes of these short feeding excursions and check them several times a day (during warm water periods) you can score big. Just keep in mind that they won't last longer than two hours, often less. In cold water periods they will be fewer in number and duration, 30 minutes or so.

How Water Temperature Affects Bass BehaviorModern day bass boats have more electronics in them than the cockpit of advanced tactical fighter planes or so it seems. There are devices to gauge the water's pH level, and even the amount of light filtering through that helps determine the color of the lure one should use. Some boats are equipped with barometers and air-temperature gauges. Many even have stereo units that will put your home system to shame. But the most overlooked electronic equipment on most bass boats is the easiest to operate and is, literally, the most important instrument. This tiny meter can tell you where bass should be, and how deep they'll be holding; when bass should be most likely to feed and the most active. It can even recommend the types of lures you should tie on and how they should be fished. No, it isn't some new space-age mystery device that gathers data from satellite downlink. It gives you, quite simply, what you need to plan your bass-fishing day, water temperature.Talk with the country's best bass anglers. They'll all tell you the same thing, namely, knowing the water temperature and tracking temperature changes is the information they find most useful. And while water temperature, pH levels and oxygen content are all interrelated, it's the temperature that can be most easily determined and used. More research has been conducted on water temperature and bass behavior than any other in the fish's lifestyle. When the temperature goes up or down, anglers can reliably predict what bass will do. It's a variable that can be reacted to in a set way.Why Water Temperature? Bass, like all fish, are cold-blooded. They depend upon their environment to provide them with adequate warmth so they can live comfortably. As water temperature rises and falls, bass change their lifestyle to match conditions. In colder water, for example, their metabolism slows and they become less active. When the mercury rises, so does their metabolism; they become more active and aggressive. Water temperature is also closely related to water oxygen content, another key in bass behavior. Without adequate oxygen in its bloodstream, a bass will slow its activity level. With increased oxygen, it becomes spunky and active again. For the average bass anglers, however, measuring water temperature is much easier than oxygen levels. Knowing the prevailing water temperature will tell an angler a lot about the lake's oxygen content without his worrying about measuring it.Using Water Temperature: When trying to locate fish, many anglers use water temperature as a litmus test for bass behavior on a seasonal basis. However, it can also be used on a day-to-day, and even hour-to-hour, measure during some seasons. Generally, when the water temperature rises into the mid to upper 50s Fahrenheit, sluggish bass begin moving out of deep water into more shallow depths in preparation for the spawn. They use both the water temperature and the photoperiod - the amount of daylight on a given day - as their key indicators that it's time for spawning. Most biologists agree that a water temperature between the low

60s and 72 degrees is when bass remain in the shallow-water flats to begin spawning. As the spawning cycle ends and water temperature levels stabilize somewhat during late spring and early summer, most bass move off the flats and into relatively deeper water, where they spend the hottest days. A few bass will always live in the shallow flats areas, but most move deeper. As summer ends and fall arrives, water temperatures cool down a bit and many bass again move into shallow-water structure areas before heading to the deep water they call home in winter. Knowing the water temperature will help you locate bass at any given time. It can also help you find the most aggressive fish-the ones easier to catch. In spring, for example, as the water warms, look for likely prespawn areas near protected northern coves and creek mouths. Water warms in these areas earlier than all areas on the lake. It's because of the way they catch the sun's rays, and because creek water flowing into a lake in spring is warmer than the lake itself. In these areas, the bass's food-chain creatures will also be the most active. By following this pattern around the lake as the prespawn period develops, you'll be fishing a lake's more aggressive bass. The key, then, in early season is to follow, and fish, the warmest areas of the lake. During the post-spawn period, however, look for those areas in which the water temperature warms up later than it did in other areas. In these areas, you'll still find active, aggressive bass. Other areas that had good action early in spring are in a sluggish summer mode. In summer, using a temperature gauge to probe the depths of the lake in 1-foot increments is the key to good fishing. Now you search for the thermocline, where water temperature at different levels breaks sharply. Bass tend to school tightly in the thermocline because it provides them with more oxygen. Find its depth, then look for structure like rock piles, brush piles, trees, creek channel edges, ledges and so on, at the thermocline's depth, and you're in business. In winter, when bass go deep and are most sluggish, again the water temperature gauge is your key to success. Now you're searching for deepwater areas in which the water is a few degrees warmer than other areas. Underwater springs, which often pump warm water into the cold depths of a reservoir, have huge schools of bass living around them in winter.Optimum Temperatures: In his experiments under controlled conditions, Dr. Loren Hill found that bass rarely eat when the water temperature is below 45 degrees. Their feeding frequency increases between 47 and 70 degrees, but shuts off again at around 90 degrees. Dr. Hill's magic temperature is 80 degrees. His studies show this is when the fish are most aggressive and active, and also when they grow the quickest. A bass's metabolic rate - controlled by the water temperature - is the key. When the water's cold, the fish's metabolic rate is slowed. Therefore, it doesn't digest foods as quickly as when temperatures are warmer. When a bass eats, but doesn't digest its food, that means it won't be hungry again for days. And since we catch most of our bass simply because they're hungry, this affects our catch rates. Also, when metabolic rates are slower, the bass want something that's easy to catch. That's why slow-moving, bottom-crawling baits and lures work best at this time of year. Generally, as water temperatures increase in spring during the pre-spawn period form 45 degrees through 55 degrees, the bass will still be sluggish. They should be fished with slow-moving baits like jigs, spoons, worms and the like. When the water temperature increases from 60 degrees to 72 degrees, the fish enter the spawn mode. Then baits with a medium retrieve speed; top waters, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, as wells as jigs, worms, and salamanders will produce best. During the post-spawn period, with water temperatures ranging from 72 through 90 degrees, it makes sense to fish fast-moving, reaction-type baits. Buzzbaits, top-water plugs, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, jigging spoons and crankbaits make great additions to the plastic worm/jighead arsenal. For year-round success, try measuring your lake's temperature. Use a device that permits temperature measurements into the depths of the lake, not just the surface. You'll be able to accurately predict where the fish are, how aggressive they will be, and therefore the types of baits and lures that will produce more fish.As the old saying goes, I'd rather be lucky than good. In this case, by knowing your lake's water temperature, you'll be well on your way to making your own good luck.

HOW TO

Fishing the 50-degree Temperature Break: Buzzbaits and Jerkbaits

“Cast and retrieve” is a tactic that generally catches anglers the most bass, but not in the wintertime. During the winter months, the metabolism of bass slows down, and the fish want to expend as little energy as possible to catch and eat big baits. Here are two different tactics to fish for bass this winter, depending on water temperature.

Buzz ‘em up

“In 2014, a technique that’s really been getting a lot of attention is fishing a buzzbait on the surface with a plastic frog behind it in areas where you have floating or scattered grass,” Scott Canterbury, a professional bass angler from Springville, Alabama, said. “Anytime the weather is above 50 degrees I’ll be throwing the buzzbait, even in January and February. I fish the buzzbait in the winter months, because it attracts big bass.”

Canterbury’s favorite place to fish the buzzbait is any place there’s vegetation and wood. “For instance, if the grass is dying off and floating to the surface, it often will blow up against logs or limbs,” Canterbury explained. “I’ll throw the Punisher buzzbait, since it has a longer wire going to the hook than most buzzbaits and a bait keeper type device in front of the hook. Then I can put a rubber frog, a swimbait, or another soft plastic lure behind the buzzbait. When I rig like this, I give the bass a better target to look at than just a skirt. Also, placing a soft plastic lure behind a buzzbait means you can cast the buzzbait farther and better with the additional weight. With a solid body on the back of a buzzbait, I also feel like the bass will get more of the bait in its mouth than when the buzzbait only has a skirt.”

Canterbury finished second in the FLW Forrest Wood Cup twice using the buzzbait with a soft plastic trailer. Canterbury recommends having the soft plastic under the water when you retrieve it. Then the bass doesn’t have to break the water to take the lure but rather can suck the body of the buzzbait into its mouth while staying underwater.

One of Canterbury’s favorite ways to fish the buzzbait in cold water is to skip it under boat docks and then start the retrieve. “I can skip a buzzbait 30 feet back under a dock, if I have a soft plastic body like a frog or swimbait behind the buzzbait,” Canterbury mentioned. “Sometimes I can’t see the buzzbait but only can hear it. I set the hook when I hear or feel the bass strike. If the bass won’t take a frog, I’ll switch to using a swimbait behind the buzzbait, and the bass will take that.”

Paul Elias, pictured here, hates to fish a jerkbait and prefers to fish fast-moving baits. However, during the winter months, he’ll jerk the bait down to seven or eight feet and let it sit motionless until a big bass attacks.

Jerk ‘em up

Paul Elias of Laurel, Mississippi, a former Bassmaster Classic winner, said, “When the water temperature is in the 50s, I’ll reel the jerkbait down to five or seven feet, stop the bait, let it suspend for a count of one Mississippi, two Mississippi, and three Mississippi, jerk it, allow it to stop and suspend again, while I count through three Mississippis before jerking once more. Once the water temperature drops into the 40s, I’ll stop the bait and let it suspend motionless for a count of 10, if I can wait that long.”

Most bass anglers often feel if their lures aren’t moving, they’re not attracting the attention of the bass. That’s why dead sticking (letting the lure sit still in the water and not giving it any action at all) is tough for bass fishermen. A lure sitting still in the water is one of the most natural presentations you can make to a fish to get it to bite, especially if it doesn’t want to bite. If you watch fish in an aquarium, you’ll often see that they sit dead still and don’t move. If you watch minnows in a minnow tank, they’ll suspend in mid-water and not move, especially in cold water. A bass watching a bait fish sitting still in the water only has to move slowly up in the water column, come up behind the bait fish, open its mouth and suck in the bait fish. A jerkbait is one of the most deadly lures for a bass fisherman to use in cold weather, because once it’s five to seven feet under the water and then suspended to a count of 10, the bass can move up to the jerkbait and suck in the lure. All you’ll see is your line twitch. Fishing the jerkbait is a slow tactic to catch bass off points, off underwater weed lines, over underwater ledges and around concrete dams and locks.

“I like a black back, silver sided or a shad patterned jerkbait,” Elias says. “I put a six- to eight-foot leader of eight-pound test fluorocarbon line on the jerkbait, attach 14-pound test Berkley braided main line and use a medium action Pinnacle spinning rod and reel. I make long casts, get the jerkbait down to the strike zone of the bass, and let it suspend. The colder the weather is, the longer you need to let the jerkbait sit motionless before you move it again. I’ll only give it two or three quick jerks, causing it to move only about one to 1-1/2 feet, and then let it suspend again. You’ll be surprised how many winter bass you can catch with this technique.”

Bet on the jerkbait when the water temperature is below 50 degrees, or when the water temperature’s above 50 degrees, use a buzzbait with a soft plastic lure in the winter to possibly catch a bass of a lifetime on these two lures.