Look no further this is the Ultimate Prespawn fishing guide. This is one of my favorite times of the year for numbers and BIG BASS!! The bass are just starting to come out of their winter patterns and unlike other times of the year make a fast transition to prespawn mode. This mode can easily be considered a feeding frenzy. They have to get their nutrients in now because when they spawn they will not eat hardly at all for a couple of weeks. Yes, I know we catch bass on the beds all the time, but they are not eating. They are simply protecting their eggs.
Mystery Tackle Box has an excellent graphic that shows when bass spawn throughout the country. If you haven’t subscribed to them you should! I am not an affiliate for them just love the products.
But since we are focusing on the prespawn time of the year let’s break this down. Depending on where you are in the country the Prespawn time will be the first month of your area. So for instance, the red area with Florida in it the prespawn happens in February. The next shade up with Georgia (my home state) the prespawn happens in March. I have been to Michigan during the spawn and prespawn and can vouch that this graphic is spot on and a great guide for you to go by. Thanks, Mystery Tackle Box.
Focus a lot on the moon phases. That first full moon is new moon is when they are going to start their prespawn activities. There will usually be two waves of fish that come up based on those two moon phases. The same holds true for the second month in the graphic above. That first full moon in Georgia which is in April I expect the fish to be on beds. I can start searching shallow and picking off some bed fish. It is important during this time of year (if you aren’t fishing a tournament) to turn the fish back right where you caught them. It helps sustain your fishery.
STEP 1 – FIND THEM
So the first step is to find the fish. It is important not to fish your favorite spot all the time. Do map study’s and look for places where the fish should be.
Main Lake Points
So this is an easy one. The fish want to eat and gorge at this time so they will stage on points or on the sides of points and wait for current or wind to push the bait to them.
Secondary points
I actually like this one the BEST. On my home lake of Lake Lanier, I find the most success targeting secondary points. So remember the fish will get closer and closer to their spawning grounds. So initially you may find them on the main lake point leading back to a spawning area. The next week they may have moved inside to a secondary point. A secondary is just the next point going back towards a spawning area. They are usually a little smaller than the main lake point. In the video below I got on a great prespawn bite with my little man in the boat with me. I was targeting secondary points almost all day. Check it out!
Humps
Humps are another great area to find those massive prespawn tanks. Humps are circles and ovals that will show up on your electronics or even better on google earth. You can even pull out your iPhone and look at the maps and use the satellite setting to find the humps like this.
As you can see in the picture the hump is at the end of a point that leads back to a spawning pocket. They will load up here for a couple of weeks and feed like crazy to get ready for the spawn.
Bridges and Funnels
Bridges offer a unique scenario where a lot of water has to get in a tight area and create fast-moving water.
This water blows bait in or out of a particular area and fish will position themselves on the points of the bridges and on the rock and they will feed like crazy. Randy Howell had one of the most historic days in Bass fishing tournament history using this method. Check it out here.
Deeper Grass
It is no secret that Bass love the grass. During the prespawn bass want access to deeper water. With all the cold fronts that happen during this time of the year, they are going to move back and forth from deep water to the areas mentioned above. So deeper grass offers a great place for bass to eat and hang out. This grass should be close to a spawning area. This may be one of the last places you will find them chewing like crazy before they move up to spawn and do their thing. This may also be a great place to target those bigger female bass while the males are clearing out areas to spawn up shallow. The females will usually hand out at the first drop off that leads to the spawning grounds before they move up. When a cold front comes they will move right back to that drop-off and the males will usually stay up shallow.
STEP 2 – What do they want?
Now that we have found out where the fish are we have to find out what they want. If you do not have a boat that’s ok. You can use search baits to cover the area fast and see what they want. If you are getting lots of short strikes then maybe slow down or work something on the bottom.
If you are fishing from a bass boat the same rules apply. Start off with a search bait. Thins change day to day and with the conditions and the wind. So from day to day, we may have to adapt. What worked yesterday may not work today. I almost always if I have a little bit of wind am going to start off with a search bait that I can move fast. I love a spinnerbait with two willow leaf blades to match the shad.
Make sure to add a trailer hook the bait only if you want to catch the Bass!! 🙂
A jerk bait can be another great offering during this time of year. Twitch twitch pause for 3 seconds and repeat. Worked on Fluorocarbon line to get it down in the water column a little better.
A lipless crank bait can be another great option. But, I will warn you, they will break your heart like no other lure will. I lose a lot of fish on these guys. I like to change my hooks to the triple grip hooks if they do not already come with them. What I love about the 6th Sense lipless crank bait is they already come with the good hooks. This will help you catch more fish and get them to the bait.
Now if you see a bunch of fish on your depth finder on the bottom and you can’t get them to react than you may need to slow down and put something right infant of their face. I love using a tube on the bottom because I can make super long casts and work it a little faster and make them react to it. In the video above that is what I was using and they absolutely smashed it.
There are plenty of baits that will work during this time of year. Have a lot of different things tied on and be ready to throw them all to find out what the fish want.
STEP 3 – FOLLOW THE FISH
Now that you understand what to look for at the beginning of your season you have to be ready to follow the fish. They are going to start out in the deeper areas. Cold fronts may back them off a bit. Use your electronics to locate the fish. Largemouth especially the Florida strain is going to be the hardest and most affected by these cold fronts. They are worth working for because they get absolutely HUGE this time of year. The smallmouth and spotted bass will be a little less affected.
If the weather warms or you got a new moon or full moon expect things to change a little. You may find that they move back to the next staging area and eat real good closer to the spawning areas. Once they get on their bed’s things will totally change. You may still find some prespawn fish out a little deeper but most of the bass are going to be pulled up shallow and reacting (not eating). Still a great time to fish. If you want to learn more about catching bedding bass than read this article.
Good luck with Prespawn fishing!! I hope you catch your PB (personal best) because this is the time of the year that can happen. Good luck and tight lines!!
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