Ask any Bass angler and they’ll tell you the same thing – the chase is just as exciting as the battle. Bass are intelligent fish that exhibit a number of behaviors, moving and acting differently depending on the water conditions. And it’s this thrill of figuring out the patterns that makes it so fun to fish for them.
The major – if not the most important – element that impacts Bass patterns is water temperature, which is in turn influenced by the time of year you hit the waters. And in this article, we’ll give you all the relevant information about Bass fishing seasons you’ll need. We’ll focus on the two most popular species – Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass. So when you’re ready, read on.
When is the best time to fish for Bass?
You can generally catch Bass throughout the year, though you’ll never hear anyone say the fishing is equal during every season. Generally, spring and fall offer the best Bass bite, both for Largemouth and Smallmouth. Of course, it’s not so much the season, but the water temperatures that play an important role. Bass are generally the most active when the waters are between 65 and 80ºF.
Still, seeing how it’s always possible to catch Bass, we’ll delve into each season and the patterns they bring.
Winter
Winter is often considered to be the toughest season to fish for Bass. Simply put, the low temperatures make these fish less active and therefore less likely to bite. For this reason, many Bass anglers won’t bother fishing during this time – or they’ll opt to target a different species. However, it’s not impossible to catch Bass in winter. You just need to adjust your approach.
The first thing to understand is that Bass won’t be swimming about and actively searching for food in cold waters. They will, however, bite if you present the bait to them slowly and around the spots they tend to lurk in during winter. This means fishing in deep waters near different structure and cover.
Naturally, it also depends on the climate in which you’re fishing. In Florida, winter brings spring-like temperatures, allowing Bass to stay active. In the Sunshine State, winter will often be the prime season to catch a lunker or two. Meanwhile, Midwestern folks might be catching Bass while ice fishing!
Spring
As the seasons shift, so do the Bass fishing patterns. As the waters warm up, Bass begin to transition to the shallows in preparation to spawn. And while early spring can be hit-or-miss depending on how cold it is, once Bass have transitioned to shoreline regions, the fishing heats up too.
Just before they begin to spawn, as well as during the spawn, Bass will be at their most aggressive. This typically happens around mid-spring. At this time, you’ll find them near lily pads, matted weeds, logs, stumps, and similar coastal cover.
Immediately after they spawn, the fishing slows down for a while because the Bass will be focused on recovery rather than feeding. However, once that short spell has passed, they’ll be ravenous again. As the water temperatures stabilize and summer gets closer, you can expect the fish to start moving to deeper waters.
Summer
The Bass bite is phenomenal during summer, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. However, locating the fish can be challenging. As we mentioned, Bass tend to move to deeper waters as the temperatures rise. Not only that, they’ll also often move around based on the weather and time of day.
Early summertime is a season of transition for Bass but you can still often fish for them around coastal cover early in the day. Deeper into the summer, the windows where Bass lurk close to shore will get shorter and shorter. Eventually, early dawn, evening, and nighttime become the most productive times to cast your line.
If you can’t find Bass close to shore during summer, they’re likely lurking in deeper waters. Search for ledges, dropoffs, and underwater holes where they should be hiding. Also keep an eye out for any bait schools they might be chasing.
Fall
With the temperatures dropping once again, Bass will begin to abandon their deep summer holes and transition closer to shore. They’ll aim to bulk up for the winter, which means you’ll find them chasing after shad, minnows, and other bait fish. Bass will bite aggressively in fall, making it the time to fish for trophies.
Locating Bass in the fall can be somewhat difficult. Depending on the water temperatures, they’ll lurk anywhere from creek mouths, the backs of coves, and coastal vegetation to mid-depth ledges and humps. The patterns can also change daily due to the bait schools moving around.
The fishing can be excellent all the way through late fall. It’s only once the temperatures begin dipping below 50ºF that the Bass will kick into their winter self-preservation patterns. At that point, you can expect the bite to slow down.
Best Bass Fishing Spots
There are hundreds of lakes and rivers across North America offering top-tier Bass fishing. Here, we’re going to list a few top spots just to give you an idea of where the best angling is. Take a look…
- Lake St. Clair. Whether it’s size or numbers you’re looking for, Lake St. Clair has both in abundance. It’s a lake where Smallmouth Bass in the 5-6 pound range are fairly common, and trophy fish are caught every year. The Bass fishing season generally lasts from spring through fall, giving you plenty of time to explore this wonderful Midwestern fishery.
- Clear Lake. Located about 2 hours north of San Francisco, Clear Lake is California’s premier Largemouth Bass destination. The lake frequently ranks among the best fisheries in the country, and is often touted as the best Bass fishery west of Mississippi. While the lake is yet to produce a record-breaking fish, catching Bass in the 8-10 pound range is commonplace.
- Farm13/Stick Marsh. Stick Marsh is a large impoundment of the St. Johns River, located along Florida’s east coast. The waters here are subject to a strict catch-and-release policy when it comes to Largemouth Bass, allowing these fish to thrive and grow to trophy sizes. Since it’s a popular fishing spot, you can expect some pressure from other anglers, but Stick Marsh will deliver nonetheless.
- O.H. Ivie Lake. Fed by both the Colorado and the Concho Rivers, O.H. Ivie Lake is a Texan Bass fishing wonderland. Specimens between 10 and 13 pounds are common here. And with the careful management by the TPWD, it seems the fishing is only getting better. The main type of Bass in the lake is Largemouth, so get ready to reel in some lunkers.
- Lake Murray. Situated a short ride west of the city of Columbia, Lake Murray is one of the best Largemouth fisheries in the Southeast. It’s renowned for both the number of Bass that inhabit its waters and the sizes they reach. Lake Murray is a yearly setting for various Bass tournaments, bringing in all kinds of anglers to try their luck.
How to Fish for Bass
Now that you know the when and where, here are a few basic tips on how to catch Bass. We won’t go into too much detail, as there’s a whole other section of our blog devoted to that, but we can cover a few principles quickly.
Doing your research is the basis of being a good Bass angler. These fish may appear finicky with all their behavioral patterns but, at the end of the day – they’re creatures of habit. The first step is to learn how Bass behave depending on the season, which we’ve covered in this article. Then, you can delve deeper into the kind of fishing grounds they like to lurk around. After that, you can learn about what kind of lures or bait to use and how to present them depending on the fishing conditions.
Some of this knowledge is general – such as Bass moving shallow in spring – and will serve you from lake to lake. However, when it comes to bait selection and presentation, this will often vary depending on the particular waters you’re fishing, which should be your sign to do some googling for things such as lure colors and local angling reports.
If all this seems somewhat daunting to you, just remember that Bass are generally eager biters. So as long as you can find them and dangle your bait in front of them, they’re likely to go for it.
Bass Fishing Seasons: The Key to Catching Lunkers
As we mentioned in the beginning of the article, Bass are highly sensitive to water temperatures. The conditions play a large role in how the fish will behave, making it an important piece of the puzzle for you to consider when seeking them out.
You’ll generally have the easiest time catching Bass in spring and fall, but summer has its merits and it’s still possible to get a bite even in winter. And if you need assistance locating the fish, you can always hook up with a guide and learn the tricks of the trade from true pros!
How did you like our breakdown of Bass fishing seasons? What kind of information would you find useful? Let us know in the comments below!
The post Bass Fishing Seasons: The Complete Guide for 2024 appeared first on FishingBooker Blog.
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