B S T EA O AIT P RSC H
I
BY DAVID A. BROWN
t’s is one of the best times of year to catch a
whopper, but plan on devoting significant time
to locating those opportunities. We’re talking
about the pre spawn, that fickle period when bass stage outside their spawning grounds in prep- aration for the shallow surge spurred by warming weather and big moon phases.
A straightforward premise, the reason for this opportunity is twofold: feeding and protection. Staging bass know they need to pack in the protein prior to their strenuous reproductive effort. Also, when the big females first move up, they’re nervous and jittery, but they’re also highly territorial.
Nothing subtle here; as Bassmaster Elite pro Kevin VanDam notes, the fish simply will not tolerate anything coming near the spot where they’ll soon lay
Story & Photos
SEARCH FOR THE SCATTERED
Once nature spurs a shoreward move, you’ll often find dozens of fish bedding along a productive bank or crowding a protected pocket. But until that happens, covering water is the name of the game. You don’t necessarily have to fish fast; but keep moving to locate hungry bass.
“In the early pre spawn, cooler water temperatures mean that bass don’t need to feed often, so I tend to pick lures I can fish slowly, with erratic movements,” said Arizona pro Roy Hawk. “I like throwing a jerkbait, hopping a lipless crankbait or blade bait or slow rolling a bladed jig (over grass). I do a
their eggs. Capitalizing on these tendencies delivers
lot better trying to ‘trigger’ them.
big results.
pre-spawn
10 ®