Calvin Herndon
Moving Bass How to Catch Them in the Transition
As we all know in the month of April bass transitions from the prespawn to the spawn. Everyone always wants to know where, when, and how to catch a bass during this transition period. In this article you learn what the fish are doing in this transition, where they are going, and how to catch them.
Let’s start by explaining what is happening during this transition period. In the prespawn fish are feeding up so they can settle down and spawn and keep moving. In this period fish tend to be easier to catch, because they are so aggressive. The bass are feeding up and moving shallow to be able to spawn. It is important to understand bass behavior and their preferred habitat during the prespawn. You will also notice that the water temperature will begin to rise and this is very important to pay attention to during the prespawn into the spawn. Where do the bass begin to move to?
The bass are moving from their deep winter homes and are moving shallow to spawn. It is important to use your mapping during this period to find migration routes the bass will take to find their spawning grounds. Areas to look for include creek channels, secondary points, and edges of submerged vegetation. Places to look during the spawn would be areas that have deeper water that goes to shallow water that makes irregular features. So, you are going to ask I have found an area that might have bass, but do I catch them?
In this prespawn to spawn transition bass can be caught on several different techniques. The first lure would have to be a jerkbait. A jerkbait shines in both winter and the spring. In the spring the jerkbait can cause a feeding frenzy in a school of bass especially if they are aggressively eating. It is pivotal that you match the forage that is in your lake. The second bait I would recommend trying is a crankbait. You may hear fishermen say that the square bill crankbait is king in the spring. I would like to challenge you to back off the back a few feet and throw the medium diving crankbait that dives 8-10ft. A lot of your bigger bass will hang off break lines that a squarebill cannot hit, but if you are throwing a medium diving crankbait it would get down to the break line that the bigger bass are staging on. Lastly I would have a bottom contact bait. For myself it’s a confidence bait. I will either reach for a ½ ounce Carolina rig or a ¼ ounce shaky head. Those two are my confidence bait: find a bottom bait that you like to throw and have it on hand.
As the lakes and fish transition into the prespawn and the spawn I hope you can use this information and have a successful trip on the water. Remember it is important to study and familiarize yourself with the bass behavior and their habitats. Tight lines everyone!
Bruce Callis Jr
The Past is the Future
The fishing community is full of so many great people. I am truly blessed to have known so many that have passed over the years. But, there are many more I don’t know. We aren’t talking about the big names in the industry either. Yes, there are plenty, but for most of us, the true legends of the sport are those who we knew growing up and who are the local guy who either taught us, and others as well, or who we learned from by just being around.
I learned to enjoy the outdoors from the moment I was born. My mom and dad were fishing for white perch along side my mom’s parents before I even popped out. And I was out there with them as a newborn. And we never stopped. I learned so much from them. My dad and grandfather were also hunters, so it was just natural that I learned to hunt from them. I learned a really important fact from them, if we killed it, we ate it. We didn’t go fishing or hunting for food for the table.
I was a normal kid growing up in the 60s and 70s. We didn’t have all the indoors things that distract kids now. The outdoors was our playground. Riding our bikes, playing ball, pick-up football games at the elementary school, hiking in the woods, to family outings, it was all about the outdoors. It was exciting. Family camping trips to the mountains that led into Scouting and the adventures with the local troop. And we went to a lot of exciting places here in Virginia for our monthly camping trips. Hiking on the Appalachian Trail, climbing to the top of the mountains, to the beach area, we lived the outdoors. And who made it possible? My parents for letting me go and to the leaders. These men and women cared about us and taught us so much about the outdoors and life. They helped shape us. From Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts, I had great role models.
And scouting led to fishing. We had a local Youth Bassmaster Club. We are talking about 1975, when there was no internet, everything was in print or in person. It started me on a different course, not just fishing to eat, but for fun. Catch and release became a new way to enjoy fishing. Of course, no cell phones, so those catches live only in our dreams. If we got lucky, we had a camera with us. But we had to wait to get the film developed to see if we got the picture. But those pictures are still vivid in my mind.
For years I worked many jobs, some I hated and some I enjoyed. But to be honest, I never loved them. I was good at them, I did a great job, but I was always looking for something better. That dream job always escaped me. And I continued to fish during it all. I loved doing it. Then a young lady who was the editor of the local paper asked to write a fishing column. I just couldn’t see me as a writer. Not me! I tried to put her off, but she was persistent. I finally decided I would write a story so she could see how bad I was and that would be the end of it. I sent it to her and she said it was great, which was a shocker. She said that she would need another one next Monday. And I kept writing. I found that I really enjoyed writing the local fishing report. I actually looked forward to telling people of my fishing adventures and letting them know what was working for me. I really loved what I was doing!
Of course, through fishing and the amazing people I have met, I found Brian Carter and TheBassCast.com. I wrote a story for him in January of 2014 and sent it to him to see what he thought about it. I guess he liked it because I am still doing it. And I love doing them. It can be challenging at times, coming up with what to write about, but it is always fun. And sometimes, you sit down and it just flows so easily.
And then I got to go to all these tournaments, especially the Bassmaster Classic and get to talk to the anglers. I got to talk to them about what I wanted to learn. It wasn’t that I didn’t know, I wanted to get better at it so I could pass it on to you, the reader and those with whom I get to meet in person. If I have a question about a bait, I have someone who knows it best because they helped design it. I’m older but I never stop learning.
I would never be where I am now if it wasn’t for some very important people in my life. Their story is part of my story. People think that just because people get older, they know less about today. The problem really is that we don’t take the time to listen to what they really know. The knowledge that the old men and women know would amaze you. You really can’t understand where we are without understanding where we came from. We just need to listen. And learn why we love the outdoors as much as we do. Life is to short
Carson Maddux
April Transitions
Mid April is a huge transition time in the lakes around my house. The majority of bass have either spawned or are actively spawning, while a few have yet to move up. This gives opportunity to catch them in numerous depth ranges and on a variety of techniques. April is probably my favorite month to bass fish because conditions and patterns change rapidly. The fish can be here one day and there another. It makes for a challenge but the fish seem to bite either way. This time of year allows you to pick your strengths and be able to compete. Look for fish in all three stages of the spawn and a baitfish spawn to be the heavy hitters until the middle of May.
Even after the big females dump their eggs, there is a population of fish that hang out around the bedding areas to protect the hatchlings. “Fry gaurders” are typically male bass that hang out around the fry to keep predator fish from eating them. They will be near the bed but not locked on like you typically fish for them. Depending on what kind of structure is around, I like using a frog/popper to cover water and a wacky worm to follow up. I’ll often run shady areas where I think these fish are resting with those baits in hopes of some good quality.
When the water creeps into the 70s, my mind is on a shad spawn. Post spawn bass will use the spawning shad as an easy way to gain some of their weight back. Shad spawn happens in lowlight conditions making the first few hours of the day critical. The easiest way to identify a shad spawn is looking for birds. The birds will line a bank in which the shad are spawning and the bass are usually not far behind. If you land on one of these underwater buffets, chances are you can get right in a hurry. Oftentimes the Shad will bump your blades on a spinnerbait or follow your lure to the boat attempting to spawn with it. Shad like to spawn against cover such as sea walls, grass, wood, and even clay. When the gizzard shad are spawning, shallow bars and shell are good destinations. They are a more robust baitfish and will attract some of the biggest fish in the lake. They are a big meal but are easy for a bass to catch when they are spawning.
Outside of fish near the beds and on a shad spawn, look for transition areas where bass will move form the shallows to deeper water. A lot of these places are the same places they will stage during the prespawn. Brush piles, rock piles, and hard spots are good stopping points for bass to get before they hit their summer haunts. Mid depth plays a big role this time of year. You may not find the mother-load on a place like in early summer, but you can scrap up good stringers if you run enough spots.
In my opinion, April is why bass fishing is so much fun. There are endless options and approaches that a fisherman can take. There isn’t one answer and you can get creative with the way in which you fish for them. The fish are ever changing and it is your job to try and stay ahead of the curve. I hope you all get to get out this April and catch some big ones!