Are They on Beds Yet

If I could do a quick search to see how many times this question has been asked on social media, I would assume the number would be astronomical. Are they bedding yet? Every fishing enthusiast from every corner of the country anticipates the day their local lakes fish flock to the shorelines. It’s exciting times and an awesome opportunity to hook into a fish of a lifetime.

Is It Go Time Yet
They aren’t necessarily cut and dry, and personally I think we as fisherman tend to rush the spawn before they are ready. What do I mean? Here in the southeast region of the country, we can have very sporadic weather.
Starting in late February and early March we will begin to have short spurts of warm weather, followed by longer waves of cold weather and often flooding rain. Moving into late March and early April we’ll see longer warm spells with cold snaps thrown in the mix. Then finally in mid to late April we begin to see warm weather settle in for good. But what does all this do for the water temps and the spawn?
If you think about it, the shallows are mostly affected by these weather transitions. Backs of pockets and flats will fluctuate in temps which are text book areas where the bass want to do their thing. So, an example, on Pickwick Lake in the back of Indian creek the water temps will rise into the low 60’s after a week of warm weather, then a 40-degree cold snap hits lowering the water temps back into the 50’s.
As anglers we’re prone to see the temps barely hit the 60’s and we start looking for bedding bass. It’s all in good fun it’s just what we live for. The bass however, may not be ready that quick.

The Signs
If you’re ever having a tough day catching fish remember to look for bait. You can typically find some feeding bass nearby. I use this same approach when I start gauging the phase of the spawn. Shad will start migrating into the backs of pockets and right behind them are the bass. It’s the mobile food market. They are going to follow them. When I see bass busting shad on the flats that tells me they are feeding up before heading in to do their thing. This is a great time to catch a trophy fish also. They are feeding up and getting fat. Sometimes you may only see shad flickering around on the surface. That’s sometimes a sign that predators are underneath.
I would also suggest that when it’s getting closer to time you will begin to catch fish more related to cover. Bass will use the creek channels to move to the shallows. If you are still catching bass relating to the drop offs associated with the channels, then more than likely they aren’t ready yet or a cold front has pushed them back out. Once you start catching them on wood or other submerged cover that can be a good indication it’s on their radar.
When you are covering water don’t over look fan casting in random open water also. Use bait’s like lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, and bladed jigs to locate fish. Often, I find that burning and killing a lipless can be very productive.
 
Water Level/ Air Temps
This is where mother nature can speed up or slow down the bass' transition to spawn. Water levels and air temperatures need to stay at least somewhat consistent and not fluctuate drastically. Now bass aren’t like humans and will schedule a delivery date ahead of time to make sure they are comfortable. In my opinion when their body says its time it’s just time regardless of what the conditions are. Of course, moon phases and other circumstances can have influences on this as well. What you want to see is consistency though. When you start seeing morning water temps in the 60s coupled with consistent warmer days that's a good indication to start looking for bedding fish. If you are faced with a cold front some bass may still stay up shallow and others may back off a bit. You just have to get out there and look around to get a good gage on how frontal conditions have shaken things up. One of the biggest tale tale signs I like to look for are bass chasing off bait fish up near the bank. When you see that you can be rest assured those fish are up there guarding there beds. 
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Let’s Do This Already
So, all the stars and planets have aligned, and the spawn is in full swing. Now it becomes a game of having some good polarized sun glasses and pulling out the sight fishing rigs. I’m not the biggest advocate for catching fish off beds but it can be a very exciting experience. Try bright colored soft plastics for your own visibility and I would recommend a Power Pole to keep you anchored while you work on getting those fish to bite. Bass don’t spawn all at once so remember to check those transition areas as well for pre spawners or post spawners moving back out. Most importantly have fun. See you out there!

​Article by - Justin Patrick