Texas Fishing Forum

Following the fish

Posted By: dobbin

Following the fish - 05/15/17 11:26 AM

Questions on the movement of the bass
1. Winter to spring?

2.Spring to summer?

3. Summer to fall?

4. Fall to winter?

What are your thoughts on the movement of bass in relation to the time of year and water temps?
Posted By: Dan90210 ☮

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 11:35 AM

Follow the food.

If Whataburger moved deep in winter so would you.
Posted By: 9094

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 11:36 AM

Originally Posted By: dobbin
Questions on the movement of the bass
1. Winter to spring?
2.Spring to summer?
3. Summer to fall?
4. Fall to winter?

What are your thoughts on the movement of bass in relation to the time of year and water temps?


1. Deep to shallow
2. Shallow to deep
3. Deep to shallow
4. Shallow to deep.
Posted By: Brad R

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 11:49 AM

Originally Posted By: dobbin
Questions on the movement of the bass
1. Winter to spring?

2.Spring to summer?

3. Summer to fall?

4. Fall to winter?

What are your thoughts on the movement of bass in relation to the time of year and water temps?


1. Warmth
2. Oxygen, temperature
3. Food
4. Environment

They are drawn to shallow water in places on the lake where it first begins to warm up, then to later spawn; they begin to sort themselves out looking for favorable temperature and oxygen levels as the hot summers approach; when the fall gets here they "feed up" to store energy before winter; in winter they find areas that support a more dormant lifestyle for a few less active months.

But, always first and foremost about food I suspect.

Brad
Posted By: Jpurdue

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 11:50 AM

Small fish, see above. Big fish, they stay in the same fairly small area year round.
Posted By: SteezMacQueen

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 12:15 PM

Originally Posted By: Jpurdue
Small fish, see above. Big fish, they stay in the same fairly small area year round.
...and that small general area must have deep water, shallow water, cover, and structure all in a close proximity. Find them all in the same 150ft stretch(diameter) and you will find a big fish, or two.

Edit.....add in a bottom composition change and its fishing gold!
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 02:30 PM

There are two ways to do these patterns. One is more difficult for me as you have to keep up with it daily. The other pattern is to go where the fish live year round.

Pattern One - The fact is, sometimes bass relate more strongly to the movement of bait fish schools than anything else in the lake. They follow schools of shad and other bait all over the lake. When this happens, factors such as cover, bottom contours, even depth, become not as important. These fish are focused on their food source, and nothing else. Using this pattern for me can be extremely difficult to locate and catch. Difficult, but not impossible; because the guides use it a lot and stay on the fish daily.

Pattern Two - Is to find where they live and that is what I do. As said above it is about location close to deep water with feeding grounds just adjacent to their comfort zone. I do not feel that there are many, many spots on a lake that you can locate such an area. I can always find 3 or 4 and that is all it takes to stay on fish all day long.
Posted By: bigbass94

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 06:44 PM

Originally Posted By: Dan90210 ☮
Follow the food.

If Whataburger moved deep in winter so would you.


Funny, yet true!
Posted By: the skipper

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 07:26 PM

Completely depends on the lake. Some lakes the fish like to stay shallow, others deep. Also changes year to year as grass conditions or water conditions change. Availability of good cover and food will change everything too. You can have the best looking water out there and not have [censored] in it if there's never any food around it
Posted By: Brad R

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 07:27 PM

Originally Posted By: Donald Harper
There are two ways to do these patterns. One is more difficult for me as you have to keep up with it daily. The other pattern is to go where the fish live year round.

Pattern One - The fact is, sometimes bass relate more strongly to the movement of bait fish schools than anything else in the lake. They follow schools of shad and other bait all over the lake. When this happens, factors such as cover, bottom contours, even depth, become not as important. These fish are focused on their food source, and nothing else. Using this pattern for me can be extremely difficult to locate and catch. Difficult, but not impossible; because the guides use it a lot and stay on the fish daily.

Pattern Two - Is to find where they live and that is what I do. As said above it is about location close to deep water with feeding grounds just adjacent to their comfort zone. I do not feel that there are many, many spots on a lake that you can locate such an area. I can always find 3 or 4 and that is all it takes to stay on fish all day long.


Donald, your "Pattern One" reminds me of something Bill Wilcox said after fishing Wheeler Branch for a Honey Hole segment. He said that bass on clear water lakes are often more sight-oriented hunters. He may have mentioned they tend to school up a bit more, too, but it was two or so years ago and I can't recall the detail on the second comment.

Anyway, he really had a nice day out there fishing accordingly, knowing how to target these bass. The lake, itself, is very clear and it can be a great fishery at times, usually in the pre-/spawn/post-spawn periods . . . then it gets really difficult for a lot of people the rest of the year.

I have been out there and seen groups of bass chasing shad where the bass were boiling out of the water in an area 100 feet wide or more in diameter. There must have been hundreds of them. Others have seen this out there, commented on it, that they have seen this in the late afternoon.

I think this may be your Pattern One, where a very large percentage of the bass in a lake are on the prowl; anglers not knowing how to capitalize on it end up catching some of the other few bass left that are genetically predisposed to living in a more defined area.

Brad
Posted By: Dan90210 ☮

Re: Following the fish - 05/15/17 07:53 PM

Originally Posted By: Jpurdue
Small fish, see above. Big fish, they stay in the same fairly small area year round.


I agree. And they will be near the deepest usable water that has fast access to shallow water hunting areas as well.

Big fish, say over 8lbs or so, do not spend time in open water water chasing shad. Thats a smaller fish game.
Posted By: dobbin

Re: Following the fish - 05/16/17 01:38 AM

With the shad spawn going on now how long will it last?
Will they spawn on into the summer or is it nearly over?
Posted By: Dan90210 ☮

Re: Following the fish - 05/16/17 02:10 AM

Originally Posted By: dobbin
With the shad spawn going on now how long will it last?
Will they spawn on into the summer or is it nearly over?


It's about over on most big lakes in DFW.

Already seeing fingernail clipping sized shad.

That said results may vary by lake, or even each arm or large cove of a lake.
Posted By: dobbin

Re: Following the fish - 06/05/17 02:45 PM

Found them for a while. With all this weather in the area they are hiding again. Where did they go? Fished shallow deep drop-offs brush wood flats close to deep nothing just a few small one's any ideas. Must have bumped head and lost it...lol
Posted By: Big Kev

Re: Following the fish - 06/05/17 03:14 PM

After reading this, the way I approached seasons completely changed. A buddy of mine asked me the other day how I know when the fish are shallow and when they are deep. I sent this to him. I consider it a general rule of thumb not the golden rule. You will always find situations where it does not apply. For example rising water...... I hope it helps. https://www.bassmaster.com/vandams-6-season-bass-guide
Posted By: ROT Angler

Re: Following the fish - 06/05/17 04:09 PM

Good read Big Kev thanks for posting.
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