I always try and become better at something when I plan to go and fish and while out on the water. For instance, this year I told myself I am becoming a better jig fisherman. So like many on this forum have stated, I put every rod up and only have my jig rod on the deck when I hit the water. I also wanted to catch a spawning fish and become better at how to approach the bed, what to use, what angle to have the boat at, everything involved with trying to catch that big female on the bed.

But the first thing I have to do obviously is locate them. On occasion I have found a bed while fishing down a bank or something but have yet to ever find a bed with fish on it, and have yet to catch a bass while it was spawning. So my question is, to find/locate spawning fish do you literally just start going down the bank in about 4' of water and start looking for beds? I would assume it is also a good idea to pick a certain creek to start in, correct?

Any advice you can give and/or offer would be appreciated.

North/West/East creeks, some yellow tint/polarized/AR will help you see the bottom, but if it is muddy, find hard bottoms by using Google Earth. Fish won't spawn in mud (I'm sure someone on here would tell me I'm wrong).

That's my advice.

Find the Carp, lol. I’ve caught spawners on muddy bottom/water with vegetation present.

Find the coves with the warmest water first, generally north west coves that are protected from north winds. If there's grass you should be able to spot them from a distance. If not, just put the TM on 3 or 4 and move down the bank until you see a bed. Many times you'll actually spook a fish or two off of beds you didn't see. If you have decent water clarity, 2-3 feet, I'd stay out in 4 or 5 foot of water. Once you see a bed or two...stop. Be still and look around out in the deeper water. You'll be surprised how well the bass can camouflage themselves. The spawn generally moves north to south as the water warms up so starting a little north is always a good idea. Good luck!

Like I said, someone has caught one in mud. (shocked face)

Understand the subtle differences in bottom color in an area. You can't just assume that a spawning bed is lighter in color than the surrounding bottom. Lakes with rocky substrate, this may be true, but if you have a muddy bottom, a grassy area, or an area with submerged stumps, the opposite can be true. You need to look for any differences in the bottom, particularly those with a distinctive shape and size. Once found, scout it out a while. Look around for movement and follow the fish between the spawning bed and their 'protected' areas. If you get your bait "in their way" you just might anger them into biting sooner.

Starting out the easiest thing to do is get in the back of creeks and run the bank until you see one on a bed. If your lake has brush in it look for them hiding way back under the brush. Then it is up to you to find the bait they will hit so you can catch them. they will be hiding in the brush, in the grass, and around protective cover a lot of the time. As you get more used to seeing bass on beds you will learn how to pick out the spots a bass should have a bed in even if you can't see them, so when you learn that you can present your bait to those areas and catch fish even if you can't see them. Get you a good quality pair of sun glasses that will help you see the bass in the water better. I use Green mirror Costa brand and they work very well. If you see a bass on a bed and you toss your lure into it you will get its attention. If it leaves the bed and takes quite a while for it to come back, it is not committed yet and I would look for another one. If it has an interest in your lure, it is looking at it but then swims off, it might bite if you either present another bait they are more aggressive towards or you need to aggrivate them into biting. If thy are looking at your bait then swim off in front of it, jerk it and hit them in the side. That many times will trigger a response and they will eat it. Sometimes they can't stand looking a bait in the bed and they will eat it just lying there. It all depends on how aggressive or not the fish is. Search for the aggressive fish or the giants on a bed. Giants are worth spending some time on to make them bite. Smaller ones, I try to find the ones that are the most aggressive, and then move on to the next one.

It's easier to fish shallow in a protected area in the spring and fan cast a senko and you'll be catching spawning fish

I just cruise around till I hear Barry White playing.

tm on high stand up on the bow looking, in texas you guys got so many bass at the right time on the right day there will be beds around the whole lake, pinkston was that way when I was there in 2020.

Slowly!

Pinkston definitely has most beds I've seen occupied on a lake. Thanks to the slot obviously. It's a fun lake

I would say 90% of the fish will move off their spawning areas when boats come trolling by. Then, they're back once you've passed them. For this reason, I suggest a small, sturdy step ladder or some type of platform with hand rails to climb on and look way out ahead for the ones that haven't moved off yet. Remember, bass can see you if you can see them. 2.5-3ft depths are perfect for spawning depth. Start there and good luck to you. If that doesn't work, make sure to carry a Barry White CD on your person at all times.