Here's an article I wrote several years ago on that subject. Since the spawn is almost here again, I thought that some might be interested in reading it.

http://www.warmfly.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=791.0

I bet a weighted crawfish fly would have them picking it up every time, and you would be able to work it through the bed. What do you think Cliff.

Derik, I have tried the crawfish flies and have caught only two bedding bass on them. The spawning bass will not hit the fly because they are hungry, they are simply trying to remove the fly from their beds. I've used crawfish patterns, Enrico's Bluegill fly, zonkers, worm flies, clousers, virtually every fly I have in my fly boxes, but I have not found one fly that would consistently catch spawning bass. Every now and then over the past few years I've gotten lucky and caught a spawning bass on the first few casts, but those are rare times. As I said in my article, you have to irritate the bass until it finally decides to move the fly off its bed.

Have you tried doing it with a sinking line also? What I was getting at with the crawfish fly is that once you get it on the bed it would seem to irriatate the bass a little more by holding its postion while you allmost "jig" it on the bed. I was thinking it might look more like a natural egg predator too.

Ther is no need for using a sinking line when you're fishing in 1'-4' of water. As far as looking like a natural predator, Enrico's Bluegill fly looks exactly like one, so does a plastic lizard, so does a clouser - but the bass are just trying to protect their beds and will grab the fly and simply try to move ot off the beds. I ALWAYS let my fly sit on the bed and just move it an inch at a time.

In order for you to understand what fishing for spawning bass is like, you have to go out there and do it. You quickly learn that the normal rules of fishing don't apply. It is an entirely new challenge.

Sweet i am on it this year. Just have to figure out where they make their beds on Lady Bird.

I am excited already! Come on warm weather!

you need to move south. Supposed to hit 80+ here tomorrow

heh, the spawn has started at my pond

You sure about that?

yeah, well, they havent started but they are starting to make their beds

Cliff, it's a really good article. Seems like every time I turn around I have more to learn about fishing. I'm definitely looking forward to fast-action bass fishing again. Fishing the spawn sounds challenging to say the least.

Cliff is right about spawning bass being a different critter than we are use to. They like to bump the nest intruders not inhale them. 55 degrees-60 or so degrees they will start fanning the nest out. Once it gets to 60-65 they will start dropping eggs.

I have about two weeks then. The water temp at Lady Bird was 58 last time I went out.

I dont think that temperature is absolute, moon phase plays a part too, some years they spawn early some years later, I caught one on Fork off the nest in 53 degree water a couple years ago.