How deep do you target prespawn fish?

If you are looking for staging fish or newly migrated fish from winter, what depth do you concentrate at?

For arguments sake, lets say you have 2’ water clarity, 55 degree water temp, and full pool stable.

I am wondering if you still cast to the bank or a little deeper.

Thanks

I focus on creek swings. I never look at the bank, I’m always following the creek regardless how close or far the bank is.

Deeper than casts to the bank

A typical place to start looking would be where a point intersects a creek channel bend at the mouth of a creek

Sometimes you can find a magic spot where they are grouped together feeding up for the spawn
A hump with early grass on it leading into a spawning cove

Tough question because there usually is always a population of shallow fish to begin with, and the spawn can carry on for quite awhile. So, it depends on if you are fishing those shallow fish, or the fish that do their winter routine off the bank on some sort of structure. I like fishing areas where those deep fish have access to shallow water...it isn’t so much a depth thing to me.

The first drop in water depth adjacent to a spawning flat or bank. This could be a creek, ditch, pond, etc. I find this to be a good place for fish to quickly fall back to when the conditions change. I had a ditch last year that was stacked with fish for 3 weeks and then we had a big rain and they all moved up into the spawning area. I could barely catch fish in this ditch once this happen. After the next cold front the fish were back in the ditch.

Same here Taj. Had a spot of Ray Bob a few years ago that was a ditch way out in front of the main creek that ran up to the back of a pond dam. 6' on top and 9'-10' in the ditch. For a few weeks it was on big time with Jigs and crankbaits. Then they moved into the creek and that spot was dry afterwards. I tried it after the spawn thinking they would stop there on the way back out, but nothing doing.

Fortunately bass don't all spawn at the same time. You can find prespawn, spawn and post spawn fish in the same lake over a period of weeks, plus female bass don't lay their eggs all at once and extend the spawning period. I've caught bass in + 6' of water beyond the shallow areas (usually in 4') and shallower in the same week.
Prespawn fish are usually feeding until they focus on making beds shallower. Post spawn males feed less if at all than females that once their eggs are laid are ready to feed sooner. Keith Jones described what happens around the spawn in Knowing Bass and which I've confirmed over many years.

i follow migration routes, not shoreline

W5f does that mean senko lol jk

could care less about where the shoreline is as mentioned in the OP, just follow the paths they use to move from one place to another looking for sweet spots along the way that holds groups of females. pretty simple.

4-12 ft

If you have time would you be able to point me to the section in Knowing Bass related to spawning behavior? I've looked myself and was unsuccessful.

This is exactly what I do with my Mapping Techniques. It is a long and drawn out process of studying the most Irregular Contours on a lake. These contours mean everything to the fish at all the stages that they will go through. I use these same contours during the winter feeding patterns, to the Spring Spawn and into the Summer patterns where I am looking for the top water bite during the early Summer. How to fish each of these patterns is a whole other ball game which I call; Developing a System that best supplements your style of fishing. Most fishermen never put the time in on the water to develop this system to its highest degree.
- Irregular Contours will produce fish year round and it takes lots of looking to find them.
- Contour lines will hold the irregular features that will produce big fish called Hot Spots on both sides and the front slope of the contour that leads to deep water.
- Big Bass just do not travel very far to do there thing during all seasons along this route; so they live close by on this same contour.
- The more compact that these contour routes are the higher the percentage the area will be for producing fish.
- These Irregular Contours show up in many different areas of your lake like: The River Channel Swing, Longest Points Leading To Deep Water, Creek Channel Swings, Creek Bends especially S-Bends, Gouges, Drains and Protrusions.
- All of these eventually connect to the shoreline in some way and usually provide that highway for staging and to bring fish to the shallows.
- You want to be fishing these high percentage areas at different seasons of the year and the key is timing. You have to be there at the right time of the day to intercept them.

I have written articles on both following Bass, From Shallow To Deep and Developing a System. If you cannot use the search function to locate the post please contact me with an Email Address and I will shoot you the articles on both.
OR: I can post them again. They are a long read.

Good advice right here

I can see 20 ft down on Amistad on a calm day, which you don't get too often here.

I think of pre-spawn two ways ,
1) big fish that come up searching for warm water and anything good to eat --- early in January thru late February . Big bass need to finish the process of developing their eggs and they need the warmest water they can find and food to help . Water temps in the mid 50's to high 50's . These fish can be really shallow at times and I find my best opportunity is find long shallow banks close to deep water with wind direction pushing warmest possible water on them . Sometimes only 1 or 2 degree's warmer makes a huge difference .
2) bass ready to spawn , one to two weeks away from dropping eggs ( first wave etc... ) I think in this case , the big girls aren't really hungry , they are defensive . In average clarity , I think these bigs girls roam in that 5-10 foot range looking for the right place/partners .

* Worst case , miss the prespawn and end up chasing big bass on post spawn ---my least favorite time to fish

drains

Good info Harper

Sounds like a spot I know of on Roberts....

I am always looking at the shoreline for several reasons.
- I want to discover a super contour that no one can determine that it is there by looking at the bank.
- I want to see the cover that is on the closest bank to these irregular contours. During the Spawn this is the place to be.
- If I am seeing rock on the bank, you can bet that there is another feature just like that out in deep water. I have to find those spots.
- Learning to read the shoreline is where all the fishing back in my day began and the better you were at it the more fish you caught.
- Last but not least; I am an Old School fisherman and can read that shoreline with the best of them to know that the area off shore may be excellent. Pair that with today's technology, irregular contours and low water imaging and the fish will be there.

Creeks and drains.

Sir would you mind posting a topo map screen shot with examples of said Contours highlighted? I believe I know what you are referring to but would like visual confirmation. Thanks

Considering 99% of the time I am fishing 5 feet or less, I would say 5 feet or less.

9. The mouth of the Cove starts by giving you two of the best staging points on the lake right next to the river channel. This is another cove that looks good in the back; but the big producer is out front. I have laid the RED Line trail for you to follow into the cove working the Gouges and Secondary Points just inside the cove. The 3 sections of the ROADBED has produced more fish of quality size than the rest of the cove. The farther back you go the less rock you will find. The Roadbed strikes across two sections of high ground and leaves the cove in a Gouge to the South. Many fish up to 6 lbs have been taken off the road bed on Spinner Baits. The Gouges will produce your larger fish during the Spawn. The Points will be your year round producer especially during the Summer months. I have positioned the Boat on the two staging points as this was the technique used to catch a ton of Post-Spawn Bass in March of 2012. Fishing up-hill has fooled many a big fish for me. Bass feed looking up the slope to image the bait. When you sneak a Crig up behind a feeding Bass they seem to be Blind Sided and the strike is viscous. I use an anchor to position the boat then turn off all Electronics. I carry the anchor in a 2.5 Gal bucket to keep mud off the boat carpet. It fits in one the boxes really well when not in use. I usually anchor to fish up-hill at least 3 or 4 times during the day.
NOTE: All of the Biggest Bass that are Labeled were caught in the Gouges during the Spring. Your big fish will be staging to feed on the points during the early morning hours of the summer.

Thankyou Very much. A lot of great info and detail.

Mr. Harper, Do you offer Contour Mapping for some of the Texas Lakes? Maps which indicate best areas and structure to target during specific times of the year? If this is offered, I am interested.

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