Are the bass in pre-spawn mode?

My neighbor said he's been getting them in cover in a shallow canal, but didn't see any beds.

I am getting some full of eggs, full of shad and fiesty. This new moon will be richter

Can't wait.

Got a new Abu-Garcia Veritas (casting rod) I want to try out.

Yes.

Check tomorrow and Friday.

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Thx scomB.

I always remeber the spawn happens around when the azaleas bloom.

Seems like a couple species are "running" or spawning earlier.

I know the flounder, bull reds, pompano and cobia all "ran early" this year up in NEFL than in years past.

That or info spread has gotten better and previously by the time the word was out they'd been moving for a bit?

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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

I got a few today, not near spawning areas, I saw no beds.

Got them on a white spinnerbait and blue/black jig with blue crawdad trailer.

Don't know if this warm up was long enough to trigger the spawn. The eggs and testis are mature and ready to go but they've got to get the right signal from mother nature. Water temps dropping into the low 50s for the better part of a week and then zipping up into the 60s for just a couple of days might not be the ticket. Whether bedding or not, they aren't going to be far from whereever they want to spawn and they are going to feed like crazy when they aren't dropping eggs, especially on winter warmup days like today. Last year there were beds all over the south end of Kenansville in mid January and then a front passed and the beds were vacant for a couple of days. Then there was a sustained warm up and the spawning re-commenced. Year before last I burned them up on frogs and buzz baits in mid-January in a not so double secrets used-to-be airboat access only hydrilla choked "retention pond" on a day like today with 80 degree temps and a ripping south wind and passing showers.

Regarding the timing of the spawn in general. Bass in central and south Florida are pretty flexible. You can find beds and fry balls from December to May depending on the weather, especially in the more fertile lakes where the adults have plenty of food to fuel up between spawning events and make more eggs to go around again and maybe again and again. There won't be just one spawn in an given lake. It is basically spring time down here from now until it gets good and hot and our fish are wired to take every chance they get to reproduce. It can make fishing awesome or frustrating depending on your perspective. Their mood changes with every frontal passage. Or you can have a year like 2010 where it is so cold that they are shut down for all of January and most of February and then when it finally warms up they all go on the beds at once in March. But that kind of year seems to be the exception down here.

Up north it is different. Spring is short and fast. Bass have a narrow time window to hit the magic temperature as water warms. There is a much more defined pre-spawn spawn post-spawn. This has shifted earlier in my middle aged life. But it isn't anything like central FL where the bass spawn has always been a diffuse on again off again timing mess.

 

We do get a fairly defined post-spawn where they school on shad (in select waterbodies where there are lots of shad) once it does get well and truly hot somewhere between late March and early May depending on the year. The females quit making eggs. The males finish guarding the nests and fry balls. They all get together and feast on the thredfin that are themselves schooling up with spawning in mind. The last few years this has happened in mid-late March on the St. Johns River and its lakes from George on south. Harney and the river either side of Harney have been nuts in late March. But I've seen the post spawn feed-fest happen more into May if March-April are on the cool side. Just depends on when the water gets hot enough to shut off any thoughts of spawning. 

 

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35 today 2 over 8lbs, all bursting at the seams. All the males are peeing; so really close. Spotting lots of fresh beds that fish are close too and attacking baits. Whatever phase; its catching time

Thx Cheats. I'll probably go tomorrow morning.

I went this afternoon figuring it would be good before the cold front arrives.

We got only one fish, it was very slow.

Tried everything, the one fish cane on a grape worm.

Good read, you remind me of the "Bass Professor" slight derail, but man I miss sunday am fishing shows on crummy days!



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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

Doug Hannon, one of my favorites.

It's a shame he died so young.

Wow had no idea, until you mentioned that; RIP legend...

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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

fish slow slow slow, alot of water is stained. Peg a creature bait, lizard, worm or baitfish type slowly across bottom. stop and pull fish will not attack if bait leaves their zone. Most fish now are not feeding they are protecting. Good luck

^Excellent! what has to happen and how long til,, the bite begins again in your thoughts. A water temp/vis change, or a sustained warmup, # of days away from this full moon? I'm really inquiring to the largest/1st spawners I guess. Thanks in advance!   

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Got just 1 today on a lizard.

Average size about 2 lbs.

I will be out for the next 90 days or so. Today saw fish roaming. Better activity from 11 am on. Most of my fish are on edges of grasslines, lilly clusters or floating junk piles. Water temp jumps quickly by noon. This moon will produce, pics to follow

Saw very few beds today, no fish on them.

We caught 4 but they were very small fish on worms.

Tried fishing "staging" areas too (deeper water near spawning flats and lily pads), 1 small fish.

Where did the bigger fish go?

I thought today would be good for us.

Next 5 days is a warming trend on waning moon. I am fishing 4 to 7 feet fishing "holes" in eel grass. Water today was 62 to 67 . If you can, fish with sun overhead to dusk. I dont know where you guys are geographically but I am fishing near Fellsmere, if that helps