Largemouth Bass in Reservoirs and Lakes

Largemouth Bass in Reservoirs and Lakes

Spring

Reservoirs

Finding bass in reservoirs is fairly easy in the spring

time. Bass are

all over the shallows

looking for the best

spawning habitat.

The best areas for spawning are usually in creek

arms or coves. The

best coves for the spring

are shallow with

murky water. This water

warms the

quickest and bass will be here in the spring. Some other

good

areas to find

bass in the spring are in shallow bays or on flats

that are surrounded

deeper water. If

there are

shallow bays or

flats near deeper water, bass don't have to travel far to find a

good

spawning area.

They will stay in

the bays

the flats during

spawning, then just return to

deeper water when they are done.

Natural Lakes

In natural lakes, bass tend to spawn in shallow water that is near the

deep water that they

called home for the

winter. Bass don't travel as

far as

they do

in reservoirs to spawn.

Any areas that have shallow

water can hold

spawning bass in natural lakes. Target any

bay or

channel first, then

follow up with

shorelines that have some

type

weeds. If you

can find the shallow areas that warm fastest, you will

find some spawning bass in

natural

lakes.

Summer

Reservoirs

Bass can be found in many places in reservoirs during the summer

time. While most fish

move into deeper water,

many anglers target

the shallows

all

summer and they catch a lot

of fish. The key is find

shallow water that has

lots

of cover such as weeds, timber, docks,

etc. If you can find

shallow water

that is close to deeper water, you

will

able to catch

these bass consistently during the morning and

evening as they come shallow

to feed on

bait

fish.

The majority of the

fish are usually in deeper water. Some anglers catch bass

in water

up to 50 feet deep. In

most

reservoirs,

you can catch bass

in 12 to

15 feet of

water throughout the summer. Find weeds in these depths

and

you should have some

success. Some

fishermen fish too deep

during the summer and they don't catch any

fish.

The thermocline

prevents fish from going too deep. The thermocline is a

zone

where

the water

temperature

changes rapidly. Below the thermocline is the

deepest,

coldest water, however, this water lacks oxygen. The

upper

layer is the warmest,

but

provides plenty of oxygen for the fish. You

will find bass hanging out around the

thermocline throughout most of

the

day in the summer.

Remember

that they

will come to

the shallows

to feed

during the morning and evening.

Natural Lakes

In natural lakes, it is easier to find bass than in reservoirs during the

summer time. There

will always be bass

around deep weeds in the

summer on

natural lakes. Although they

come shallow to feed during

the morning and

evening, targeting deeper weeds is where

you will

find the most fish.

The

lake that you are fishing will dictate what

depth you should

be fishing. If it is a deep, clear lake, the weeds

might be in 12 to 20 feet of water. In

shallower

lakes, the weeds

might be in 4 to 10 feet of water. Find the deep weeds first

and find

out what depth the fish are

at. There is usually a

pattern and if you

can find that

pattern, you will find fish. One day, they might be in 18

feet

of water and the next day in

12 feet of water.

Remember

that

some bass stay shallow all day around cover.

These

fish are easier

to catch and most anglers will target the few bass that are in

the

shallows

because they

know that

they can catch them.

Fall / Winter

Reservoirs

Catching bass in the fall through winter provides its challenges, but

produces some of the

biggest bass of the

year. During the fall, the

water cools

off

and the bass come shallower

again to feed before

winter. Bass can

found

throughout creek channels feeding

heavily.

Any shallow water

that

provides cover will also attract bass

during the

fall. You can catch

a lot

of big bass during the fall before

the turnover happens. Once the lake

turns

over,

fish will

be spread

out in deep water. They will be tough to find and tough to catch.

Targeting them in the

deepest cover is

your best

chance to

catch

these fish. They will

stay in this deep water throughout winter making

them very hard to

catch.

Natural Lakes

In natural lakes, early fall is a great time for bass fishing. Bass are in

the shallows again

and they are feeding

heavily. Any shallow cover

can hold

bass. As the water cools and

the lake turns over, bass will

spread out

throughout deeper water. Shallow lakes turnover

faster

than deeper lakes.

Fish

the shallow lakes in early fall and

the deeper

lakes in late

fall. Once the turnover happens, fishing becomes very

tough and stays tough

through

the

winter. In the south, a warm front

will bring some bass into the shallows, however, a

cold front will push

them back

into their deep water

hang outs.

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