View More Articles
| Introduction and Tackle | Boat Positioning and Bed Finding | Catching the Fish |


Third is boat positioning. If you can see the Bass, the Bass can see you. Remember that Because of the way light is refracted in water, fish have a wide “cone of vision”. It’s about 83 degrees. It is like looking up from the base of an imaginary funnel. As a fish goes deeper, his window to the outside world grows. What’s even more interesting is if the water surface is relatively smooth, a fish can look up and see a mirror-like image of the bottom. This allows him to be aware of either prey or predator beneath him. Bass have their highest cone cell concentrations in the retinal portions closest to the tail. This means that their cone-based (analytical) vision is best looking forward past the nose, worst when looking downward and moderate when looking upward. The more distance you put between yourself and the nest (within visibility) the better. This is when a good set of polarized lenses will come in handy. Position your boat to where you can see the bed, but far enough to be less visible to the fish. Make sure your shadow isn’t on the bed. Keep your trolling motor on a low speed, and turn off the depth finders. You want to be as stealthy as possible, and depth finders make a ticking nose in the water that will spook the big fish.

Fourth is finding the beds. When the water temps hit the high 50’s, the next full moon will push the fish from the “Staging Areas” and into the “spawning flats”. First the males move in and fan out on the beds. The females will stage outside the visual line, which is where the human eye cannot see the bottom any more. These females will feed at dusk and at night. During the staging the females will feed and brush against wood and larger rocks. They bump there bellies against wood to loosen the eggs. In lakes with out that wood structure in the lake, you will see the males “ramming” or “bumping” the females. Next the females will move to the bed to inspect it. If she likes it, they will roll on each other and mate. These fish will be ready late that night or the next day. When I see these fish I will mark them on my GPS, and go to them the next day. The bigger females will spawn next to or on structure with sand flats that have easy access to deeper water. When a fish gets 10+lbs they don’t feel comfortable in the shallows. The Best situation for fishermen is when he finds a nest with a male and female on it and they don’t move when they see you. Remember the eggs are yellow, in the middle of the nest you will see yellow patches. Target those patches and watch the reactions from the bass.

Next Page: Catching the Fish ->
 
Copyright © Robert Belloni 1997-2012. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without express written consent.
Login /