Not sure if it is worth a 2 hour drive to the pond where I caught my 3 biggest ever bass last year:
4-0
4-8
4-14
Nowhere near a lot of guys PB but hoping I can crack 5 and early to mid may might be the best time to do it?
I've heard the argument before that like winter is the best time.
Is the spawn the best time of year to catch your new PB?
Re: Is the spawn the best time of year to catch your new PB?
I'd look at it this way: the time to catch a PB is running out, why not try to get as much as time in as possible before the window closes until fall?
In my mind, the window itself is fall (first couple nights when the temperature drops) to late spring (last full moon after the spawn). Within that window, it's everybody's best guess; winter can be awesome if you're willing to do the swimbait thing. So can be early spring as the fish start feeding up: I caught my best bass of this year (7.74) in early spring on a jig. She was still deep near an area with shallow water access.
There's still a chance I could top that 2020 best on every trip I make right now, all the way until the spawn is over - either because I find a giant bedfish or because I get lucky casting out a bit from the shore (where the females are staging while the males prepare beds in shallow water).
Of course local climate and conditions need to be taken into account. If the pond you're fishing warmed up quickly, the spawn might be done there. Depends on whether the water already maintained a temperature around 67 degrees for a while or not. In that case, the last full moon right after the spawn can be great as it triggers a feeding frenzy before the fish go to their summer spots (which, in a pond, might not be very far).
In my mind, the window itself is fall (first couple nights when the temperature drops) to late spring (last full moon after the spawn). Within that window, it's everybody's best guess; winter can be awesome if you're willing to do the swimbait thing. So can be early spring as the fish start feeding up: I caught my best bass of this year (7.74) in early spring on a jig. She was still deep near an area with shallow water access.
There's still a chance I could top that 2020 best on every trip I make right now, all the way until the spawn is over - either because I find a giant bedfish or because I get lucky casting out a bit from the shore (where the females are staging while the males prepare beds in shallow water).
Of course local climate and conditions need to be taken into account. If the pond you're fishing warmed up quickly, the spawn might be done there. Depends on whether the water already maintained a temperature around 67 degrees for a while or not. In that case, the last full moon right after the spawn can be great as it triggers a feeding frenzy before the fish go to their summer spots (which, in a pond, might not be very far).
Last edited by Drakestar on Wed Apr 22, 2020 10:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Is the spawn the best time of year to catch your new PB?
I'm in the midwest and the spawn has definitely not started yet. What area of the country are you in?
Re: Is the spawn the best time of year to catch your new PB?
NorCal, so it's happening. If the spawn hasn't started yet in your area and they're feeding up: sounds like a great time to catch a big bass!
Re: Is the spawn the best time of year to catch your new PB?
Oh, on best TOD: If the water is still cold(ish), later in the day after the sun has warmed up the water might be the best time.
Re: Is the spawn the best time of year to catch your new PB?
I catch my biggest bass of the year in early spring before the spawn when the water is in the low 50's. My personal best is 7.25 and was caught in NJ the last week of March on a cold rainy day with water temps around 50 degrees.