spawning question

Question
Hello Mark,

My names is James and I have a couple of questions about largemouth bass spawning. I am fishing in this creek that has alot of bass swimming around. The water is very clear with a greenish hue. I have tried worms, jigs, minnows, and crankbaits, but they have not even taken a bite and routinely circle one area. I think they are spawning, but i thought that during the spawning season it is a great time to catch bass. If they are spawning how long do you think they will not bite till? Also my other question is about what color of lures should i use in clear visible water vs muddy water. Also what kind of color should i use in cloudy condition

Answer
Hello James!
  Please forgive me! I forgot to set my vacation up on allexperts and have been cruising the Eastern Caribbean for the last two weeks...I even got some fishing in!

Thank you for asking the questions about my first love: Bass fishing!

To answer the first part of your question, I would probably agree with you that the bass you are seeing are either late prespawn fish or actively spawning. When the fish are in the actual act of nesting and the males are rubbing against the females to induce the laying of her eggs, you will probably not get a fish to strike. It is very possible however, that the fish can see you just as you see them and in small creeks and ponds, this may alert the fish beyond taking your presented lures. Fortunately, with just the time that has passed since you sent me the question, the fish and their behavior have very likely changed. Once the female has laid her eggs, for a short time, both she and the male will guard the nest. This responsibility soon falls upon only the male and he runs the female out of the nesting area before the eggs hatch into fry. He then guards them with all the effort he can muster, aggressively running every intruding creature, even your lures, away from the nest, until the fry can fend for themselves and begin to seeking places that can keep them safe and provide a solid source of food so they have a chance to grow. For the next few weeks, neither the females that nor the males will actually feed, that is natures way of preserving the young.

I am sure you are wondering: "Is this guy nuts! I heard the spawn is a great time to catch bass." You would be right. Many a tournament is won during the spawn. This is the result of anglers fishing the "beds". I'll touch on how I feel about this type of fishing later. So remember what I had said about the males and the females initially guarding the nest? Well this is when they are VERY vulnerable meaning VERY catchable. you see, if you simply "sight" fish on the nests and place a lure like a jig and pig or plastic worm or lizard on the nest, the fish wont "eat" them, but you can nearly guarantee that they will pick up the intruder and move it off the nest. They may simply blow it out, pick it up and blow it out or pick it up and carry it out. I've had fish pick up the lure and move it six or eight feet from the nest and drop it. Then hurry back to protect it from the next carp, bluegill, catfish, sucker or any other threat. You see, while I can't blame a tournament fisherman from fishing the "easy" fish on the beds with tens of thousands of dollars at stake, I still find it somewhat unsportsmanlike and I personally will not fish the bedding bass. You see, on most bodies of water, there are pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn fish. The pre and post spawn fish are there too and while they may be tougher to find and entice to bite, they are still very catchable. (Remember the post spawn fish I am referring to now are those that have moved off the nests for a number days or weeks and are now actively feeding again...yes even on the fry that they spawned which have now moved off on their own and seek protection from structure, not their parents).

As for colors to use? A great rule of thumb that has lasted through the years: Dark water, dark lures. Light water, light lures. Clear water: light colored, typically smaller lures with lighter line. Dark waters, heavy cover: Dark colored, typically larger lures with as heavy a line as you need to pull them from any cover they may be in. When it comes to selecting the color of the lure you want to fish, one sure bet is that old adage: "Match the hatch". Simply put, if the fish are feeding on bluegill or shad or minnows. Use a lure that resembles them. Are they in a dark or light color phase? Fish lures that look like the food the bass are most likely to eat. Do you see crawdads on the bottom? Are they green or red or somewhere in between?(Dads don't change color like fish do...it is more seasonal and often related to growth stage and sex.) Lightly muddied water with decent light penetration will likely cause both the bass and their prey to be lighter in color while dark stained water or deeply shaded cover will likely cause the bass and their prey to be much darker in color. Sometimes, fluorescent colors like fire-tiger work well in muddy or stained water showing you and me that there are really no concrete rules when it comes to colors. Just when you think you have them figured out, they will suprise the heck out of you! Ever seen a bright blue or grape purple worm crawling on the bottom of a pond or lake or creek? I haven't but purple plastic worms take fish in clear water all the time! Go figure!

Fishing the creeks can be a ton of fun and I have done so many times. Learn the water as well as you are learning the behavior of the bass you are so interested in, master your rods, reels, lines and lures and you will catch more bass than you ever thought possible

So I hope this sheds some "light" on your challenge and helps you catch more bass. But if you must catch them while on the nest, release them right away and don't move them from where you caught them. This will ensure your creek will have lots of bass for many years to come!

Thanks again for the question!