Spawning questions

Question
Hello Mr. Howard,

I had 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 conditions.

Answer
Hi James, how are you today? Well, I hope this helps! You've heard right, it is a great time to catch bass during the spawning season! It sounds to me that most, if not all the bass right now ARE SPAWNING. If there on the nests circling one another, chances are there interest in any type of bait is going to be next to nil. When people say " it's a great time to catch bass during spawning time " , there probably referring to the pre-spawn, when the big females are feeding up to nourish their developing eggs. Now after spawning, the big females will leave the nesting sites, and head out to deep water where they will recuperate for a few weeks, so during this time the females will be very hard to catch. Now on the other hand the males will be guarding the nests, and they will be very aggressive! Anything that comes too close to the nest will get attacked 9 times out of 10! So if the fish are in actual spawning mode now, give it a week or two and they should be in post-spawn. But remember this doesn't mean you can't catch them. Some of the bass may not be that far into spawning season, and there could be some in pre-spawn mode. Not all the fish spawn at the same time. So be patient, and don't get frustrated!! In clear water situations, you want to use a smaller bait with natural colors, and a bigger bait with dark or bright colors in stained or muddy water. Let me explain; In clear water bass rely more on sight then there lateral line so a bait that looks more natural will work. For example, watermelon, green pumpkin, brown, dark orange, black/silver etc are all good colors for clear water. Remember that in clear water the bass's prey has the ability to blend in with it's surroundings, so match your bait color according to the surroundings in the water. In dark or muddy water the opposite is true, use like black/chartreuse, black/blue, junebug, etc. Always use a bigger bait, one that has alot of action, or disturbs alot of water. If possible use rattles, this will help the bass home in on your lure better in these types of water conditions. Also dark colors will silhouette better in muddy water, helping the bass see it. Muddy water, bass will rely more on there lateral line to help them track down there prey, so once again using a lure that has alot of action will help the bass "feel" the bait moving through the water. In overcast conditions, in clear water use a dark natural color like green pumpkin, watermelon black, dark pumpkin etc. In muddy water or dark water try to stick with black. Hey James I really hope this helps you land a big one!! If you need anymore help just drop me a line!! Until then GOOD FISHING!!