Fishing the Spawn
With the spawn, about to hit full cycle I thought I would spend a little time talking about some key ways to catch fish during the spawn. Most people would tell you that the spawning time of the year is the easiest time to catch a bass, and they are probably correct. They obviously understand where the fish move during this time of year. However the novice fisherman may not understand it as well and I thought a few tips might simplify this time of year.
The spawning time of year can be as easy as understanding one statement; "find the hard bottom surface areas of your lake." Most lakes have a variety of bottom surface from soft and muddy or vegetation areas to rock, shell bottom, wood and clay. Guntersville is blessed with most of these different types of bottom structure and in the spring it's easy to find. I like a combination of the hard bottom and wood like stumps or bank lay down rip rap off a red clay bank. You see on Guntersville the hard bottom clay areas are very easy to see, if you look up and see a cut out bank that looks red it generally red clay. If you start fishing through an area where you see a red clay bank and realize there is an abundance of stumps then you have more than likely found the ideal spawning grounds. The only other thing to remember is to get shallow enough for the bass to be actively spawning; sometimes that might be as shallow as inches of water. I personally believe the bigger fish spawn in the least amount of water and generally next to the bank edge.
I also believe that if you find and overhanging tree in skinny shallow hard bottom area of the lake the bass will be spawning under it because of the shade the tree offers. Shade is kind of the X-Factor and trumps all other spawning bottoms. Spawning patterns are just part of finding fish, but certainly an important part!
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Captain Mike Gerry