# Prespawn



## hunter moss (Jan 18, 2017)

what would you guys say would be the official start to the lmb prespawn?


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

soft plastics, Rattle traps, Jerk baits


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## Kennyjames (May 13, 2012)

I like rattle traps and crankbaits


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

well... I guess it depends on what your definition of " prespawn" is... you can go out right now and fish jerk baits and slow moving plastics on the bottom and catch them..regardless that the water temperature has not really started to change yet. Lots of guys will tell you that length of day is the key . personally I think, in Ohio, bass will slowly start transitioning from deep to shallow at certain times of the day to feed starting in February and March...then the water temperature finally starts changing into the mid 50s and lower 60s around April and May... I have already had more than one trip in February that resulted in 30+ fish days on the river . Granted, myself and a couple buddies found those fish in what you would typically call a " wintering hole"... but we caught those fish at certain times of the day when the water warmed just enough and the fish were moving and feeding ... they were, essentially, preparing for the Spawn... feeding on baitfish and everything else they can find rich in protein to to give them the energy required to spawn.some guys will define "prespawn" as site fishing bass that are staging in shallow water too..I think what I'm trying to say is, get out there with a bait you can get on the bottom and move somewhat slowly that will imitate a baitfish or some other kind of Minno . you can do this all winter long, the colder the weather ,the slower the presentation . I will add that I think this is easier to do on a river… Because as we all know ..all rivers repeat the same pattern all the way down ..." riffle, hole,run...riffle,hole, run"... visually determining the holes on the river is much easier than it is on a lake . and to be more specific, I think this is even easier on a small river or a small stream . Deep holes on the Ohio River for example,might be up to a mile or more apart from each other, but scouting out these holes on a small flow is much easier .


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## fishin.accomplished (Apr 4, 2011)

hunter moss said:


> what would you guys say would be the official start to the lmb prespawn?



1st full moon in march is the old standard I have been raised on.
But this year has been a weird one and I wouldn't be surprised to see an early, weird, or even "non-existent" spawn.
My advice. Start fishing every single chance u get. It's been paying off big time for me.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

9Left said:


> well... I guess it depends on what your definition of " prespawn" is... you can go out right now and fish jerk baits and slow moving plastics on the bottom and catch them..regardless that the water temperature has not really started to change yet. Lots of guys will tell you that length of day is the key . personally I think, in Ohio, bass will slowly start transitioning from deep to shallow at certain times of the day to feed starting in February and March...then the water temperature finally starts changing into the mid 50s and lower 60s around April and May... I have already had more than one trip in February that resulted in 30+ fish days on the river . Granted, myself and a couple buddies found those fish in what you would typically call a " wintering hole"... but we caught those fish at certain times of the day when the water warmed just enough and the fish were moving and feeding ... they were, essentially, preparing for the Spawn... feeding on baitfish and everything else they can find rich in protein to to give them the energy required to spawn.some guys will define "prespawn" as site fishing bass that are staging in shallow water too..I think what I'm trying to say is, get out there with a bait you can get on the bottom and move somewhat slowly that will imitate a baitfish or some other kind of Minno . you can do this all winter long, the colder the weather ,the slower the presentation . I will add that I think this is easier to do on a river… Because as we all know ..all rivers repeat the same pattern all the way down ..." riffle, hole,run...riffle,hole, run"... visually determining the holes on the river is much easier than it is on a lake . and to be more specific, I think this is even easier on a small river or a small stream . Deep holes on the Ohio River for example,might be up to a mile or more apart from each other, but scouting out these holes on a small flow is much easier .


Doug Stange, Otis "Toad" Smith, and Jim/Al Linder of the original Infisherman crew were always big on the importance of understanding riffles, holes, and runs... You can apply this concept to all River/Stream species.


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## WestCentralOhio (Mar 18, 2012)

Soft plastic dark worms caught some lmb today but overall it seemed like today was a bad day. But I think it's usually length of day and 55 degree water that really turns them on. 2nd 3rd and 4th weeks of April are some of my best river bass weeks for me.


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## hunter moss (Jan 18, 2017)

9Left said:


> well... I guess it depends on what your definition of " prespawn" is... you can go out right now and fish jerk baits and slow moving plastics on the bottom and catch them..regardless that the water temperature has not really started to change yet. Lots of guys will tell you that length of day is the key . personally I think, in Ohio, bass will slowly start transitioning from deep to shallow at certain times of the day to feed starting in February and March...then the water temperature finally starts changing into the mid 50s and lower 60s around April and May... I have already had more than one trip in February that resulted in 30+ fish days on the river . Granted, myself and a couple buddies found those fish in what you would typically call a " wintering hole"... but we caught those fish at certain times of the day when the water warmed just enough and the fish were moving and feeding ... they were, essentially, preparing for the Spawn... feeding on baitfish and everything else they can find rich in protein to to give them the energy required to spawn.some guys will define "prespawn" as site fishing bass that are staging in shallow water too..I think what I'm trying to say is, get out there with a bait you can get on the bottom and move somewhat slowly that will imitate a baitfish or some other kind of Minno . you can do this all winter long, the colder the weather ,the slower the presentation . I will add that I think this is easier to do on a river… Because as we all know ..all rivers repeat the same pattern all the way down ..." riffle, hole,run...riffle,hole, run"... visually determining the holes on the river is much easier than it is on a lake . and to be more specific, I think this is even easier on a small river or a small stream . Deep holes on the Ohio River for example,might be up to a mile or more apart from each other, but scouting out these holes on a small flow is much easier .


thank you this helps


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## WestCentralOhio (Mar 18, 2012)

Notice guys are starting to catch more fish even though the water temp is still cold? Supports the theory that length of day impacts fish behavior. 

A lot of guys including myself believe the whitetail rut is also triggered by the length of day.


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

WestCentralOhio said:


> Notice guys are starting to catch more fish even though the water temp is still cold? Supports the theory that length of day impacts fish behavior.
> 
> A lot of guys including myself believe the whitetail rut is also triggered by the length of day.


All my fish have still been in winter patterns, but it is picking up. Won't be long before the feast begins!


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