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What are the bass doing in Texas?
Guest Blog by: Dave Mauldin aka "Dave Mauldin" - Guest Blogger
3/5/2017 (Return to blogs)
3/5/2017 (Return to blogs)
Tommy Martin once told me "You need to be fishing where the majority of the fish are"
....
Right now, in North, Central, and E. Texas we are at the peak of the first major surge of spawning fish...Sure there have been a few earlier, but it was a minority.
If you are not fishing for spawning fish somewhere in the creeks, you are fishing for a minority of the fish. There is a large population of bass that have moved shallow and are very vulnerable.
...
I like to be especially careful this time of year with the fish...gentle with a large fat female and release her. In a tournament, I would definitely want to be catching five of them, with careful fish care, and releasing them after weigh-in, which is tournament rules. This sounds like a contradiction. To win a tournament this time of year, you probably need to be fishing shallow.
...
A month later we will see deep reservoir main lake fish move shallower.
...A lot of people tried to rush the spawn this year due to mild weather, but once again Mother Nature tells the bass when to spawn, due to the length of daylight, with is required to hatch the fry.
...
let's hear from others in Texas as to what they are seeing on their area lakes re the spawn.
Dave is a professional angler, serious conservationist, and dedicated to the sport of bass fishing. Dave has been competing and representing his sponsors professionally for the past 20+ years. Both Dave and his associate companies are very proud to be working together. He was the first FLW pro to break the 100# mark, and held the FLW record during 2006/2007: 105 lbs 8oz at Amistad during his first visit there.
Associates: Bass Cat Boats, Royal Purple Lubricants, American Rodsmiths, House Medic, Stanley Jigs, SolarBat Sunglasses, Seaguar, TTI Blakemore, Cool Foot, Mend-It
Blog content © Dave Mauldin
Comments
Lloyd Tackitt
03.06.17 6:48 AM
Great Info Dave! Thanks! So far I've been mostly blocked from fishing due to the COE releasing water. I have heard from some kayakers that the bass fishing is picking up in the Brazos though.
Dave Mauldin (author, aka Dave Mauldin)
03.06.17 10:24 AM
Thanks Lloyd, my comments refer to reservoirs. Your area, and other rivers and streams change on a moments' notice with the release of water from Lake Whitney. I mean to say the fish there don't get any notice
Dave Mauldin (author, aka Dave Mauldin)
03.06.17 3:10 PM
Hey Lloyd,
If the water is too high, and you wanna get away, you can get in the boat with me and do some bass fishing. It is good on a good day. 2 hours away!
Lloyd Tackitt
03.13.17 11:55 AM
I'm gonna do that one of these days Dave!
Has this rain pushed the bass back down?
Dave Mauldin (author, aka Dave Mauldin)
03.13.17 8:53 PM
The rain has not pushed the bass back out. If anything slightly rising water is always better for spawning bass. They don't like falling water because it can leave their shallow beds dry (Mother Nature). Once the bass commit to the beds, they are gonna do their thing, withstanding drastic conditions. A slight cool front only slows them down for a day, and maybe not even that much....
It's kinda like our wives, when they are ready to go have that baby, they are ready.
Bass do three things: Eat infrequently, Rest a lot, and spawn once a year.
Lloyd Tackitt
03.14.17 6:22 AM
I always think of bass spawning in the flat area just outside a creek mouth, but basically in the lake, if on the edge. Probably because those beds, the one's I've seen, were easily visible. How far up the creeks will bass go to spawn?
Dave Mauldin (author, aka Dave Mauldin)
03.18.17 8:45 PM
..bass usually stage on a deeper creek channel bend or point, then move maybe 100-200 yards to the nearest protected cove or protected area to spawn. They usually will not go to the very very back of the creek...they want to be able to drop off into at least 4-6 feet near by. There are exceptions to all.
Dave Mauldin (author, aka Dave Mauldin)
03.18.17 8:49 PM
FYI, I checked my spawning fish out the last few days. They are gone!
Two to three weeks ago they moved into a series of coves about 2 miles up a major creek....The beds are empty today!
Oh well, it was fun....now got to find some different ones, probably nearer the main lake where the deep water fish live
About the Author
Dave Mauldin"Dave Mauldin" - Guest Blogger
Dave is a professional angler, serious conservationist, and dedicated to the sport of bass fishing. Dave has been competing and representing his sponsors professionally for the past 20+ years. Both Dave and his associate companies are very proud to be working together. He was the first FLW pro to break the 100# mark, and held the FLW record during 2006/2007: 105 lbs 8oz at Amistad during his first visit there. Associates: Bass Cat Boats, Royal Purple Lubricants, American Rodsmiths, House Medic, Stanley Jigs, SolarBat Sunglasses, Seaguar, TTI Blakemore, Cool Foot, Mend-It