Keith Lusher 04.10.24
It’s no secret that the best time to catch a big bass is during the spawn. As the bass move into the shallows they become easier to spot making them an easier target than when they are deeper during the summer and winter.
Morgan Schutte of Pearl River, LA, has been concentrating on catching big bass this Spring and has compiled over 20 years of knowledge that has helped him fish the spawn better.
Schutte fishes the East Pearl River along the Mississippi and Louisiana border and said when concentrating on the spawn, it’s all about hard bottoms. “When you’re fishing spawing bass you have to remember that a good area will consist of a few different factores: no current, shallow water, and sandy or hard bottoms. Bass do not like to build nests in areas with a muddy or mushy bottom, so don’t waste your time in those areas. The same goes for moving water. The fish want to be in calm water where they can relax and lay their eggs. So basically any dead-end canal is going to be good for fishing for spawning bass.
As far as water clarity goes, Schuute said it’s just a matter of depth. “The dirtier the water is, the shallower the bass will be. In more clean water, the bass will still be pretty shallow but will bed down deeper due to nearby predators and their lack of camouflage,” he said.
When fishing the spawn, it’s often the case where you can spot the fish you want to catch in the shallows. Schutte said when this is the case he tries to aggravate the bass into striking. “Once you’ve located a spawning bass, you need to get the bait to the fish. I’ll usually start out with a Texas-rigged creature bait. I like to use a white bait so I can see it. I like to flip the bait to the bed letting it enter the water as soft and quietly as possible. A big splash is unnatural and can frighten a big fish away quickly. If the fish doesn’t hit right away keep at it. Over time you’ll aggravate that fish and hopefully get it to bite,” he said
Schutte said it’s just a matter of putting the lure into the strike zone. “You can cast all around the bed and have the bass completely ignore your bait. Keep casting. It’s just a matter of time until you put it right on the eggs,” Schutte said.
Schutte admits that the spawn is his favorite time to fish for bass because of the visablity of the fish. “Fishing for bass during the spawn is the most fun I have ever had. It’s not too often that I get to see the fish that I’m trying to catch. It pumps me up just talking about it,”Schutte said.
While the bass spawn is still going strong in Southeast Louisiana Schutte said it will soon be coming to end end. “While there may be some stragglers into late April, the majority of the big fish are being cuaght right now so get out there,” he said.
