Bass seasonal migration on monomictic lakes

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Hookset5
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:09 pm

Bass seasonal migration on monomictic lakes

Post by Hookset5 »

Hey all,
This year I decided to take a more scientific approach to my bass fishing game here in Central Cali. Researching the trends with regards to bass migration and spawning habits I set my sites on the internet (ah ye' plethora of information). Starting from fall, I found lots of information on how bass relate to a lakes temperature as the season change. A cyclical rotation of movement based on water temperatures and the spawn. I've learned a great deal about fall "turnover" and how it affects bass. The cooling water pushes the bass into the shallows, until the water temperature reaches 39 degrees. It's at that point the lake "turns over" and forces the bass to recede into the depths for warmer water.
I believe this, it makes sense to me.. except if a warmer monotonic lake never reaches 39 degree, how does that affect the location of the bass now? The lake never really turns over and mixes with the bottom within a span of time thus positioning the fish accordingly. Do bass in these warmer lakes ever really get "pushed"? so therefore can be anywhere throughout the seasons?
crawdaddy
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Re: Bass seasonal migration on monomictic lakes

Post by crawdaddy »

This has been the case at all our NorCal lakes the past few years. I would say they simply follow the bait. Wherever the primary winter forage goes if there is not turnover is where I would start looking for the bass. I would rather know how a lack of turnover affects shad, hitch, and the panfish populations.
I would rather jog home from my own Vasectomy than spend Saturday at the mall.
MGJR
Posts: 152
Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 7:13 am

Re: Bass seasonal migration on monomictic lakes

Post by MGJR »

Its not a temperature threshold; it has to do with temperature differences. Also - the lake doesn't "physically" turn over. The temperature profile simple becomes consistent throughout the water column.
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ash
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Re: Bass seasonal migration on monomictic lakes

Post by ash »

Agreed with the above posters, I have haven't seen a true thermocline in a few years, I cant even remember the last time. When there is one the bait and bass dont go past it - it becomes essentially a hard deck for them until the lake "turns over" or essentially water temps become congruent and intermix.

Follow the bait depth, Winter time bass will stay in the deeper water typically near a food source, be it Shad, Dads, Trout etc... but IMHO they are not roaming around looking for food. They are zoning out until the hunger gets to them, chew and zone back out again. But to answer your question with our lakes that have man made current and dont get super cool, yes the bass can be from 1-90' ive fished a schoal on the bank in the am and out of 85' in the afternoon, same pod of fish. They will be close to the bait and structure in that deeper water, that is why ledges become key focus in the winter time. Keep working that Wadda Jig out on those ledges, those fish can be so tight to the ledge your graph may not pick them up.
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