Spring a bed fishing Migration alternative: routeS
Story & Photos
By ken saureT
m
30
ost fishermen look to the shallow, clear water for springtime bass. i will admit that to catch fish that you are looking at is a blast and can be addic- tive. But, being a tournament fisherman, i approach spring bass fishing a little different and i think some of the things i look for will help you when the spawning beds are bumper-to-bumper bass boats and those bed fish just frustrate you when you have limited time in a tournament situation. Bed fishing does win tournaments; but the competition for those visible fish can and does lead normally sane fishermen to get into arguments and disagreements as to the ethics of who’s fish is who’s to try to catch. These disagreements can escalate to physical confrontations that can change
a person’s image and effect their reputation long term. i try to avoid these situations by using a different approach to spring fishing. I look for these same fish that will be on the beds as they work their way to and back from the spawning beds. look for the migration routes that bass use to get to the spawning flats and shorelines. First, think about where the bass spend the winter. Now, look over your shoulder and see where they spawn. Somewhere in between is where the bass move from the depths to the shallows. Locate these migration routes and you are in for some of the best fishing to be had any time of the year and you might just have them all to yourself.