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When do Large Mouth Bass Spawn? I am in Massachusetts.


sos_bigtopper

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There isnt really a set date when they spawn. Its different in all areas of the United States. Like down South Im pretty sure the fish already spawned. Once the water hits around 50-55 degrees i believe they start spawning. And personally, yes i think its right to let em spawn and then fish for them. There really isnt any sport in fishing for spawning fish. All it is is sight fishing. Find a bed, cast out almost anything and youll get a bite because theyre protecting their bed. Also for the minute or so that fish is off its bed all the panfish and scavengers come in and eat the eggs. Not saying there is anything wrong with fishing for spawning bass because its not a law, but personally i dont do it for those reason

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Largemouth typically start to spawn when the water warms to around 62 degrees or so. This usually happens in Mass mid May through early June, all depending on how warm or cold the spring is. They do not all spawn at the same time though so it lasts a good month +, some spawn earlier some spawn a bit later. So in that time frame you can find some pre-spawn as well as post spawn fish. From personal experience I find largemouths to be much more difficult to catch during the spawn than smallmouths. Smallies get extremely agressive and will hit anything remotely close to their bed while Largies are more spooky and have to be enticed to pick up a lure even when its IN their bed. They usually just pick it up, move it a few feet off the nest and spit it out. Even if you don't wish to fish for them when they are spawning you will still be able to target bass that have yet to spawn or ones that are post spawn, just dont throw to beds. I personally think its a blast to sight fish for them in the spring.

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View PostLargemouth typically start to spawn when the water warms to around 62 degrees or so. This usually happens in Mass mid May through early June, all depending on how warm or cold the spring is. They do not all spawn at the same time though so it lasts a good month +, some spawn earlier some spawn a bit later. So in that time frame you can find some pre-spawn as well as post spawn fish. From personal experience I find largemouths to be much more difficult to catch during the spawn than smallmouths. Smallies get extremely agressive and will hit anything remotely close to their bed while Largies are more spooky and have to be enticed to pick up a lure even when its IN their bed. They usually just pick it up, move it a few feet off the nest and spit it out. Even if you don't wish to fish for them when they are spawning you will still be able to target bass that have yet to spawn or ones that are post spawn, just dont throw to beds. I personally think its a blast to sight fish for them in the spring.

 

 

This is a great post. Many times I hear people saying "the bass are spawning" or "they are on the beds" just because they saw a few fish cruising the shallows. The males will be around the beds longer than the big females.They build the beds and try to entice the females to spawn there. The actual amount of time that the female is "on the bed" is actually very short. Sometimes as short as a few hours. So targeting "Spawning" bass is not as easy as people think. My point is seeing fish cruising the shallows in the spring does not mean they are spawning. As Basslinger said different fish spawn at different times and the timetable can be very different for lakes in the same area. Sometimes as much as weeks. In my experience the spawn is different almost every year.

"We aren't At Large, we're just avoiding the police.."
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View PostThis is a great post. Many times I hear people saying "the bass are spawning" or "they are on the beds" just because they saw a few fish cruising the shallows. The males will be around the beds longer than the big females.They build the beds and try to entice the females to spawn there. The actual amount of time that the female is "on the bed" is actually very short. Sometimes as short as a few hours. So targeting "Spawning" bass is not as easy as people think. My point is seeing fish cruising the shallows in the spring does not mean they are spawning. As Basslinger said different fish spawn at different times and the timetable can be very different for lakes in the same area. Sometimes as much as weeks. In my experience the spawn is different almost every year.

 

 

I couldn't agree more. Bass will spawn at different times in the same body of water. Just like us, they all don't eat at the same time or make little babies all at the same time. They can be weeks apart in the same lake. If they want to eat, I'll be more than happy to catch them, then put them back. I really don't think that stops the spawning process. I can't tell you how many times the phone rang while me and the wife were spawningtongue.gif We got right back to it after the callwink.gif

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My best so far is an 8# 10 oz female full of eggs april 5th in a cold pond in western ma. hills years ago and I don`t even target the species much at all.

 

In ma. they will drop there eggs late april into early may.

 

from Ma. wildlife site:

 

Largemouth bass spawn in late spring when water temperatures are between 62 and 68 degrees F. The males build nests in calm sandy or fine gravel areas in less than six feet of water. Females lay between 2,000 and 7,000 eggs per lb. of body weight, however, not necessarily all in the same nest. The males actively guard the eggs, and later the newly hatched fry. Hatching occurs within 7 to 10 days. Young fish or fry remain on the nest until their yolk sac has been consumed, after which the survivors will then school until reaching about one inch in length.

(*member formerly known as 'Skitterpop')

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View PostMy best so far is an 8# 10 oz female full of eggs april 5th in a cold pond in western ma. hills years ago and I don`t even target the species much at all.

 

In ma. they will drop there eggs late april into early may.

 

from Ma. wildlife site:

 

Largemouth bass spawn in late spring when water temperatures are between 62 and 68 degrees F. The males build nests in calm sandy or fine gravel areas in less than six feet of water. Females lay between 2,000 and 7,000 eggs per lb. of body weight, however, not necessarily all in the same nest. The males actively guard the eggs, and later the newly hatched fry. Hatching occurs within 7 to 10 days. Young fish or fry remain on the nest until their yolk sac has been consumed, after which the survivors will then school until reaching about one inch in length.

 

 

Full of eggs doesn't mean they are spawning. Females spend all winter building up their eggs.It is still possible they were spawning that early in Mass. I have fished areas of the Lower Susquehanna and the Flats where the bass spawn in late April-early May and that is several hundred miles South of Mass

"We aren't At Large, we're just avoiding the police.."
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Interesting. In my experience in Mass it is the last week of May the first week of June. These are in my opinion the best fishing weeks of the year rivals the last week of September and first week of October...Stripers, Largemouths, Landlocked Salmon up north...that is go time.

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