Largemouth Bass: Where and How to Catch Them by Season

As water climbs from the high 40s into the 50s, bass slide out of deep winter spots and stage on points and channel edges in 5-15 ft near shallow coves. Warm afternoons push them into the shallows to feed. Slow-rolled spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and lipless cranks find them well.

Once water tops 80F, fish feed best at dawn, dusk and after dark in 4-8 ft, then hold on shade, docks, weed edges and ledges around 10-25 ft by day. Fish slow, heavy cover with plastics, frogs over matted weeds, and deep crankbaits on points.

Cooling water to the 60s sends bass chasing shad up creek arms, often in 3-15 ft. Fast baits like spinnerbaits, squarebills and topwaters let you cover water until you find the schools. As water nears 50F they drift to deeper points and bluffs.

Under 50F, bass sit in the deepest nearby water, often 15-30 ft, and barely move. Small jigs, blade baits, drop-shot plastics and suspending jerkbaits worked painfully slowly are your best bets. Midday on a warm, stable day is the window.

Males fan out beds in 1-6 ft (deeper in clear lakes) once water holds 60-70F, usually in protected coves with hard bottom. Bed fish respond to creature baits, tubes and wacky-rigged worms placed right in the nest.