When Is the Best Time to Fish for Bass: Successful Bass Fishing

Fishing is the trickiest thing in the world, and to make the most out of your fishing trips, you have to find the best equipment to catch a fish.

Not only equipment, but you also need to learn the necessary skills to catch fish.

Besides those, the timing to catch a specific type of fish is crucial.

This guide will help you figure out when is the best time to fish for bass according to the seasons.

Also, since you have to learn the bass' spawning behavior, we will talk about its life cycle.

When Is the Best Time to Fish for Bass?

Whether you are an inexperienced or experienced angler, every season has its challenges.

Here are the different seasons of the year together with what you should expect when fishing for bass.

1. Spring

Spring is the most loved season, and surprisingly, the early spring is a great time to fish bass since this is the time when fish comes out of their winter hibernation.

During this period, the bass leaves their winter homes and move to shallow areas.

If you will go fishing in spring, the first thing you should notice is the water temperature.

It's universal that during this season, the water temperature is usually between 48 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

The bass starts to get active since it's the pre-spawn season for them.

If you go fishing at this time, you are most likely to catch giant bass.

One more thing you should keep in mind while fishing in spring is the bass behavior.

If you are on a boat, always take some decent electronics with you. If you fail to see bait and fish, it's better to move on.

We recommend buying polarized sunglasses for better vision.

It would also help if you spent some time looking for bass in the shallows.

2. Winter

Many people find fishing in winters tough because not only is the weather cold, but the bass bites well during cold weather.

The bass is relentless in the winter since their metabolism is slow, and they become lethargic.

Also, since the temperature is low on the top of the river, the bass often hovers in the deeper water, for instance, in river bends and steep crack channels.

Don’t worry! They will still come out to feed.

A common saying is to toss smaller baits, look for fish at a slow pace, and dress warmly.

So it would help if you act upon the saying and fish in a place where the bass is catchable.

3. Summer

Summer is the time when the temperature is at its peak.

Just like humans, the bass also looks for quiet and calm places to save themselves from heat.

Summer is not an excellent time for fishing, but it isn’t bad either; you just need to fish at the right time.

At midday, the temperature is at the highest, which is not an excellent time for fishing.

Also, the bass is not on top of the river. Most of the time, it hides under a deep bush until the sun goes down.

Make sure to keep your target near deep bushes in the midday.

4. Fall

Fall is the time when summer comes to an end and winter approaches.

The temperature in the water drops down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and beyond.

Thus, the bass tends to stay in shallow places for a more extended period.

If you want to catch a larger fish, you should target adjacent creek channels.

In the autumn, the best time when the bass comes out of the deep water and look for food is the dusk.

If you wish to catch hundreds of bass at one time, go to the lake when the sun sets.

Bass Life Cycle

In the spawning period, most parts of the world prohibit fishing for bass, so always make sure it is not the spawning season when you decide to go bass fishing.

That said, the best time is the post-spawning period when female bass recovers their appetite for the next few weeks.

As such, it's essential to know the spawning life cycle of bass.

The bass spawns in the spring season since it becomes quite difficult for anglers to fish bass because the fish stays deep down in the water until it lays the eggs.

The spawning cycle has three stages, which are pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn.

1. Pre-Spawn

During the pre-spawn time, the bass doesn’t feed at all, which lasts from 10 to 15 days.

Hence, the bass feeds heavily before the pre-spawn starts.

Their forage shifts to a high-protein diet as it helps in developing eggs in females.

The crawfish is the most favorite food for bass because of its high protein.

In order to fish the bass during the pre-spawn phase, make sure to make a lure that has a crawfish shape.

2. Spawn

When the water becomes warmer and reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the male bass will move to the shallow water where spawning grounds are present.

The ideal temperature for spawning is warmer water, since it is the preferred spawning area.

When the female bass lay eggs, it's the responsibility of a male bass to protect them.

As such, you will find male bass in shallow water during the spawning season.

During the spawning phase, the attitude of the bass becomes defensive.

Every fish attacking the nest gets assaulted by the bass. 

If the fish returns, the bass kills them, so the angler should find a bait that will intimidate the bass.

3. Post Spawning

In the post-spawning phase, the females leave the fry to guard by the males.

The female bass rests, which is called the spawning ritual.

During that time, the females become very hungry and eat whatever they can easily find.

The female bass remains on slightly deeper water, and any bait is an excellent option to catch a female bass.

If you're fishing on a male bass, then you will find them deep down protecting the fry.

The fry stays very shallow, and you should use a top-water bait to catch a male bass.

In short, it is easy to catch female bass in the post-spawn period then a male bass.