Weather has a very profound effect upon bass fishing. This can be the seasonal changes from spring through fall then through winter to spring again or in the day to day variations in temperature, cloud cover and barometric pressure as well as the temperature changes between periods of daylight and darkness. This article will look at the role temperature changes will play in your success as a bass fisherman.
As winter turns to spring and the water temperature begins to go up, the activity of bass will begin to increase also. As the water reaches the 50 degree range bass will begin to be found along the edges of channels in the 10 to 15 foot range. As the water temperature approaches 60 degrees Bass will move from the deeper regions of the lake where wintering occurs and begin to gather along the drop offs near the more shallow 3 to 5 foot depths where spawning will occur. As the temperature reaches the low 60's the males will prepare the nesting areas. The majority of the spawning season will occur when the weather has warmed the water temperatures to 65 degrees. Spawning will continue for several weeks until the water temperature begins to reach the low 70's.As the water temperature begins to move into the 70's the bass begin to move back along the deeper channel ledges.
As spring moves into summer you should keep in mind that the ideal comfort zone for bass is a water temperature of 65 degrees to 75 degrees. When fishing, look for structure and cover areas which lie in this temperature range to find the greatest concentration of bass. During the summer water temperatures will also determine at what time during the day or night bass will be most active. When water temperature is in the low 70's 60% of the bass activity will occur during the day. However, as the water temperature enters the low 80's the daytime activity will drop to near 30% with 70% of activity taking place at night. As summer heats up you will have more reason to fish in the cool of the evening!
When thinking of water temperature you should avoid the common mistake of many fishermen when they consider only the surface temperature. Bottom and mid depth temperatures are more important in determining where bass might be found than is the temperature on the surface. As stated before, the ideal comfort level for bass is water between the temperatures of 65 degrees to 75 degrees. A hand held unit that permits you to lower a temperature probe can be very helpful when trying to determine the depth were bass might be found. As the seasonal temperatures change the surface temperature the depth of the ideal comfort level will change.
When fall and winter temperatures lower the water temperature an interesting phenomena occurs as the water temperature approaches 40 degrees. Water has its maximum density at a temperature of 39.6 degrees. When it reaches this temperature it begins to sink. This sinking of the denser water will displace the water below. This "turning" of the water will cause the depths at which bass will be located to change. Once again a drop probe will be the best way to locate the depth where you should expect to find bass. When Bass are unable to locate water in their favorite temperature range (65 to 75 degrees) they will move to the layer of water closest to that temperature. As the air temperature drops from fall through winter the depth of this preferred layer will change.
You should also keep in mind that as the temperature drops the level of activity for the bass will be reduced due to his slowed metabolism. This means that you should allow a bit more time for a response to the bait you present.
Ken Garrett
The author maintains a houseboat and fishes year round on Dale Hollow Lake in southern Kentucky. For more Bass fishing information and additional tips to help you catch more and bigger bass go to http://gonebassfishing.com.
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