Brian Barde

Pittsfield, MA, United States

USCG Licensed Captain | Northeast Bass Fishing | Enjoying the outdoors | Passionate | #KindlewoodOutdoors #BardeRodz #KindlewoodCares

(Part 5) - Pay attention to what is going on around you! Try locations where birds hunt baitfish, or if you find baitfish on your sonar, try there. Listen and look for fish breaking the surface. Except for those dam carp, they always make me look.

(Part 4) - In summer, below 30 feet or so, depending on light penetration, the lower portion of the thermocline has less oxygen, and fish will stay toward the top. Cold water holds more oxygen, and warm water contains less oxygen. In winter, the thermocline flips, known as turnover. The thermocline will likely dictate where in the water column they will be.

(Part 3) - Understanding the timing of their spawning, pre-spawn, and post-spawn stages is vital to locate the Bass and predict their behavior. They should move from their deeper winter homes to investigate spawning locations during pre-spawn. Pre-spawn is triggered by water temperatures just below the spawning temperature and photoperiod. They will be shallow during spawn in areas where the fry can survive. Post spawn, they move to their summer homes throughout the body of water.

(Part 2) - Bass are cold-blooded; therefore, water temperature is a trigger. They will likely be more lethargic in cold water and search for cover, shade, and cooler water in the summer. Cooler water means slowing down and finesse fishing. Warm water generally means speeding up. Stratification and thermocline play a part, as well as lake turnover in Spring and Fall. Water temperature is critical in the Spring and Fall. The fish will get more active when things warm up in early Spring. Largemouth Bass will move to shallow waters to spawn when the water temperature generally reaches roughly ~55 and ~70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the time the water is at these optimal temperatures also plays a role, as can the moon phase. The spawning season is crucial for Bass because it significantly motivates their behavior and movements.

Thank you for the questions. Sitting back and listening to videos is easy, but I still need to absorb all the information, especially when there are so many videos and information on the internet. Investigating and answering your questions will help me learn by re-watching, researching, and writing an answer, along with lots of practice time. I think I just asked for homework? ;-)

(Part1)- Environmental factors like photoperiod, i.e., length of day and night, are transition triggers. In the fall, the fish will school up and chase fish with less visible cues. In other seasons, the fish will generally dissipate in the lake except during spawn.

Here is my essay, Professor Ha Ha: I try to consider the life cycle of the Bass, which includes Pre-Spawn, Spawn, Summer, Fall, etc., as well as the current and predicted weather conditions to determine the ideal location and fishing style. Countless lures are available, and I group them into two broad categories: Power and Finesse, and sub-categories such as water column, speed, etc. The color of the lure seems important. I group colors into either dark or light, with thousands of variations. I want to improve my skills in choosing a set of lures; this can be pretty challenging. I tend to have too many rods on deck to figure out what works. So, could you recommend any videos that could help me understand the Bass life cycle, and the lake/river/weather conditions that affect it? This is a big ask, and may even be the main purpose of this school. I am not asking for too much, am I? LOL.

Can you list some videos we can view about ecosystem and fish behavior? You mention that a lot. 

I love the don’t complicate it. KISS principle Keep It Simple Silly(Stupid)

It sounds like it is good when you NEED that first one in the live welll or the last one. 

What structure should we look for on sonar with the Ned Rig? Isolated cover, grass lines, other?