Kevin Van Dam Forums

Curious to those in the Great Lakes region. When do the bass spawn in your state? Here in NE Ohio, I feel I have the best luck around mid-April. I usually wait until the weather has been at least constant 50’s to fish(for bass). I usually just fish for steelhead, walleye, pike, and crappie in the meantime. Should I be fishing for bass sooner? I figure the water temp is still too brutal for action even if the ice is thawed. I have pulled a couple nice smallies through the ice, but how early do you guys fish for largemouth up north after the thaw?

the bass in the northern states are more used to and more tolerant of colder water than say the florida strain bass in the southern states. so even though the water temp may be 40’s the bass are catchable. If you are happy with fishing for walleye, steelhead, pike, crappie, then by all means continue.

if you want to fish for bass in colder water, rule of thumb for clear water when the water temps are 40-50 degrees, use jerkbaits, lipless cranks, finesse cranks, blade baits, grubs, in murky or muddy water use shallow cranks, lipless, vibrating jigs like a chatterbait, spinnerbaits.

give it a shot, you never know when that lunker is going to be tugging on your line. have fun and enjoy!

In the Upper Lower Pennisula you expect to see spawning small mouth in May…So Iwould say 3-4 weeks behind but it really depends on the weather.  As warm as the winter has been I don’t know that it will be that late this year.  The thing is the big lakes wil be behind the small ones so you can find yourself in a long bedding season if you like or a short one depending on how you pick your lakes.

Typically we get spawners from mid may-june. Depends on the winter and spring weather.

Mid-May going into June.  I like to throw a 5” skirted twin-tail grub, texas-rigged in green pumpkin or black/blue.  Hopping it around submergent weeds and drop offs works great.  Threw a Strike King Red-Eye Shad in craw orange last may in upper wisconsin and just crushed ‘em.  They beat that crank senseless.  It worked great across flats where the bass were coming up to eat and getting ready to spawn and was killer off the points.

In northern Illinois I found any lipless cranks work great and so do 6-7 inch plastic worms.

Good luck and if you are like me, Spring just can’t come quick enough.