Outside Iowa: Catching some Beddard Bass
There is a time of year as a bass angler that I just love. It only comes for about two to three weeks during the late spring, and depending on which lake you consider your home waters; the time to live in the moment of bass fishing is at hand. The bass spawn typically corresponds with moon phase or the photoperiod in May and June, which in turn makes them very catchable, before, during and after.
While some lakes in Southern Iowa experienced spawning activity, lakes in northern Iowa were still catching fish in a pre-spawn phase, there can be a big difference from fishery to fishery. Typically, a pre-spawn fish is very eager to eat and positioned along or near the first drop off adjacent to perennial spawning habitat.
As the spawn progresses, the males move up, build the beds and aggressively defend their territory. Once the time is right, the big females move in and lay their eggs in these beds and will sit there for a short period as the males fertilize the eggs. The females will typically sit on the beds for five to ten days, with this time fluctuating due to many factors such as weather and fishing pressure.
What makes the fishing so good at this time is you can often sight fish for these big mamas. The presentation needs to be subtle, but easily dropped into the water very near to a bedded bass, and they will again aggressively defend their territory. Many anglers find it difficult as a bait plopping into the water close to bedded fish will often spook the fish. The goal is to drop the bait on the shore and crawl it into the water. Blow-down timber and other structure can be used to soften the impact of your bait.
As of today, in many of Iowa’s lakes we are seeing mostly post spawn fish. These fish are very willing to eat to replenish their strength after a rigorous spawn and the fishing can be as good as it will be all season long. They will generally be found in their summer patterns and are much more predictable.
The presentation is simple. I’ll use plastics almost exclusively as early post spawn fish are not as likely to chase a horizontal presentation. This changes with each passing day and I’ll always have a KVD 1.5 or 2.5 Squarebill or Rapala DT-10 tied on. For shallow fish, I like unweighted creature baits like beavers, lizards, 10-inch Power worms, or a floating worm with a 1/16th to 1/4 oz nose weight (depending on the wind, more wind means more weight).
As they move deeper and closer to their summer range, I really focus on cranks and Texas-Rigged plastics. You really can’t beat a subtle floating worm with a 1/8 oz. nose weight, but again wind will play a vital role in how much weight you choose to use. I also like beavers on a shaky-head as that gives a different look and mimics the crawfish pattern, which is key this time of year.
Colors are important, but let the water you are fishing dictate what colors to use. If it’s dark water, go bright or black on your presentation. Black casts a more distinct shadow in dark water, but bright extreme colors also attract lots of attention. In clear water, I really prefer natural patterns like a shad color, pumpkin seed and purple (June bug). But, experiment, that’s half the fun!
We are in the midst of some of the finest fishing of the season, get out and take advantage of it! Like I always say, this is a great time to get the kids out and let them enjoy Iowa’s outdoors.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll help in any way I can! tha481@gmail.com
Live It Up!
Thomas resides with his wife and two children in Guthrie Center, Iowa. He is a professional outdoor writer, photographer, videographer, and outdoor talk radio show host; for more information visit www.outsideiowa.com