Finally FISHmas

Spring can be a crucial time for fishing and the days just fly by. Most years I am lucky to get one day where I nail the timing just right. These are the days where the fish are fat, happy and ready to play. After battling bad weather, tough projects and a lot of dismal outings I hit it just right.

 

 

This time of year I like to rove the deep water for gestating females. They are larger, fatter and GORGEOUS with not so much as a scratch on them. If I can get just a few of these fish it might actually lift my fishing blog out of the crapper.

A lot of Colorado bassers go after the nesting males. A lot of people are unaware of the whole process and don’t realize the male bass is a bit of a homebody. The female is much larger and more difficult to catch. As the male makes and guards the nest from wandering threats the female is cruising nearby. The male becomes very aggressive as where the female feeds in varying intervals which is often debated on the water. Sometimes she hits a lure and sometimes she doesn’t. The male pretty much hits anything that comes by.

At some point the female comes in and lays her eggs with the male fertilizing the eggs in what looks like a slow dance as good as fish can dance I guess. After that the female moves off and the male bass remains to guard the nest.  In some cases the female is observed hanging around the nest and both fish will guard their brood.

If an angler times things perfectly there will be male bass beginning their nest mode with the females lurking nearby. I might lose my self-control and pick one or two males to educate them a little at the start of the season but it may cost me a larger fish down the road.

For me the real trick for me at this time of year is being able to sight-fish. Being able to see your lure in the vicinity of the fish allows me to really get inside of the fish’s head. Maybe she wants a flirty shake on the crankbait to send out a subtle rattle out instead of a constant retrieve saying “Hey baby, can I get your number?” Subtle rattle isn’t her thing? Maybe go into suspend mode with a quick twitch. Oh…there she goes falling for it.

 

 

This lake has a population of fish that can reach +18-inches and managed as catch and release. This is the primary reason that these fish are still here. If we don’t throw fish back there will only be fish stories left. The responsible angler follows the rules and only takes fish out in the common slot with healthy fish populations where taking fish is allowed. The result is better fishing for all today and tomorrow.

Spawning points are not always in shallow water. The largest fish tend to spawn early and will be set up in deeper water points. I tend to fish early in hopes that I get into these “mega-buckets”. Weather always throws me a curve ball. At the end of my FISHmas vacation I might have actually nailed it.

This fishing blog often sounds like an afterschool special and I hope people can stomach a little more of my bassin’ biology seminars , sermon and

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.