Page 38 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine May 2023 Revised

Seasons of Bass Fishing

When you stop and think about bass fishing, it is broken down into a lot of seasonal patterns or windows.
During these various windows fish are doing different things and to a degree can be fairly predictable. Under-
standing all of this helps an angler select the right type of baits and presentations and the right locations on a
body of water. Putting all of these pieces together allow an angler to find success.

Whether you are heading out to a new body of water or one you are familiar with, it is important to break it
down into sections. The simplest way of doing that is to look at common components. Let’s start with the dam
where you will typically find deeper water, common to have rocky areas where fish can hold at various depths
throughout the year. Next consider the main 3-4 areas around the dam can be some deep creeks or marinas.
Generally speaking, there is a lot of water around the dam and the lower parts of the lake.

The next section can be the mid-lake area where you can find begin to find more flats and different amounts
of cover and maybe even some creeks that run up into areas where you can find a lot of great spawning areas.
You will start to find the funnel areas where the creeks, rivers and other drainage areas converge creating these
highways for bass to follow.

The next section is the upper part of the lake. This is where the rivers are a lot narrower and maybe the creeks
run bank to bank. You can find backwaters and silted in areas that are now flats. This also includes some areas
that can be quite challenging to maneuver around.

Now that you have broken the lake down, you can start to look at those seasonal patterns. You will find the fish
in different places. When an angler can figure out the pieces of the puzzle for the times you are fishing, you are
going to catch more fish. Regardless of all the tips you hear about, read about or see, it all still boils down to
you figuring it out each and every time you hit the water.

Wintertime- Patience is key and slowing down is very important. Not only do you have to consider what is
going on with the fish, you also must prepare yourself by wearing the right kind of clothing. The gear you are

38 Lady Bass Anglers Association Season’s of Bass Fishing