Pre-spawn bass fishing can be extremely frustrating, whether you fish the Florida large-mouths stocked in Southern California impoundments or the small-mouths of the Columbia River. But get on the fish just as they school up and are headed to spawning sites and you can enjoy some of the fastest fishing of the year. You might also boat your biggest bass ever.
In most lakes and rivers, bass spend the winter schooled up deep, just above the thermocline where the combination of temperature and available oxygen gives them some measure of comfort during the big chill. But as soon as the days start getting longer and the water temperature starts to ease above 45 degrees across much of the West, the fish instinctively start heading toward creeks, flats and shoreline cover to prepare for
