Northwest Fishing Reports

So I have been spending some of my fishing time doing reconnesance (sp?) for bass beds.
I realize what they look like, and I realize that they are usually in areas with gravel, or at least the mud is fanned away until gravel shows itself.
I was wondering if they will make beds within the lilly pad fields? Right now the lilys are still thin enough that you can easily see bottom, and cruise through these areas.
So are beds in lily pad fields, or strictly mud/gravel areas?

I've seen beds in places that are choked out with lilly pads later in the summer..

Definitely beds in the lilies, especially in clear water lakes I've found. I think the bass like the partial shade they provide, much like a bed near a dock or laydown that's in the shade for at least part of the day.

They love the pad fields and will bed there also. But for the most part even in and around the pads I see that she has faned out the gravel.

I've seen them bed on the root system of lilli pads.

kzoo wrote:I've seen them bed on the root system of lilli pads.

Back home in the south we used to see them bed on and in the root structure of cypress trees.

I do see them in the pads, most like the reed grass. I've been doing the same thing here in the Kitsap and Mason Lks keeping up with the bedders. This new moon will get the rest of them on beds.

The weather has driven them off the beds on 'my' lake. They've shut down for the most part. Some cruisers and only 1 cruiser today. I did catch 1 two pounder today, but I posted his picture already so I didn't take another picture of him. Just caught him to see if he was still there.

Making him look like he has herpes huh?

Amx wrote:The weather has driven them off the beds on 'my' lake. They've shut down for the most part. Some cruisers and only 1 cruiser today. I did catch 1 two pounder today, but I posted his picture already so I didn't take another picture of him. Just caught him to see if he was still there.

So...what are your thoughts BASSMIGNON, on catch and release? You made a comment on fishingmachines post as well on so called bedding fish. Just wondering where you're coming from with the comments. Do we need to quit bass fishing? Are you doing something different? I know for a fact I've caught the same fish twice...what does that say? 4 posts and this is how you start off? 3 negative posts. Sorry about the hijack Quad

BassDood wrote: Sorry about the hijack Quad

No worries here..

Hey Quad, just to add a little to what the others have stated. Basically, they will bed just about anywhere that they can find a hard bottom and that the sun can penetrate deep enough to reach the eggs once the female drops them. In general, Mud / Soft Dark bottoms are great attractors for early season because they absorb heat and tend to warm up the soonest, however that isn't going to be the likely place that they actually bed up. Once they start to fan the beds out they are going to seek out root stems, laydowns, gravel etc.,. It's not that unusual to see them create a bed right on top of a single isolated peice of wood or something hard like that, even if the bottom itself is soft, it just won't likely be the best place to search for them when the spawn is in full swing.

Take care,
Dave

davidwat1 wrote:Hey Quad, just to add a little to what the others have stated. Basically, they will bed just about anywhere that they can find a hard bottom and that the sun can penetrate deep enough to reach the eggs once the female drops them. In general, Mud / Soft Dark bottoms are great attractors for early season because they absorb heat and tend to warm up the soonest, however that isn't going to be the likely place that they actually bed up. Once they start to fan the beds out they are going to seek out root stems, laydowns, gravel etc.,. It's not that unusual to see them create a bed right on top of a single isolated peice of wood or something hard like that, even if the bottom itself is soft, it just won't likely be the best place to search for them when the spawn is in full swing.

Take care,
Dave

Thanks Dave, that is very helpful information. One of my local lakes has the usual soft mud bottom.... but then has one property owner who has put down what appears to be pea gravel around their dock. I don't have any reason to believe that they are a basser..? but when I came into that area on my tube, I spooked a large bass from the gravel. Stinks scouting bass beds from a tube because as soon as you are on them.. they scatter.

rjn cajun wrote:

kzoo wrote:I've seen them bed on the root system of lilli pads.

Back home in the south we used to see them bed on and in the root structure of cypress trees.

Same with the carolinas. I got a ten pounder on a log by a cypress trees. The log was nessy haha.

BASSMIGNON wrote: Making him look like he has herpes huh?

Amx wrote:The weather has driven them off the beds on 'my' lake. They've shut down for the most part. Some cruisers and only 1 cruiser today. I did catch 1 two pounder today, but I posted his picture already so I didn't take another picture of him. Just caught him to see if he was still there.

Look we have a resident troll. Meens the forum is healthy haha.

I bet you were laughing when you posted this. I can picture it now anon skytzo dude typing away.

Quote.."Stinks scouting bass beds from a tube because as soon as you are on them.. they scatter.d'oh!" I feel your pain Quad. I quit looking for beds due to being so low in the water and not having the elevation that a boat gives. I just figure they're shallow during this time and when I hook one, I release it and go to the area to see if a bed is nearby. Most times a bed is there. Sometimes tho, if conditions are right and I'm really paying attention, I can see the bed and the fish.

BassDood wrote:Quote.."Stinks scouting bass beds from a tube because as soon as you are on them.. they scatter.d'oh!" I feel your pain Quad. I quit looking for beds due to being so low in the water and not having the elevation that a boat gives. I just figure they're shallow during this time and when I hook one, I release it and go to the area to see if a bed is nearby. Most times a bed is there. Sometimes tho, if conditions are right and I'm really paying attention, I can see the bed and the fish.

That's funny to hear that from you bassdude, I know that you are a hardcore tuber, so I def. know that you understand what I'm talking about. LOL.

We need to get out together some time

the lake i fish on(stitch pond which is attatched by a lil creek to lake stevens used to be used for logging so there are some old pieces of timber sticking up in a few pieces, last year I caught a 6lber that was bedding on a log which was at a 45 degree angle out of the water.

Hey Quad, Not much different than a boat, just back off the bed, she'll lock back on, remember where it is and make longer cast. I also like the idea of sort of fan casting around the areas that look good. Like BassDood said there out there.