Spawning In An Unaturally Heated Body Of Water

2136 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by JayPea2006, Mar 26, 2007

Jared

Discussion Starter · Mar 25, 2007

The lake I was on yesterday, Lake Robinson - in Darlington County, SC, is heated by a power plant. The water temps ran from 68 and change to about 83 degrees. In the winter I do well on this lake but in the summer i have only picked up a stray here and there. Yesterday was the first time i ever fished it during this time of the year though and I gotta be honest, I was confused as to what the fish should have been doing because the water temps vary so much.

I wasn't sure if they should be in spawn, post spawn, summer pattern or what and therefore really didnt find any numbers of fish at all and wasnt ever able to put any sort of pattern together.

Have any of you fished an unaturally heated body of water in the spring when every place else is in spawn? WHat did you do? How do deal with this situation?

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· #2 · Mar 25, 2007

I posted pictures of a lake down here in Tatum that is heated by a power plant. What I was told to do by the park ranger for this lake is that during the winter focus for the warmer water and when the weather starts to warm up focus on the cooler parts of the lake. He said down here the bass may spawn 2 to 3 times a year due too the warm water year round. It is almost like a hit and miss for the spawning bass because they go in different phases.

One group of fish way spawn in the winter and the others may spawn in mid summer to fall.

He said to use your usually lures; plastics, cranks, spinnerbaits, topwater, and swimbaits--which is really productive right now.

He said that what he uses in the spring and summer--he will use those baits year round for this power plant lake. (Martin Creek Lake)

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oldschool

· #3 · Mar 25, 2007

There can be multiple spawns in some lakes due to water level fluctuations and varying water temperatures. We get a minor fall spawn in some CA lakes, nature has a way to guarantee survival. It usually takes a combination of water temperature change and sun light change around the spring and fall equinox, day & night are equal time. If the water is above 80 degrees and the DO is low, the bass tend to seek a temperature break where cooler water meets the warmer water. You should be able to see this change from water color change in a lake that has a power plant intake and discharge.
I would fish the temperature break seams year around. This should bes a good lake for the slip shot presentation and crank baits.
Tom
Ps; I lost my mind for a moment, your in Texas and must use a red trap or they will take your license away. You might want to get 1 bag of Yamamoto 5" Hula Grubs in watermelon with red (purple would be better) flakes and try the slip shot rig with a 1/4 oz weight. This rig will work if the bass are on deeper beds or just looking around the bottom for prey.

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Ouachita

· #4 · Mar 25, 2007

In lakes like that in Arkansas bass remain more active until water temps rise too much all over the lake, not having a winter slump. Reaction bites are the go-to since bass can feed more regularly most months and stay fed up. Like already said look for cooler, not the coldest, water when warm water is abundant, due to the DO details. In summer look upstream of the power plant outlet. In cold months look for where water first cools below the plant. Even in winter they don't like the hot water close to the plant outlet. Forage is a problem since so many forage fish don't do well in hot water, none at all surviving the plant discharge, and most of our heated lakes have steeper shorelines, the lakes built for ultility. Spawning areas are quite limited, and bass tend to get full on their own fingerlings.

Our bass in those waters don't live long, living out their lives prematurely. It's a little like S. Florida bass that live shortest lives, but ours don't reach the sizes they see there. Diseases are more common. A 3# bass is about as large as I've caught on heated lakes here.

Jim

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· #5 · Mar 26, 2007

oldschool said:
Ps; I lost my mind for a moment, your in Texas and must use a red trap or they will take your license away. You might want to get 1 bag of Yamamoto 5" Hula Grubs in watermelon with red (purple would be better) flakes and try the slip shot rig with a 1/4 oz weight. This rig will work if the bass are on deeper beds or just looking around the bottom for prey.

Hey Jared, When did you move to Texas?? LOL

Tom, this was Jareds post. LOL

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imonembad

· #6 · Mar 26, 2007

I fish a warm water discharge lake too. It is definately a different story I have a lot of the same questions on spawn and stuff. I agree with Jim, I don't think they live as long and the ones I have caught seem healthy but they have big red sores on them. There ain't no way in hell I'd eat one. and I darn sure ain't swimming in it! The Upper end of this lake has a lot of willows and buck brush and it is flippin heaven when the water is up enough to get to it. Other wise we all fish the hot hole, mostly in the winter when we can't get in any where else.

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The Fishing Coach

· #7 · Mar 26, 2007

I guided on a powerplant lake in TX for over 20 years (Fayette County Res.)

The fish don't know what "cool or cold" water is! They behave the same no matter what. the spawn begins earlier and near the discharge and works it way out. In the winter pay attention to the prevailing winds as it will push warm water and the fishing will be better there. You specifically mentioned the summer. It we used to do really well in the summer. Look deep, find the bait fish and the thermocline. Fish structure where the bait fish or thermoclone meets a hump etc. Carolina rigs, deep cranks, drops shots, TX rigged worms, Jigs, and my favorite for BIG bass on Fayette...6 - 8 inch swim baits dragged on the bottom in deep water.

If you go to my Fayette Forum and register (it's free) you can check the fishing reports for the last few years.

http://thefishingcoach.proboards24.com/

How far is this lake from Augusta?

cbs

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JayPea2006

· #8 · Mar 26, 2007

I was at Bass Pro Shops a month ago in Orlando and they had two clutches of fry swimming around the tank. In talking to the manager, it turned out that the 7lb'er they thought was a female was actually a male and proceeded to fan out a bed in the pebble bottom of the tank.

I found it incredible that the tank is kept at 63 degrees year round, no skylights in the roof for the fish to visually see the moon phase. Water temps are steady year round, yet, these fish spawned in the spring.

So Jared, don't be so concerned about the water temps because nature knows what time of the year it is. Best of luck!

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