What should you do when the bass are transitioning from one calendar period to another? For example the winter period transition to pre spawn, pre spawn to spawn, spawn to post spawn, post spawn to spring, spring to summer, summer to fall. To answer that think about what the bass are physically doing. From the cold water periods to the warming water periods the bass are moving up from deeper water to shallower water to finally reach the protected shallow coves where they can spawn. During that period of time the bass are physically moving up hill and so should your lure presentations, because the bass are looking for prey moving the same direction they are and tight to cover.
After spawning the bass move horizontally to find and establish a post spawn resting place and your lures should move slowly horizontally along with the bass. After resting a few weeks the bass start to establish spring to summer feeding zones and relocate to areas that have prey that suites there specific needs. You need to use search lures during this transition period. During the summer the bass have established home zones and will generally migrate horizontally within that zone to ambush sites and may move up to shallow water during night feeding periods. Your summer presentations need to be reaction lures that are presented as an opportunity to the bass or in their face slow moving target at the same depth the bass is holding in, tight to cover or structure. Summer to fall the bass start to follow the prey fish parallel to breaklines, banks, creek channels as the water cools and everything starts to go deeper, seeking warmer water. Your lures need to run parallel at the depth the bass are traveling. Winter cold water the bass are staying close the bait fish schools or easy meals without exerting effort and your lures need to look like bait fish or an easy meal of opportunity, not moving too fast and at the same depth the bass are holding.
Tom
After spawning the bass move horizontally to find and establish a post spawn resting place and your lures should move slowly horizontally along with the bass. After resting a few weeks the bass start to establish spring to summer feeding zones and relocate to areas that have prey that suites there specific needs. You need to use search lures during this transition period. During the summer the bass have established home zones and will generally migrate horizontally within that zone to ambush sites and may move up to shallow water during night feeding periods. Your summer presentations need to be reaction lures that are presented as an opportunity to the bass or in their face slow moving target at the same depth the bass is holding in, tight to cover or structure. Summer to fall the bass start to follow the prey fish parallel to breaklines, banks, creek channels as the water cools and everything starts to go deeper, seeking warmer water. Your lures need to run parallel at the depth the bass are traveling. Winter cold water the bass are staying close the bait fish schools or easy meals without exerting effort and your lures need to look like bait fish or an easy meal of opportunity, not moving too fast and at the same depth the bass are holding.
Tom