Sight fishing for bedded fish

[LSLURES]

I wanted to hear everyone's opinion on how they catch those bedded fish in the spring. Im sure every single person does something a little different so I figured we all could share. Personally I use a drop shot with the sun at my back for cover. The drop shot is deadly because it just floats in their face on their bed and they cant stand it, especially if it imitating a bluegill or lizard. Let me know how you guys catch em in the spring!

[Tavery5]

Go to the top of the page and click on the button that says BLOG, Kevin, did a multi-part series on bed fishing. They are packed full of terrific info.

[bamabassman]

Tavery is dead on man. Now what do I do? Welllll let's just say TNT works wonders, lol.

[cassidyta]

Tavery is dead on.

That being said, I usually use either a Mattslure swimbait, a Jig, or a large spinnerbait.

[Marc David]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

Tavery is dead on.

That being said, I usually use either a Mattslure swimbait, a Jig, or a large spinnerbait.

I agree, the Mattlures swimbait is a killer bedding bait

[Bender]

Drop shot for me, with my little 3" goby set only about 6-8" up. A lot of guys use tubes too. I've had better luck with the DS plus it falls straight down and you can keep it in place easily.

[philipj]

Why would you disturb the Maternity Ward at your local hospital??

I was taught that if we wanted to have more fish to catch and eat we have to be good stewards of the waters. It is not enough to pick up litter, not pollute waters. So when a female black bass places eggs in a nest, and Mr Blackbass fertilizes the eggs why in the heck would it be a good idea to molest the nest or it's keepers?

That is not a sportsman's practice, not is it a real fisherman's activity.

[Bender]

Philipj, I don't know anybody that keeps the fish they catch off a bed. It is legal in some states but I don't think I would do it. I never keep bass to eat anyway.
There have been many studies done with most all of them showing there are no ill effects to the fish or bed if the bass are caught and released very quickly. This is the reason there is a catch and release bass season in Michigan now but some states still do not allow it.

[Tavery5]

Phillipj, your a very opionated person, and that is fine, but it is beyond me why you would make some of initial posts to this site with such a negative and dark attitiude. Have you every heard of Catch and Release? Your comment about people who bed fish not being sportsmen or real fishermen is both rude and absurd. I dont know you very well but I will offer some advice, take the time to get to know any of the many great people who frequent this site, before you start insulting them...

[LSLURES]

I agree, there are many fisherman i have met like philip, but i have read studies and watched videos on how a largemouth bass is catched and released and then the fish swim back within a few days to where you have caught them. It doesnt hurt a thing and i believe that is why the state has a catch and release policy and a inch requirement. I think bed fishing is the most fun time of the year in fishing, it is full of excitement and a lot of big fish will be caught. I think that was a very forward opinion that should have been kept to yourself philip, because your one of few that think that way.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

I like a white lizard or trick worm when fishing the beds. A buddy of mine told me to turn bullet weight around to simulate digging around and stirring up the dirt.

[Ebbetsguy]

I did this down in Alba Tx, On the Fork in 2007, I seen some of my friends catch their PB's this way, saw some guys put Spark Plugs in Nests then come back with a white jig, and when the bass went to push it out, these "sportsmen" hooked them.
All in all, I am not a biologist and do not know of any effect this would have on popul;ations, did not seem to hurt this lake!Anyway not my thing, I found it boring to wait in a line of boats to work a nesting area, and I dont have the patience to have a large bass, inches from my lure and I can watch it being ignored. We did have a great time throwing Trik Stiks and Jigs/plastics in deeper water.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

I gotta say, I don't have the patience to perch on a fish for hours at a time. If I find one, I will perch a little while, but about half hour tops for me.

[carolina-rig-01]

I personally do enjoy bed fishing. I know that it has a bad stigma about it with some guys and that's ok, we all have our own opinions. I personally don't believe that it has a negative impact on the overall bass population on a body of water. A small percentage of anglers on a given lake actually have the patience to do it. And as time consuming as it can be, the ones who do have the patience to do it generally don't catch a huge number of these bedding fish. I think the amount of fish caught off beds is a lot lower than one might think, and the amount of harm that comes from it are possibly overexagerated as well. Plus as many beds as an angler is able to find I would imagine that there are way more beds in locations that are impossible to find, that ofcourse would depend on how much cover and structure is available for them to build beds in on a given area of the body of water.

[cassidyta]

I actually enjoy bed fishing as well. There is something to spending an hour or more on one spot trying to catch one particular fish.
Personally, I consider it more of a challenge than blind casting.