Paul Roberts

They are heat soaking. Read though the "temperature s trends" thread from a couple weeks ago.

Gosh, sorry, not enough info really. Not sure your time of year, in terms of the bass' calendar period in your area. Also, temperature doesn't stand alone. Warming days can be really helpful in the spring, but the specifics are...more specific.

Google brought me to the articles section. I visit a number of forums, often just to listen in. Post in a few.

Yes, they do! I've seen it, but I was afraid to bring it up here.

Catt, what I'm wondering is: Was that second day of fishing due to some as-yet-unexplained physiological response, or just plain spooky bass?

I'm not aware of clouds being a factor in bass activity around spawning beds. I guess I'd have to look at that specifically, but it seems that once bass are in spawning mode and conditions are right, the bass are there (in shallow), especially so locked males (guarding eggs), for the duration. Males will make beds prematurely though. This is really common. And, when conditions fail, (dropping temps, falling water, ...) they will abandon. Sunlight isn't really a factor here. Light levels might matter to females. First, temps stabilizing above 60F tends to be the requirement (for the majority of largemouths) to drop eggs. One study I read indicated that the preferred time to drop eggs was overwhelmingly in the evening. Are they more apt to drop eggs under low light? I dunno. I have seen females hanging around beds under bright sun, but I don't believe I've seen intense spawning behavior under bright sun. I'll have to look back and see. Off the top of my head I can think of several things that might indicate that females much prefer low light for egg dropping. As to general bass activity regarding sun: Shallow bass (in ponds) are known to often occupy the depth just beyond where one can see bottom. So it seems some comfort/protection need is at work here. But many must come shallow to spawn, and often to feed. Many will do so under bright sun, but are much easier to spook, as not only are they more visible, but we are too. I have a harder time seeing into the water when it is overcast compared to brilliant sun so I have a hard time comparing the two. If you have a pit with clear water and high banks (great observation water) than you're in a great position to look at this. Make as many observations as you can, noting time of day, weather trend, surface water temps, and light levels (clouds, daylength, surface conditions) and then count the number of bass you see on each day. Compare cloudy to sunny. For really good observations you need numbers: counts on those bass, keeping in mind whether you are counting the same active bass running a circuit, or actual numbers of different bass. Both could be interesting. Science can be tedious. It can also be really neat!

I'm still trying to figure out cold fronts too. From all the reading I'd done over the years I'd had it practically ingrained in me to FEAR cold fronts. And it's true that fishing is tougher for many species, (or many waters) after a front has blown through. But, after assessing my observations over the years (I keep a detailed journal) I've begun to look at cold fronts much more critically. I'm not convinced of anything anymore. It's interesting that: 1). There are some interesting observations out there that indicate that drops in water temperature (of 5F) do not affect bass willingness to feed (in a high food availability situation). In this particular case (bass hand fed in a pond long term), it took a 10F drop to put them down. Five degrees, btw, is a lot, requiring a strong front, considering how well water retains heat. I had an interesting day last year (post spawn/early summer) when I fished through a 16F air temperature drop, with rain. I measured a 3 degree drop in surface temp in a half hour. I began to feel the cold front fears creeping in, Hmmmm...falling water tempsMaybe I should slow down my retrieve. Maybe they'll shut down, and be really difficult It started to rain and I got soaked, and miserable; I started to shut down! But I was armed with two pieces of knowledge: That the temp drop wouldn't really penetrate the thermal mass of that pond too quickly, and the info from above pond bass feeding study. So, I warmed up in the car and then headed back out, and had a great day of catching. But the story doesn't end here. I went out again, on purpose, two days later, after the front had passed, and fished the same pond and even duplicated my techniques (swimming a jig, and a topwater). What an opportunity! The front was a strong one (30F over night). The following days were warm and sunny and I found the surface temps back to normal (although it's possible the depths had gained some slightly colder water). I REFUSED to psyche myself out, (confidence it HUGE), and I caught bass just fine. 2). Bass, and other fish, can be darn hard to catch in bright sun period. I used to fish a rip-rap lined canal for smallmouths and walleyes. It was darn hard to catch them after a front or in bright sun, period. One day I was fishing on a brilliant blue post frontal day, and could not catch a fish and was frustrated. I decided to fish in the deep shade of a road bridge, and found the smallmouths perfectly willing! Back in the sun it was no go. In fact, I could stand at the edge of the shade/sun and cast into shade and catch a bass, and cast into the sun and fail scattering minnows and sunfish in the process. It was that event, 20 some years ago, that started to put a crack into what I'd assumed was the gospel on post cold frontal conditions and fishing. I get to see this change daily as Colorado's front range weather commonly offers brilliant sun in the AM giving way to overcast in the afternoons. The difference in bass' catchability is enormous. Bass in current are supposedly much less affected by post frontal conditions. In fact, many anglers suggest that river bass remain unaffected. Because of my fear of, and experience, trying to catch bass under bright sun, I often chose to fish for stream smallies or stream trout on those bluebird days, avoiding my bass ponds like they were plagued. But I found that even the trout and smallies, in stillwater pools or ponds, were also darn hard to catch under that sun. So I kept to the broken water offered by current, and to deep shade. The mysterious post-frontal conditions seemed not to be a factor. So...I'm skeptical. I'm not saying it's all a myth, but nothing is holding up really well. What are the possibilities? Food chain disruptions (zooplankton/insect behavior)? Temperature drops coupled with decreased food availability? Barometric pressure? If you do the calculations, (Google Terry Battisti Cold Front Myths) this really shouldn't affect a fish's buoyancy very much. Or does it? Would even a slight compromise in a bass' ability to capture prey effectively put them off? I have to say I'm very skeptical about this, but I don't have any specific info on it. And I've been able to catch to catch surface oriented post frontal bass in early spring, and I even choose those days for the rapid heating they offer. Buoyancy does not appear to be an issue with them, or with the multitudes of bluegills and carp lying all over the surface on these days soaking up that glorious sunshine. Maybe the denser water in spring affects buoyancy less? But I would expect the opposite. Does season matter? This would be fascinating to know because it would offer potential physiological leads. Anyone have any observations to offer on seasonality of post cold front fishing? Thoughts? Comments? Observations?

Long Mike, You are very welcome. Happy we share an interest. The natural world is sure fascinating, and all the observing has certainly helped my fishing -by putting into proper context what all the technique stuff is for! ba7, Do you remember what time of day you saw that intense spawning behavior?

First of all, I agree with WRB: My guess is what you saw was a breaching carp. They do that A LOT during their spawn. I've never seen bass leap clear unless hooked, occasionally when attacking a topwater, or chasing dragonflies (little bass). I have seen a number of anglers over the years mistaking breaching carp for bass -me included once upon a time. Bass chasing preyfish may break top but this is usually a boil or surge, sometimes with preyfish leaping clear. Breaching carp jump clear, and often repeatedly. S'more on "cruising bass": In bass, cruising means swimming easily along, at or below the surface, singly or, more often, in groups. Bass do this for a number of reasons, depending on season. Cruisers are most often mentioned (with associated frustrations) in the spring. In general, bass are most catchable when feeding; Cruising is sometimes, but not always, associated with feeding. Early spring into pre-spawn: The first "cruisers" I see are post-winter to pre-spawn females, when still grouped up following winter. I call these cruisers parades female groups slowly cruising in a string. These I've been mostly unsuccessful catching from, but this may be that I've alarmed them. They do appear sluggish, or calm, though, and apparently not in an active hunting mode. These may be moon related too, and therefore, a (pre-mature) spawning related activity. But I'm not certain what this is yet. This tends to be an early to mid pre-spawn thing, although I did once see an apparent parade (during a full moon) associated with an intense and properly timed spawning event. Nearer the spawn these groups tend to break up, and many may be seen cruising alone. These visible individual females, either "cruising" or holding, are heat soaking. These fish are more difficult to catch, in part because they heat soak near the surface in high visibility conditions, and also I believe, they may simply be more interested in garnering heat, then hunting. Closer to the spawn I've found both males and females more difficult to interest in lures, in general. These late pre-spawn fish seem to be shifted less toward feeding and more toward spawning sites. They are catchable but it may take some coaxing. Spawn: During the very start of the actual spawning window (egg dropping) both males and females can be seen cruising, often rapidly. Males cruise widely around their beds waiting for females to corral in, what I call escorting. Females cruise spawning banks looking to be escorted in. Interestingly, I believe females light up at his time alter their color. Doug Hannon mentions seeing this in floridanus' and I believe I've seen it in northern's. They take on a vivid aqua blue-green sheen. This is a short-lived phenomenon it seems. Escorting may occur more in the evening although I've got more observing to do to see if this holds. These rapidly cruising females and soliciting males are highly excited and are both very susceptible to lures. Late in the spawn window I often see females hanging around a bed with a locked male that's obviously guarding eggs. It's possible she will attempt to drop eggs with the male but I wonder whether the males allow it. Since egg hatching is timed with water temperature, late-dropped eggs should not be properly timed, unless the water temperature is high enough to make up the difference. Regardless, these hanger's on females as I call them, often partially spawned out, are very catchable as they cruise a lazy circuit around the bed. These fish seem less spooky than other cruisers as if doped up on hormones, or maybe, simply hungry. From post-spawn on through summer and well into fall, cruising is common, in fact it's the way most active bass hunt in loose hunting groups that cruise together along cover breaks hoping to corner or flush prey. These fish are very catchable, of course. But, they are also often very spook-able, especially in high visibility conditions -when we tend to see them. In general, I think one of the difficulties anglers have with cruising bass, and where a lot of the frustration comes from, is that visible cruising bass, often seen under brighter high visibility conditions, are just plain easy to put off, if not downright spook. In the public waters I fish, under bright sun such bass will likely bolt at the lure or line landing anywhere near them. Under dimmer conditions they may not spook at the splashdown, but anglers get to see first hand how bass respond to their presentations. It's frustrating to know that a lot of bass just aren't fooled, and that subtle things may trigger them, or put them off. Everyone should spend some time sight-fishing to cruising bass. It'll forever change the way you approach likely fishing spots.

DON"T let the weather put you off. Confidence is easily shaken and can do you in, even though there are fish to be caught. Dress for it. Fish slower, and maybe a bit deeper. But if front is weak don't be afraid to try faster first. OK, I'll be bold and offer some more specific suggestions: Not sure about S IL exactly but your fish should be into pre-spawn. If it were warm I'd be checking the shallows for males and broken up female groups, but with a strong front most may be holding away from shore a bit -likely true of females. Move around: If female groups haven't broken up yet, (we're late seasonally across the north this year, so, maybe?), you'll need to find 'em. Don't be put off with the cold damp air and an hour or two of few fish. If you find a female group you may get all your big fish in a half hour. Then come back and milk the spot. Look for a good flat, one that looks like it will hold bass throughout the year. Especially if it is in a discrete cove, end, or corner -more confined that's easier to read and has less real estate to cover, and that you can reach (if you're on shore). Check the shallows -cooling air doesn't always put the bass off too badly. (Try a #11 or #13 floating Rapala, twitched. Easy to fish and very effective if bass are shallow, and willing to break the surface.) If no go, try subsurface. Then start searching further out, away from shore a ways (jig, crank, jerk, spinnerbait). If it's a cove, check out in the mouth of it. Let us know what you find.

LowBudget, Recognizing, interpreting, and adapting to, conditions. I've never won a trophy, but then it's only me out there. I tried the trophy thing but I felt silly presenting it to myself. I still have it, am proud of it, but I feel bad when I do get skunked and have to take it away from myself. I was Rookie of the Year once, but that only happens once in my circuit.

Too little info. Fishing success (and failure -if you want to call it that) revolves around a cascade of real events that you track at diff scales: genetic, seasonal, local, immediate, contianing a host of characters (food web). Tracking those events is difficult bc we just can't be out there that often. Rain likely represents a change. Good or bad depends. Rain might be good (associated with overcast and sometimes wind,...). Rain can be bad (temp drop, excessive wind,...

It's probably not the lures, it's likely location. You may be dealing with deeper water, pelagic oriented reservoir bass, compared to your weedy natural lakes. Don't freak out, they're still bass. Read, talk to locals, burn some gas.

PJ, First, get a copy of the In-fisherman "Handbook of Strategies", either largemouth, smallmouth, or both. This is a great starter. Along with A LOT more, it'll give you regional ballpark's on your question. More locally: Small shallow waters warm (and cool) quicker than larger ones. Diff can be a month or more, dependent on volume of water, distribution and configurations of shallow areas in the given water body. Good luck. Enjoy! -Paul

Recognition Interpretation Adaptation Lures?: Versatility

1. Mother Nature, when she "acts up". Of course, the bass then have a paralell problem! 2. I just don't know it ALL.

Read! -articles in this site -In-Fisherman "Handbook of Strategies" (species specific) -In-Fisherman magazine -BassMaster magazine

I don't own a boat anymore. I fish from shore and from a float tube. Gosh, where to start... guess it'll be generalizations/tips: -Fish paralell in early season -when bass are shoreline related. -Fish more perpendicular in summer. In most waters, with depth or size, many bass move away from shore in summer. I carry (at least one) 7ft spinning rods with large spool reels filled with 15 or 20lb braid at these times. -Explore different waters. Some are easier than others (fish population size, fish education level, number of ambush points, fit your style, etc...). -Identify primary food shelves -shallow areas with food. -Identify time of year and bass' likely behavior at that time -Fish low light (sky, water surface) -Stealth can make or break your fishing, especially under bright (high visibility conditions), and/or if the bass are fished over very often.

No structure/cover can be a challenge. If there was no fishing pressure it can be a blessing. But one problem, from the presentation end of things, is that lures retrieved away from cover/structure can simply look stupid to educated fish. The trick is to obscure lures, and make them look vulnerable and catchable. A few options to think about (and try): -Obscure lures with speed and/or erratic retreive (a la KVD). -Ambush Points. Bass are not effective ambush hunters, but this concept simply refers to exisitng micro-structural elements that obscure lures and/or make them look vulnerable. The surface film: Try topwaters, realizing this is usually a low light method. The bottom: No structure, bang bottom anyway. This'll obscure lures fakeness and trigger fish due to errratic action. Take advantage of attraction, versus triggering: Straight rythmic retireves attract fish, but rarely trigger them to strike (thus the erratic part is needed). But attraction is an important part of presentation -to be taken advantage of. Try this: Walk trolling. Use an appropriate crankbait, cast it out and troll it wihle you walk around the pond. Just the long period of rhythmic action can trigger fish -maybe because a trolled bait is more apt to pass an active bass, maybe it mesmerizes, maybe because it starts to leave a given bass' beat and it's the "now or never" motivation factor, I dunno, but that duration of rhythmic action catches bass (likely it's all of these). Then, add some triggering on top of that (especially after you've already presented to the fish -made a few circuits around the pond): Direction changes (you'll probably notice that you'll catch more fish at the pond corners), accelerations, erratic twitches, bump bottom, waking plugs (surface film), etc... Try a deeper lipped plug to bump things you missed with a shallower one. I think sometimes the bottom (and ambush point) finds us, rather than us choosing the appropriate lure! "Guess they wanted the deep firetiger with the red hook" No, silly, they wanted to eat! Something vulnerable and catchable (in their face), but not "a lure". After you've caught some fish, and catch rate falls, switch lures, (subtle at first -maybe color , then full lure type change later on). Lures don't catch fish, anglers do.

I have to comment: BINGO!!! Nailed that one head on, Roger. Too much voodoo out there. (I can hear the Twilight Zone theme song now).

I guess I don't see the separate camps. Agreed. Recognize though that I didn't say that sunlight spooks bass, only that the difficulty in catching them under bright sun could obscure an angler's interpretation of post frontal bass behavior. See above response. I think I already responded to that one. I see, I think...Of course, temperature and oxygen are directly related. But whether it's temp alone or not is a pedagogical question, not a very practical one unless you can find very high temps with super-saturated water very highly unlikely, especially in largemouth waters. Thus upper temperature limits are valid measurements. Of course DO is involved; It is integral. Not sure of your point. Can you provide a practical example why an angler might ignore temp measurements beyond the upper limits? I can think of one but it doesn't fit your argument. But DO could potentially be very important at more normal temperatures,and this can be an issue for anglers. Temp alone would not provide this. The disagreement centered on whether fish will move in response to temperature. And my response is, for all practical purposes: Yes, fish WILL MOVE to avoid high temp (and the always associated O2 depletion), and even to trim their metabolic requirements. There are plenty of studies demonstrating this. Agreed, but for clarity for readers: This is valid only if enough time is allowed for water to give up or absorb the heat. Water is notoriously stingy with heat in both directions. Thus the need to look at trends over time, rather than the given temps at any one time. Good closing, Roger!

CJ, Yup, biologically speaking, which does say a lot. But, be glad you have all those options available to you! You'll see a lot of those options, and more, as you travel to new waters. I'd love to address each of your points, but I'm running out of time here. This topic sure encompasses a lot of ground. Maybe I'll get a chance later on this evening, or others will pick it up. I'm going to be out of town for a week, flying out tomorrow AM.

Roger, I'm being cursory with cold fronts here in this thread, even though it is certainly relevant, for several reasons: I've got more observing to do, and because there is so little out there in the scientific literature that offers anything definitive even in terms of observations. I've read the accounts of divers and telemetry studies, and the results are so inclusive. Angler's observations and discussions I'm a bit skeptical of simply because angling is not always a very good sampling method in terms of fish behavior, and I'll clarify, in one way, shortly. Further, and interestingly, this seems to be an angler's issue, and not of interest to icthyologists of any sort, as far as I've discovered. Doesn't mean that it's invalid, but that is interesting. Maybe I'm just overlooking appropriate research. The observations you mention where bass were observed with heads buried in vegetation and tail up following a severe cold front would be the most definitive, or better, most intriguing observation going. But I need some real verification on this, from the horse's mouth so to speak. Who did this, when, and what were their records like. No reflection on you, please. I have great respect for your knowledge and thinking skills they are quite apparent. This observation would be huge, if it indeed was the way it was portrayed by the writer. I fully realize the seeming contradiction, but I'm not ready to go into it here. Believe me, cold fronts are on my mind, and I've some ideas about how it works, but I need more observations to wrap it up or discard it. As to my agreement with Raul: I don't believe that sunlight is the entire answer -at a physiological level. I do believe though that that brilliant sun so greatly affects angling effectiveness that it obscures possible behaviors in the bass. Thus, I agree with Raul , very much, from an angler's perspective, but there is likely more to it from physiological/behavioral and ecological perspectives. Very likely, a sufficiently COLD front could put bass down in a physiological manner, as was described in that lone IF article. But, how would an angler (without optics or diving) know given the following: Start a thread asking, How do I deal with cold fronts? I'll save us the time and summarize: -Fish deep -Fish heavy cover -Fish slower -Use light tackle -Down-size What do all these things have in common? These all are answers that would fit (like a glove) how to present to spooky bass under bright sun. Admittedly, though, with the possible exception of heavily stained or muddy water. Where I am in Colorado, I am blessed with very consistent weather patterns: clear nights and brilliant sun in the morning giving way to overcast every afternoon. The response by the bass to lures is almost a 180. Every morning I'm fishing under brilliant blue skies, and in my shallow waters I can see how the bass respond to my presentations. Here's what happens on EVERY cast: The lure flies through the air and the bass (and sunfish) bolt! So I cast VERY high to avoid this. Then the lure, and line too(!), land on the water they bolt! The line cutting the water on the retrieve causes them to bolt (only in clear water). Interestingly, I've devised ways of catching at least some of these fish they are catchable if you could get a lure near them. Now, what might one do? Here are some good answers: -Fish deep -Fish heavy cover -Fish slower -Use light tackle -Down-size I have to wonder, if what is deemed post cold front behavior (in a lot of cases) could be largely explained by the above? Thus, my agreement with Raul. Here's where I agree with you, but it's a matter of degrees (no pun intended). The magnitude of the cold front, of course, is a real issue a front that can actually affect the thermal mass of summer water, APPRECIABLY. Unfortunately I have virtually no good data on this, nor have I seen any. What would really help is if I could get some guys to start taking some temps for me in specific instances. I've attempted to get on-line anglers to do some observing in the past but it hasn't amounted to much, so I'm reticent to ask. First, you might ask, Who the hell are you anyway some kind of crackpot? Second, it's time away from fishing but not a lot. But I'll put it out there anyway: I could use temperature profiles in mid-summer (surface temps 78F or higher) from surface to bottom every time you go. If we're lucky we'll hit some post-frontal days (LOL), and see what happens to the temps and how far they penetrate. If you're game, shoot me a PM and we'll arrange something. Your specific points and my responses: 1) Sunlight does not bother the eyes of bass, that's why Nature didn't supply them with eyelids. When bass go underneath a dock, they're not hiding from sunlight, they using the shade to conceal their broad outline (ambush). Bass, especially large bass prefer the bright midday sun for optimal visibility. AGREED. 2) Althouth sunfish do not actually pursue sunlight or heat, they enjoy the solar gain and bright light a warm-front will bring to them. AGREE WITH SECOND PART. Again, sunny middays are deemed the best time of day to boat a trophy bass. I'VE READ THAT FROM DOUG HANNON'S BOOK. 3) Water doesn't cool off as fast as air, but that doesn't mean it doesn't change the temperature of water (air's the only thing that does) Cold-fronts are accompanied by stiff winds that drive the cold air temperatures into the water surface via wave action. Due to the greater weight of the chilled surface water it promptly trickles down until it reaches its depth of equilibrium (equal water density). The process is quickly repeated, the new surface layer is chilled, then trickles down to its equilibrium depth. Bass ensconced in very deep water (rare in Florida) may not be affected for a day or two, and if it's just a minor cold-front, they won't be affected at all I BELIEVE YOU. BUT I NEED TO SEE IT MORE DEFINITIVELY FOR MYSELF, AND I NEED NUMBERS. 4) To say that "a bass is a bass" no matter where you are is invalid. As you would expect, the optimal temperature range for Florida-strain bass (75 to 85) is about 10 deg higher than the optimal range for a northern-strain bass (65 to 75). This differential is the cause of many arguments. GUILTY OF BIAS. I UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT HAVE NEVER SO MUCH AS SEEN A FLORIDA LARGEMOUTH. I'M WORKING WITH NORTHERNS AND TAKE POSSIBLE FLORIDANUS INFO INTO ACCOUNT -A SUBSET. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT OTHER DIFFERENCES/SIMILARITIES APPEAR. ONE THING I'VE READ IS THAT FLORIDANUS' RESPOND MUCH MORE NEGATIVELY TO COLD FRONTS THAN NORTHERNS, WHICH MAY REPRESENT MY NIT-PICKING OVER THE INTENSITY OF A GIVEN FRONT. 5) Given adequate oxygen, Bass feel no discomfort in any water temperature, therfore they never have to relocate on the basis of water temperature. I DON'T AGREE. FISH ARE KNOWN TO MOVE TO SEEK TEMPERATURE, AND I CAN SEE BOTH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL MOVEMENTS BEING A PART OF THIS IN A BASSES LIFE. I seriously doubt that bass would even have a clue as to which direction to swim. The direction to warm water and cold water is a moving target, and it changes according to a host of interactive variables. PHYSIOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED, AT A NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL LEVEL, HOW BASS AVOID DISCOMFORT. 6) More important than the static temperature value is the direction of temperature change, which will determine the disposition of bass. AGREED. This is one more reason why it's not logical for bass to seek a given temperature, which would be analogous to chasing it's own tail. NICE ANALOGY BUT I DON'T AGREE. AGAIN, MOVEMENTS MAY NOT BE LONG, (BUT CAN BE), BUT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF MOVING TOWARD AND WAY FROM HEAT. 7)Technically, largemouth bass are not schooling fish such as crappies and walleyes. AGREED. But they do gravitate to the same foodshelves, jump coves and staging areas, so they're commonly found in loose "aggregations". AGGREGATION IS MORE THAN JUST HAPPENSTANCE, IT CAN BE COORDINATED, BUT MORE LOOSELY THAN WHAT'S DEEMED TRUE SCHOOLING, AND DEVELOPS FROM THE VERY BEGININGS OF A BASS' HUNTING. Typically, the smaller the bass the larger the school, and the larger the bass the smaller the school. This is population dynamics and is based on simple math. With each passing year, the population of the year-class diminishes. In fact, the very largest bass in the lake will often be a solitary fish (last of the Mohicans) or may belong to a small pod of 2 or 3 bass representing all that's left of that year-class. WRB, good stuff!

Muddy, there are anglers that have proposed the idea that female bass actually regulate the development of their eggs behaviorally -by moving to colder or warmer water. Rich Zaleski was a proponent of this at one time. I've tried to run tis down, through the scientific literature and through knowledgeable anglers. I'm sure there are fish reproductive physiologists out there that could speak to it, but I haven't found anything or anyone as yet. It does appear that temperature is the final "straw" that brings female bass to the beds, so the idea is at least reasonable. Ok, goodnight.

Raul, Excellent. Very much along my lines of thinking on cold fronts, at this point. Hester, I didn't mean there were trout in your water. I meant that the bass might be behaving similar to heat compromised trout, and taking advantage of ram-jetting. Just a thought. Schooling: As I understand it, bass don't school, in the strict sense. They commonly hunt in what are termed "aggregations" -like-size groups of 3 to ??? that are loosely coordinated. This is the most common hunting method used by bass -stalking and cornering prey in loosely coordinated aggregates. It is the way young bass hunt as soon as they start hunting as fry. In most waters, aggregates contain mostly smaller bass because this develops so early in life. As bass get older their groups get smaller by natural attrition. In most waters really big bass are virtually loners, in large part because there are so few of them. But, in some waters, notably in CA, I could see aggregates of big bass being larger. Another reason for large numbers of bass being together -especially big ones: In many waters bass winter in large groups (I've often read about this for large reservoirs, and I see it myself here in my small waters too). This is why I believe groups of early-spring females are seen together, and females are the biggest bass in the pond. Every spring I see rather tight groups of females, as described earlier. Technically (from a fish behavioral scientist's definition), none of these grouped behaviors seen in the black basses are considered "schooling". Hey Muddy, go to bed! I'm signing out.