31 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Most big bass are caught from February-May as far as records go.  That's proven.  You are correct that they can be caught off deep structure but not as easy or predictable as during the spawn. There's a lot more deep water structure than most realize and it can be widely spread out. Personally, I like the dog days of summer.  I can just pattern them better.    

 

More big bass are caught during February-May on accident because of the female's urge to feed & spawn which over rides their instincts.

 

The difficulty with pre-spawn/spawn is not that the bass are unpredictable but that the conditions are quickly changing.

 

Deep water are not as susceptible to weather changes.

I catch bigger fish during the spawn, but I catch more fish in the summer.  Early mornings in the summer is my favorite time to fish.

I understand that point of view, I much prefer the pre spawn myself.

 

The spawn is still a good time of year for me, but I don't care for bed fishing, feels too much like cheating.

"NOTE: It is not a violation of the bass regulations if a bass is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken. It is unlawful for an angler to cast repeatedly into a clearly visible bass spawning nest or bed in an effort to catch or take bass."

 

http://www.fishandboat.com/Transact/AnglerBoater/AnglerBoater2017/MarchApril/Documents/2017-0304ma-11creel.pdf