I went fishing this morning in Western TN. High temps are near 90 today, so I was surprised when I saw pairs of bass (3 to 6 lbs apiece) right up against the bank.  I couldn’t coax them to bite (threw 10 different baits for over an hour at one big pair).  I caught one not sight fishing on a Senko.  So what’s going on?  Could these fish still be on beds?  They weren’t easily spooked— I could stand right over them.  Came back after lunch and they are still in the same spots.  

 

The pairs appeared to be circling a small area and would trade off places.  I usually can stir up a reaction bite when on beds, but nada

Yes Doctor, those were spawners.  I also saw some bedding fish this morning over here in Middle TN.  It may be 90 today but it is the full moon and the water temp here was only 70.  Spawners can be very tough to catch.  Try them again tomorrow and they may bite!

9 minutes ago, BoatSquirrel said:

Yes Doctor, those were spawners.  I also saw some bedding fish this morning over here in Middle TN.  It may be 90 today but it is the full moon and the water temp here was only 70.  Spawners can be very tough to catch.  Try them again tomorrow and they may bite!

Thanks— that’s what it looked like to me, too.  I’m used to a few late spawners, but was surprised how many I saw today.  Maybe it’s because we’ve had so much rainfall this year.  The bream were also on their beds

If you are not seeing colonies of bluegill beds the bass are still in the spawn cycle. If the bluegill are spawning the bass are hunting them.

Tom

I see bass hanging on the shoreline like that in the doggest 100 degree days of summer in water barely deep enough to cover them.

36 minutes ago, CrankFate said:

I see bass hanging on the shoreline like that in the doggest 100 degree days of summer in water barely deep enough to cover them.

^ this

 

Also air temp is irrelevant. Water temp matters.

I’ve cut open bass full of eggs in June in south Alabama where there’s alligators