3 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Yep. I try deeper and get nothing! 

36 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

You and me both. I've been running into small males, especially the ones making an early push shallow on those warm days. But the second I try and pull deeper to those textbook "pre spawn" locations I'm striking out on finding big fish. The water is still a bit cold, but I just feel like I'm looking in the right places but not having any luck. 

They may be bunched up. You are close. Very close.

4 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

They may be bunched up. You are close. Very close.

That's what I figure but it's a mindgame I play with myself of "you need to move to find the fish" and "you're near the fish you just gotta hit this area harder" and I drive myself crazy sometimes. 

2 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

That's what I figure but it's a mindgame I play with myself of "you need to move to find the fish" and "you're near the fish you just gotta hit this area harder" and I drive myself crazy sometimes. 

Yeah, I know. I think first you find them, hoping for biters that will reveal them. Hitting em harder doesn't have to mean camping out. Move, find several good potential locations (helpful if males are there), and revisit them. I pick appropriate techniques, and trust them. No, it doesn't always pan out.

First, you want to be sure they are spawner males (>12-14"), and not juveniles. 

Even though the spawn is part of the natural.process for bass, it still seems like the big females, sitting on a nest are not comfortable even being there. They're vulnerable at this time and as others have said, don't stay there long. It instinct for them. Once they're done, they go back to deep water/ and or thick cover where they feel safer, and start to feed again. It's why so many guys try to catch them, but strike out.

Catt, I was hoping more guys would jump in with they're experience on the pre spawn fishing. I'm going fishing Friday afternoon. I'm going to fish shallow and deeper, to see what might work. It's been the same for me at this time of year. I always look forward to getting out there and trying for some pre spawn bass, but as I've said, I've gotten skunked more at this time than any other. We've had cold fronts and lots of rain, so the lakes I fish are full to the brim. One of these days I'll figure this pre spawn fishing out- gotta keep after it

@Mobasser while I like all the hype & excitement surrounding Pre-spawn it's not my favorite time of the year for bass fishing.

 

Give me a hot summer night, gentle southern breeze, on a deep offshore worm hole.

Pre spawn isn't necessarily a easy time to catch bass for several reasons but it is the best seasonal time period to catch big bass. 

Pre spawn coincides with seasonal weather fronts and unstable conditions that tends to reduce boat traffic. Tough fishing conditions during a time the big females are moving in the water column to feed and get ready to spawn. 

I spend a lot of fishless time on the water targeting big bass. The rewards are catching a big bass, the downside is being out in cold windy rainy weather for hours not catching anything.

Tom