Ott Defoe in this video, about 7:00 is talking about bass moving in to the area after hearing the commotion of others being caught. It immediately got me to thinking.

 

I wonder if there is a hub that is something that bass love, a key feature, or location, that the majority of the bass in a reasonable area pass through on a regular basis.

 

My thinking is, let's say there is a spring, for example, all the bass know it. And maybe they don't sit on it all the time, but dozens to hundreds of bass will visit it every day.

 

Is this a thing? Is it crazy?

 

 

A couple things to remember.  Bass are individuals- they do their own thing whatever that means to them.  In aggregate, individuals have a lot in common with each other and will do lots of similar things- not all will be the same but they will seem like they are ‘all the same fish’.  Bass move.  They move until they find a place that is interesting to stay.  They stay until something else draws their attention or something scares them away.  Finally, bass are curious.  If there is some commotion they will likely investigate.  

 

All that said, if you have a long mud bank of modest incline and no cover which then has a laydown, grass clump, ditch, or spring then that thing will draw bass.  Not necessarily because they just know it is there but because they move and continue to move until they find something that interest them.  They swim down the boring bank until they find something that makes them stay.  This is similar to (same as?) the demo where putting bass in an otherwise empty swimming pool will have them swimming around everywhere.  But paint a black stripe on the wall around the circumference and they will stick to it.  

 

A spring in the middle of a pond or lake will do the same.  It is something different that draws their interest.  And when the water is super hot then the spring will probably have a bit cooler water around it which is higher in oxygen.  So a bass swims around because that’s their nature and then finds a place with a little cooler water and more oxygen so it sits down for a spell.  Turns out some others had that same idea.  They are individuals, but have a lot in common with each other.  Turns out a lot of bass in the lake liked that spot too.  You end up with a bunch in one spot- not because they are working together or talking about it with each other, they just all like the same stuff so they end up going to and stopping at a lot of the same places.  Then while they are there, something interesting happens.  A wounded baitfish swims by for instance.  Suddenly all the bass in the area are curious.  They all go to check it out.  Turns out it isn’t exactly a wounded baitfish it was actually a lure with a hook.  The bass don’t know that but they all (minus the one that just got caught) are curious where that hurt baitfish went and what else they can eat.  Now you have a bunch of bass that ended up in the same place that just got excited about something they think they can eat.  Happy days.  

@casts_by_fly: If I could, I'd applaud your post ten times. I will only add this: Fishing the same pond again and again has reinforced my understanding that what will draw a bass in May might not work in July.

 Bass May be individuals but they all avoid me.

7 minutes ago, king fisher said:

 Bass May be individuals but they all avoid me.

definitely not interesting to them. Possibly active avoidance. Deterrent in fact. You’re just a long mud flat they have to get past.