I was fishing today and i can see all the beds along the weedline.  I had only 4 hits all day.  I pressumed because my crank bait got too close to a nest, not aggressive strikes.  I took a food break, went back out and I caught a malle( he was small about 1.5 lbs)  What gives, I thought the males did not eat while guarding the nest... I was using a shallow running crank bait, he went right after it.  I was real surprised, can anyone explain this?

I have better luck using slower moving baits during the spawn, especially in the weeds.  I use the very ugly annoyiny looking baits like brush hogs and jigs w/ a pork trailer.

i know i should be using jigs and plastics...But when i tell you that this pond has weeds on the shoreline, im telling you that you cannot throw a jog without getting a pound of weeds and muck! Im not exaggerating, this stuff is thick.

boatless

I'm in Orlando as well and I know what you mean about the weeds.

Perhaps wasn't trying to eat, but hit it for reasons of territoriality, nest protection, etc.

A male bass is the more aggressive of the 2. If there is no female with him and he is just gaurding a nest he will be very aggressive to anything that annoys him.

I had one that wouldnt bite a senko on a bed he was watching me. So I picked up my buzzbait chucked it 30 yards up the bank I watched that bass fly off the bed and just kill it. I caught over 50 bass that day the biggest was 3 lbs and they all came out of 2 foot of water or less.

I am assuming they were all males gaurding nests

Marty just hit the nail on the head.

The male does not eat during the spawn but is the official guardian of the nest and he will not eat the bait but he will scare it, ****** it and spit it out or pick it up and move it. I would try a creature bait.

Buck bass are notoriously aggressive when guarding the nest, that is absolutely why he smacked your bait.

thank you

tom