Does that mean a group of bass constantly jump out of the water and are not interested in anything you offer to them?

If its not that, I was fishing in my pond today and I saw one bass jump out of the pond numerous amounts of times.  I followed to where the spot was and cast around there and no results.  I tried every single bait I had including Crankbait, T Rigged Worm, Spinnerbait.  I used them all really slowly.  So my question is, do I pursue wherever that fish jumps and fish around there or do I just stay put and wait around for it to come?

Did you try going fast? Try to get a reaction strike.

Fish cover, structure and transition that seems "fishy" to you. We have lots of great information in "Fishing Articles" at the top of this page and a current thread running on "finding fish". Unless a fish is within casting distance or jumps in the same area a number of times, it's probably not worth your time to chase them around.

8-)

To me a cruising bass is one searching or waiting for a time or place to spawn. You will see them in the shallows alot swimming back n forth problably very aware of your prescence. Don't waste your time!

Your question was "cruising" bass and the thread is jumping bass, two different things.

Cruisers during pre spawn are looking over the spawing areas for bedding sites and generally very difficult to catch because food isn't on their agenda.

Cruising bass the balance of the year are patrolling their territory and can be caught as long as they don't detect your presence. Sight fishing comes from targeting either bedding bass or cruisers, you see the bass before you cast to it. Bass move around smaller lakes and ponds on a regular pattern, so you can see them and move down in front of where they are heading and wait for the bass to come to you.

Jumping fish aren't always bass, lots of fish jump. Carp and catfish both jump on occasions, but they are brown, not green. If the fish are making a loud slap on the water, they are more than likely carp. If you see a baitfish jump, then the splashes are more than likely bass.

Believe or not a dead sticked surface lure with a few twitches works better for big bass that you are targeting, when you see a swirl or splash. Faster reaction lures work better for fish holding on a ambush site or just cover water to locate active bass.

WRB

First of all, I agree with WRB: My guess is what you saw was a breaching carp. They do that A LOT during their spawn. I've never seen bass leap clear unless hooked, occasionally when attacking a topwater, or chasing dragonflies (little bass). I have seen a number of anglers over the years mistaking breaching carp for bass -me included once upon a time.

Bass chasing preyfish may break top but this is usually a boil or surge, sometimes with preyfish leaping clear. Breaching carp jump clear, and often repeatedly.

S'more on "cruising bass":

In bass, cruising means swimming easily along, at or below the surface, singly or, more often, in groups. Bass do this for a number of reasons, depending on season. Cruisers are most often mentioned (with associated frustrations) in the spring. In general, bass are most catchable when feeding; Cruising is sometimes, but not always, associated with feeding.

Early spring into pre-spawn:

The first "cruisers" I see are post-winter to pre-spawn females, when still grouped up following winter. I call these cruisers parades female groups slowly cruising in a string. These I've been mostly unsuccessful catching from, but this may be that I've alarmed them. They do appear sluggish, or calm, though, and apparently not in an active hunting mode. These may be moon related too, and therefore, a (pre-mature) spawning related activity. But I'm not certain what this is yet. This tends to be an early to mid pre-spawn thing, although I did once see an apparent parade (during a full moon) associated with an intense and properly timed spawning event.

Nearer the spawn these groups tend to break up, and many may be seen cruising alone. These visible individual females, either "cruising" or holding, are heat soaking. These fish are more difficult to catch, in part because they heat soak near the surface in high visibility conditions, and also I believe, they may simply be more interested in garnering heat, then hunting.

Closer to the spawn I've found both males and females more difficult to interest in lures, in general. These late pre-spawn fish seem to be shifted less toward feeding and more toward spawning sites. They are catchable but it may take some coaxing.

Spawn:

During the very start of the actual spawning window (egg dropping) both males and females can be seen cruising, often rapidly. Males cruise widely around their beds waiting for females to corral in, what I call escorting. Females cruise spawning banks looking to be escorted in. Interestingly, I believe females light up at his time alter their color. Doug Hannon mentions seeing this in floridanus' and I believe I've seen it in northern's. They take on a vivid aqua blue-green sheen. This is a short-lived phenomenon it seems. Escorting may occur more in the evening although I've got more observing to do to see if this holds. These rapidly cruising females and soliciting males are highly excited and are both very susceptible to lures.

Late in the spawn window I often see females hanging around a bed with a locked male that's obviously guarding eggs. It's possible she will attempt to drop eggs with the male but I wonder whether the males allow it. Since egg hatching is timed with water temperature, late-dropped eggs should not be properly timed, unless the water temperature is high enough to make up the difference. Regardless, these hanger's on females as I call them, often partially spawned out, are very catchable as they cruise a lazy circuit around the bed. These fish seem less spooky than other cruisers as if doped up on hormones, or maybe, simply hungry.

From post-spawn on through summer and well into fall, cruising is common, in fact it's the way most active bass hunt in loose hunting groups that cruise together along cover breaks hoping to corner or flush prey. These fish are very catchable, of course. But, they are also often very spook-able, especially in high visibility conditions -when we tend to see them.

In general, I think one of the difficulties anglers have with cruising bass, and where a lot of the frustration comes from, is that visible cruising bass, often seen under brighter high visibility conditions, are just plain easy to put off, if not downright spook. In the public waters I fish, under bright sun such bass will likely bolt at the lure or line landing anywhere near them. Under dimmer conditions they may not spook at the splashdown, but anglers get to see first hand how bass respond to their presentations. It's frustrating to know that a lot of bass just aren't fooled, and that subtle things may trigger them, or put them off. Everyone should spend some time sight-fishing to cruising bass. It'll forever change the way you approach likely fishing spots.

The amount of knowledge available on this board is almost overwhelming to an old fart like me.  Thankfully, I can read and re-read these posts.  To Mr. Lusk, WRB and Mr. Roberts - a heart felt thank you!

Thanks for the post. Just wanted to say if you ever get or have the time to watch fish during the spawn you can see some pretty amazing things. For example, I watched a male bass nudge a female, making her drop her eggs one day. I watched for about twenty to thirty minutes and it was pretty amazing seeing nature take it's course. On that particular day you could here lots of females shaking their eggs out along the shore in the weeds.

Long Mike,

You are very welcome. Happy we share an interest. The natural world is sure fascinating, and all the observing has certainly helped my fishing -by putting into proper context what all the technique stuff is for!

ba7,

Do you remember what time of day you saw that intense spawning behavior?

Hey Paul: Question: We see a lot of crusiers, in the strippin pits and it starts now. They are way more crusiers on cloudy days than sunlit days;( at least visible to the eye)  Do warmer spring days, that are cloudy lead to the beds becoming active with females? I would imagine one the eggs are laid, the males stay on the beds no matter what.

Do warmer spring days, that are cloudy lead to the beds becoming active with females? I would imagine one the eggs are laid, the males stay on the beds no matter what.

I'm not aware of clouds being a factor in bass activity around spawning beds. I guess I'd have to look at that specifically, but it seems that once bass are in spawning mode and conditions are right, the bass are there (in shallow), especially so locked males (guarding eggs), for the duration.

Males will make beds prematurely though. This is really common. And, when conditions fail, (dropping temps, falling water, ...) they will abandon. Sunlight isn't really a factor here.

Light levels might matter to females. First, temps stabilizing above 60F tends to be the requirement (for the majority of largemouths) to drop eggs. One study I read indicated that the preferred time to drop eggs was overwhelmingly in the evening. Are they more apt to drop eggs under low light? I dunno. I have seen females hanging around beds under bright sun, but I don't believe I've seen intense spawning behavior under bright sun. I'll have to look back and see. Off the top of my head I can think of several things that might indicate that females much prefer low light for egg dropping.

We see a lot of crusiers, in the strippin pits and it starts now. They are way more crusiers on cloudy days than sunlit days;( at least visible to the eye)

As to general bass activity regarding sun: Shallow bass (in ponds) are known to often occupy the depth just beyond where one can see bottom. So it seems some comfort/protection need is at work here. But many must come shallow to spawn, and often to feed. Many will do so under bright sun, but are much easier to spook, as not only are they more visible, but we are too.

I have a harder time seeing into the water when it is overcast compared to brilliant sun so I have a hard time comparing the two. If you have a pit with clear water and high banks (great observation water) than you're in a great position to look at this. Make as many observations as you can, noting time of day, weather trend, surface water temps, and light levels (clouds, daylength, surface conditions) and then count the number of bass you see on each day. Compare cloudy to sunny. For really good observations you need numbers: counts on those bass, keeping in mind whether you are counting the same active bass running a circuit, or actual numbers of different bass. Both could be interesting. Science can be tedious. It can also be really neat!

Hey  P aul :do bass on a cruise play shuffle board just like >>>>OH OH

I misunderstood the question>>>>>>my mistake

Yes, they do! I've seen it, but I was afraid to bring it up here.  

I caught a cruiser one time when I was bank fishing. It hit pretty hard, then I heard a car horn go off. When I pulled it in after quite a struggle I noticed it had "P.T." on the side. It absolutely nailed a jig I flipped just passed an emergent island in what I thought was a flooded parking lot.

                        -searoach

                        (by the way not trying to jack your thread.)

Hey Roach your BUGGIN ME