Bass are averse to bright sunlight and shallow water makes them feel ill at ease. When they leave their spawning grounds they usually hide around some type of cover. Upon completion of the spawning period, adult bass will head for the deeper water. This is where you will find largemouth bass.
The yearling bass, in various stages of growth ranging from two to twelve inches in length, finds their home in shallow shoreline cover. This is where they will feed and grow for the next several months.
Importantly, after the spawning cycle, the larger adult bass will be more active and have moved to deeper water.
During this period they will feed heavily at certain times or when their internal clocks tell them. The mature fish now have moved away from the spawning areas and will not return till next spring.
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However, it should not be assumed that by simply moving away from the spawning areas that you will not find a mature bass swimming about.
Once bass has grown beyond the yearling size, they tend to seek out groups alike to what we call “schooling.” Bass will group with their size only.
Monster bass in any body of water may sometimes group together, but just as often they are loners. The larger the bass grow, they prefer deeper water.
Bass beyond the smaller sizes (9-13 inches) will be deep water fish. That is where, in their respective schools, they will spend most of their time.
Schools of bass occasionally travel from their deeper water to ambush prey in shallower areas.
Becoming a Lunker
The larger any bass becomes, the more shy and retiring she is in her behavior. Her survival has become highly refined.
Anything in which her survival may be in jeopardy causes her to retreat. The larger bass has grown and aged because of their ability to survive.
From the moment they are hatched, all bass instincts have told them to flee.
As they grew larger bass soon discover that they were faced with a choice to see deeper water. This is the only place they can grow to be lunkers.
Lighting for Bass
Low-light periods of early morning, late evening, or darkness might see the bass move to shallower water. Cold-front weather conditions might see them move considerably deeper! As a general rule, bass will go as deep as need be to feel safe and avoid bright light, and seek warmer water.
Seasonal movements are closely related to spring, summer, fall, and winter. Most bass travel less than a quarter-mile on an aver.
This is how we find largemouth bass.
Read my blog post on Bass Fishing 101 here.
