Optimal Water Temps

[Stonewall2002]

What water temps do you guys look for to signal the start of spring fishing for largemouth and smallmouth? Planning on getting back on the water in the next couple of weeks and was looking for some opionions as to what temps to look for on my graph....

Keep on chuckin'

[Col Forbin]

I just look for air temps above freezing!!!! The fishing gets better the closer the water temps get to the mid 50's. They will still be holding on points then feeding and preparing for spawn. When it warms up a little more - mid 60's they will start to move more shallow and really become hungry and mean. This is when I like spinnerbaits and shallow crankbaits. You also stand a chance of catching some really nice, fat bass during this time Hopefully we will get a more stable year than last year - it was hot then cold, hot then cold and it really broke up the spring pattern. We never really had a smooth transition last year.

[smljaw]

I have certainly jumped the gun a time or two this time of year. I'll get out there early in the year, get all fired up because the weather hits 60 degrees one day, and catch one 8" bass... I look for one or two stable stretches of weather before I get out for LM. I look for air temp lows above 40 degrees as well. 3 or 4 days were the lows are above 40 and it's on! The last full week of March this year should be good. If the air temps cooperate it will coincide with the right moon phase. I can't wait!!!