Prespawn fishing in France
Black bass fishing in prespawn is very little practiced in France. This period is however, without any doubt, the favorite of all American black bass fishermen. Our freshwater fishing regulations are not adapted to this fish with different habits than our endemic fish.
Black bass enter the prespawn period around March in France, a time when fishing with lures in the second category is forbidden. However, the regulation is designed for water bodies that contain pike and some lakes and ponds that do not have pike can be opened to fishing during the prespawn. Some private lakes also offer this possibility.
Fishing for black bass in prespawn is much more respectful of the populations than fishing when the pike open, at the end of April, when the fish are defending their nests.
Find the right areas
As spring sets in and the water temperature warms up, black bass will become active to stock up on food and find mates. During this period, males will scour the edges of the water for a female, while females will scan their environment for a suitable spawning site.
However, several studies show that females often return to the same locations each year, even though there are several kilometers between their wintering and egg-laying areas from the previous year.
To fish for these fishes, it will be necessary to privilege shallow plates, between 50 cm and 2 m of depth. We often find fish in less than 30 cm of water, stuck to the bank, taking advantage of the sunlight to accelerate their metabolism.
Lures adapted to fish for black bass in prespawn
Given the shallow depths where fish are found and the tendency of black bass to seek out crowded areas, not all lures are effective. The must-have lures, found in every American angler's box during this time of year, are four in number.
The rubber jig and the chatterbait are mainly used to fish in little water on crowded areas. The rubber jig allows you to get the fish deep inside the obstacle while the chatterbait allows you to prospect quickly by making the fish come out of their hiding places.
As far as hard lures are concerned, mainly used in boats, we find the crankbait and the jerkbait minnow. These lures allow you to trigger fish that are still migrating from the depths to the shallows. A small bonus point for the jerkbaits minnow in their suspending version which are extremely effective.
