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How early is too early for bass?

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Date/Time: 04/28/2024 03:53PM

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How early is too early for bass?

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Previous Messages:
Author	Message Text
mapsguy1955	01/24/2020 10:19AM I was in a week after ice-out the last two years. In 18 the temperature got up to near 90 F and bass were hitting on the surface by the end of our week and last year we were just beginning to see them, only caught one. BUT, the trout were certainly biting! This year I'm going in late August of early September.
mapsguy1955	01/24/2020 10:19AM I was in a week after ice-out the last two years. In 18 the temperature got up to near 90 F and bass were hitting on the surface by the end of our week and last year we were just beginning to see them, only caught one. BUT, the trout were certainly biting! This year I'm going in late August of early September.
Luckee	01/14/2020 02:26PM Great minds think alike jdoutdoors -- I'm locked and loaded for 6/6-6/19, airplane and everything. If I can find active pike in the first part of the window, I'll be a happy camper. :)
JD	01/14/2020 01:34PM I wasn't in Q last year, but I was in the BWCA in mid-May. It seemed nothing was biting any lure at all. First week of June I had more success with walleye and pike, but only caught a single smallmouth. Water temps were ~50F in mid-May and ~55F for June. I'm thinking of going in the second week of June for more active smallmouth.
joewildlife	01/13/2020 03:48PM I've been going to BWCA/Quetico/WCPP for 10 years now and the spring trip always starts around June 1. Only ONCE, it was 2017 I think when we had a warm and early spring, have I seen smallmouths on the beds. That was more fun than anything. So that was probably June 7 or so cause it was a few days into the trip. We caught walleye and trout too, but they were deeper and slower than typical, with that early spring. All that said I would guess prime time would be June 15 or so. Joe
Wables	01/13/2020 01:43PM Most of my Q trips are mid June encompassing Fathers Day. My reasoning is that the Walleyes are still shallow, Lake Trout aren’t too deep, and the bass top water bite has usually started. This year I’m going June 6th as we will be more focused on trout. I’d love to go earlier, but my other group member’s wife is a teacher so we wait until school is out.
Luckee	01/13/2020 01:08PM Wise words, gentlemen! Thanks :) Given I'm flying all the way from CA, I'll play it safe and think June. Might seem crazy, but to me, Quetico feels like the little Maine lakes I fished as a kid, only multiplied dozens or hundreds of times. Example: my favorite home pond is 255 acres, vs. Cirrus lake at just shy of 5500! I'll get in a plane for that.
AmarilloJim	01/13/2020 08:18AM bfurlow: "I think it will all depend on the temps in Spring and the individual lake and where in that lake you fish. I have been there in Mid-May and had one lake produce and similar spots in other lakes do nothing. Look for shallower dark water/dark bottom lakes. Look for bays on the North side of the lake since that will get most sun. If there is an inflow of water that will help too. All that being said it is hit or miss for bass that time of year. I try to focus on cold water species that early and wait a couple weeks for bass. Fronts, weather, temps all change frequently early in the year, so it might be easier to wait a week or so for it to stabilize. Your mileage may vary. :) Good luck!! " +1 Running water is a real magnet for early season bass.
bfurlow	01/12/2020 07:25PM I think it will all depend on the temps in Spring and the individual lake and where in that lake you fish. I have been there in Mid-May and had one lake produce and similar spots in other lakes do nothing. Look for shallower dark water/dark bottom lakes. Look for bays on the North side of the lake since that will get most sun. If there is an inflow of water that will help too. All that being said it is hit or miss for bass that time of year. I try to focus on cold water species that early and wait a couple weeks for bass. Fronts, weather, temps all change frequently early in the year, so it might be easier to wait a week or so for it to stabilize. Your mileage may vary. :) Good luck!!
Luckee	01/12/2020 06:58PM The post asking for May/June trip ideas got me thinking . . . is late May likely to be too early/too cold for smallmouth to be active on the surface? Has anyone done first week of June, for example, and not found the bass biting? I really like topwater bass, so it would probably make sense to go later as the water warms up. Yet, it's so cool to be there early and catch lakers near the top too. A first world problem :)