Seasonal Fishing Patterns

There are certain things every good angler should know, and that is how fish react to weather. Although no one will ever truly master the art of Seasonal Patterns, a better understanding of them will make you a better angler. Below you will find links to articles on all the different seasonal patterns, as well as, general weather related articles for those special weather events. We will constantly be updating these links as we find them on the web, but if you have an article you would like to submit, we welcome it. Just send it to us at Contact Us, and we will try and get it on as soon as possible.

Remember if you have a Personal Fishing Page with us and find an article you wish to save, you may consider copying the text and saving in your private journal to pull up for future reading when the time is right.

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Spring Fishing Patterns

"Late Spring Bass Fishing" by Don Wirth

Pro bass angler Randy Howell explains why many bassers have trouble putting together a viable pattern in late spring and offers some sage advice. Read

"Overcoming Spring's Greatest Bass Fishing Challenges" by Don Wirth

Florida pro Shaw Grigsby and Alabama pro Gerald Swindle reveal how they deal with all the negatives that the spring season is notorious for dishing. Read

"Overlooked Spring Bass Hotspots" by Don Wirth

Where will you be fishing this spring? Read

"White Bass Spring Run" by Wade Bourne

When the "run" is on, its a time when anglers can catch white bass until their muscles quiver from exhaustion. Read

"Tackling the Bass Spawn" by Tom Cannon

When the Bass are "locked on" the fishing gets great. Read

"A Great Way to Catch Pre-Spawn Bass" by Don Wirth

This do-nothing method requires lots of patience, but it'll put fish in your livewell from late-winter through spring. Read

Springtime Bassin!
By Charles Stuart
Spring Tips for up north Read

Spring has Sprung
By Dan McGarry
Getting started with spring or post-winter and pre-spawn fishing. Read

Spring Fever
By Tom Lester
Hunting season is over its time to go fishing. Read

Early Spring Jig Combo
By Dan Galusha
The jig has long been a favorite, and rightfully so, as it is a great producer for lunker bass. Read

Springtime Bassin’ is Just Around the Corner
By Tom Lester
Time to dust off our gear and head to our favorite lake. Read

Post Spawn Blues-What to do!
By Sherry Ruslink
Read

Spawn! It Can’t Get Any Better Than This!
By Sherry Ruslink
Read

Prespawn Bass
By Sherry Ruslink
Read

Spring Bass Migrations
Tony Couch on BassFan
Read

Hard to Soft in Spring
Keith Green on BassFan
Read

Early Spring Jigging
Chuck Economou on BassFan
Read

Sight Fishing Basics
Randy Howell on BassFan
Read

Summer Fishing Patterns

"Catching Summer Bass in the Shallows" by Don Wirth

Tired of bucking wakes from ski boats and personal watercraft out on your deep main-lake fishin' holes? Our experts will point you to shallow-water spots guaranteed to yield more pleasant and productive summer bass outings. Read

"Add Pounds to Your Stringer" by Don Wirth

Try these prespawn tips from some of the best pros and guides in the business to tap into a way-bigger class of bass. Read

"Best Bets for Big Summer Bass" by Don Wirth

We've corralled five bass experts to take you on a milk run of the choicest summer hotspots. Read

Summer Schooling
By Tom Lester
Schooling bait equals schooling bass Read

Dealing with Summer Heat
By Ken Nance
How to take care of yourself in summer heat Read

Turn the Monkey into a Limit
By Jeff Price
Tips for weekend tournament fishing Read

Bass Seek the A.C. in the Summer Heat
By Danny Russell
Read

Flipping the Grass-A Summertime Tradition
By Jeff Buchanan
Read

Lizard Your Way to Summertime Bass
By Michelle “Fishstix” Fitch
Read

Summer Grass Bass
Dave Lefebre on BassFan
Read

Strokin’ Structure
Dan Morehead on BassFan
Fishing deep structure Read

Cranking In Early Summer
David Fritts on BassFan
Read

Carolina Rigs For Hot Water
Homer Humphreys, Jr. on BassFan
Read

Summer Worms
Kevin VanDam on BassFan
Read

Early Bite Key In Summer
Larry Nixon on BassFan
Read

Shallow in Summer
Scott Rook on BassFan
Read

Fall Fishing Patterns

"Overlooked Fall Hotspots for Bass" by Don Wirth

Step off the beaten path and try these 10 overlooked fall bassin' hotspots! Read

"10 Super Soft Plastic Baits for Fall" by Don Wirth

Whether you're competing in a tournament or simply out for a fun day of fall fishin', we're sure you'll score big with these 10 squishy rigs. Read

Deep in Fall
Mark Davis on BassFan
Read

Ahh! Autumn at Last
Tom Lester
Finding bass to catch as they make the transition from summer to fall. Read

Fall Fishing Patters “What an Exciting Time!”
Fishin’ With Jeff
Read

Jerk Search: Fall Bass
Bernie Schultz on BassFan
Read

Small Cranks in Early Fall
Dustin Wilks on BassFan
Read

Winter Fishing Patterns

"Score Big Bass on Your First Trip of the Year" by Don Wirth

Make your first bassin' trip of the year count using these five early-season strategies from legendary anglers. At least one is guaranteed to catch bass in frigid water, regardless of where you're fishing. Read

"Cold-Water Bass Lures" by Don Wirth

If you've had trouble scoring strikes when the water temp drops below 50 degrees, study these tips from fishing's top pros and guides to heat up your next bass outing. Read

"Targeting Wintertime White Bass" by Keith Sutton

If the winter fishing itch gets too much to bear, give "sandies" a try. Read

Iced Out
By Brendan Cucinello
When the ice starts to thaw Read

Bass Fishing in Winter
By Charles Stuart
Fishing for bass during the late fall and winter months Read

Getting Your Winter Time Fishing Fix
By Tom Lester
What to do when going fishing seems out of the question Read

A Tough Proposition
By Dub LaShot
Winter is approaching fast in the north, but does that mean your can’t catch bass? No! We explain why inside Read

Early Winter Fishing
By Dave Brummond
Lures, tips and tactics for early winter lethargic largemouth bass Read

Bass Fishing In Winter
By Charles Stuart
Having trouble catching bass during the winter months? Pro angler Charles Stuart gives you a few pointers inside Read

Choosing Winter Lures
By Joseph Raines
Just because the water is cold doesn’t mean your lure selection is limited. Expanding your choices could mean big bass in the livewell Read

The Spinners of Winter
By Jack Lewis
A spinnerbait can be an exceptional tool even in colder water when used properly Read

Cold Water Lunkers
By Dean Stroman
Big bass can be caught even during winter. Professional guide Dean Stroman (a big bass specialist) gives us his tips on catching lunkers during the colder months Read

Winter Jig Fishing
By Bonita Staples
It’s time to slow down our presentation as the water cools and look to jigs on those really cold days. Why? Because they work! Read

Hair for Cold Water River Bronzebacks
By Blain Mengel
Hair jigs are excellent lures for fooling river smallmouth bass even when they reach their most inactive period during the winter. Here’s how to find the fish holding areas and choose the best equipment for the job at hand Read

Short-Sleeve Fishing in January?
By Larry Gonczy
If you put your fishing gear away for the winter that’s a mistake. There’s plenty of big bass to be caught, you just have to change your tactics Read

Slow Down For Winter
By Jay Yelas
Professional anger Jay Yelas explains how he catches bass during Winter in this article Read

The Forgotten Winter Technique
By Dan O’Sullivan
Sometimes cold water fishing can be downright tough. Here’s a great technique to try when the chips are down Read

Cold Clear Water
By Doug Yeargain
During January, February and early March, concentrate on jigging for deep-water bass. Here’s how Read

Are You Ready?
By Bill Wilcox
Use these tips for winter fishing. And while the fishing is slow, here’s how to get ready for when it is not Read

Winter Technique
By Todd “Toad” Crockett
Splitshotting Read

Cold Water Bass Behavior
By Ralph Manns
Read

Bassin in the Winter
By Jeff Buchanan
Read

Prespawn Bass
By Sherry Ruslink
Read

Do Bass Come up to Bask in the Winter Sun?
By Ralph Manns
Read

Ambush is the Wrong Word
By Ralph Manns
Read

Winter Mats
Terry Scroggins on BassFan
Read

Spoon-Feed Winter Bass
Todd Ary on BassFan
Read

Splitshot To Win
Alton Jones on BassFan
The precursor to the drop shot Read

Fishing Winter Tournaments
Gerald Swindle on BassFan
Read

General Seasonal Weather Articles

"Fishing and the Wind" by Justin Hoffman

Fishing calm water may be more comfortable, but nothing turns on the bite like the wind. Read

"Overcoming Post Cold-Weather Conditions" by Justin Hoffman

Try these techniques the next time you have the "cold front blues," and watch your catch rate increase dramatically. Read

"Catch Lunker Bass From Cold, Muddy Water" by Don Wirth

Try these tricks when conditions get tough on your favorite lake or river. Read

The Metabolic Bass
By Brendan Cucinello
Understanding how a bass reacts to changing temperatures can help you catch more bass Read

Cold Front Myths-Busted
By Terry Battisti
The effect cold fronts, barometric pressure, etc. have on bass Read

Wind and Currents
By Ralph Manns
Read

Change Your Clocks…Change your Tactics
By Chuck Bauer
Read

Ken Penrod’s Tidal Bass Calendar and Lure Selection Advice
By Den Penrod
Read

Cypress Trees----Year-round Bass Habitat
By Danny Russell
Read

Are you ready for the rainy season?
By Mike Huffstatler
Read

Fog
By Lee Parsons
Read

A Strike You Don’t Want…Lightning
By Dave Grillmeier
Read

Locating Bass in the Grass
By Troy J-Angling Alabama
Read

Confidence=Success for Bass Fishing!
By Sherry Ruslink
Read

Oxygen, pH, Optimum Temperatures and Bass Behavior
By Ralph Manns
Read

Spot Study: The Calendar
Russ Lane on BassFan
Read

Docks To Rocks To Steep Drops
Mark Tucker on BassFan
Follow your bass as they change locations Read

Moon Phase, Solunar Influence, Tides and Bass
By Ralph Manns
Read

A Time of Extremes
John Murray on BassFan
Read

Tides and Current
David Dudley on BassFan
Read

Fishing Muddy Water
Tommy Biffle on BassFan
Read

Beat That Cold Front
Jim Bitter on BassFan
Read

Tough Conditions
Homer Humphreys, Jr. on BassFan
Read

Fishing Yoo-hoo Water
O.T. Fears, III on BassFan
Read

Bass Migration
By Ken Nance
Observations as a scuba diver Read

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