Imagine waking up to fog on the pond on a brisk morning and casting a lure into the cool water. Seconds later, you’re hooked onto a largemouth bass, a fish species native to the Southern, Middle, and Western regions of the United States. Fisherman all over the country gather around lakes, rivers, and ponds to experience this wondrous time of year: spawning season.

The start of spawning season is characterized by two main signals: increased feeding and an increase in aggression. These characteristics are responses to the bass physical spawning or giving birth to young. To make sure the fry (or baby bass) are healthy, female bass will increase their food intake by almost 75%. They will also create nests that can range from 6 inches-3 feet. Males predominately guard the nest, while the mother is responsible for the fry. This can be a challenging task for the mother as she can spawn hundreds of eggs at a time, while predators are constantly surveying the nest looking for openings to consume the young fry. This leads to an increase in aggressive behavior in the largemouth bass. This increased aggression Is the highlight of this season as these fish will attack anything that enters their nest.

Depending on the region, bass will attack certain lures with hesitation and/or violence. For example, Ian Thompson, a local fisherman, explains that “ in Williamsburg and during the Spring I like to use a jig to stir up the bass’s nests and get a reaction or aggression strike.” In my personal experience, I can attest to the effectiveness of this method. Last Sunday, I went fishing with Mr. Thompson and was able to catch five largemouths using a jig. As I reflect on this experience, I am flooded with the excitement that comes with the thrill of the spawn. Not only did I catch a bounty of species, they were also great size.

Largemouth bass run in sizes from 1 pound-25 pound, with 25lb bass being the rarest and hardly ever seen. The species I caught were in the 2 to 5 pound range, which are typical for the beginning of the spawn. These bass can be found anywhere in the state of Virginia, so if you have a rod, reel, and some money to buy lures, you’re set for the spawn! Happy fishing!