When bass are the heaviest

[RUGER]

I was laid up swapping ice and heat on my knee yesterday and watched a lot of tv.
Bill Dance came on so, of course, I had to watch him.
He was telling all kinds of "bass facts" and in fact that was the name of the episode.
Pretty interesting stuff.

Anyway, he said bass weigh the most in the Summer, NOT in the spring.
I always heard / thought the time to catch the big girls was right before the spawn.
He said the largest bass are caught in June and July.
I thought that was very odd and the exact opposite of what I have heard all my life.

 

[Jaahspike]

Same. That is interesting.

 

[clwg97]

Well I caught my biggest bass in July, it was a 6-1/2 pounder. I always told myself I wish I had caught it in spawn. maybe I don't. Seems like when it is full of eggs it would weigh the most. Maybe they gorge themselves in the summer.

 

[WTM]

pretty much true. roe in a big fish only weighs about a half pound. on ky lake early june is usually post spawn transition and usually tough. lat june and july is a good month.

here is what a lot of people dont realize about LMB, they prefer water in the 82-84 deg range. this is the temp their metabolism is the highest and they feed the heaviest but not necessarily more often. in the summer is when the weeds come out and the bait is the most plentiful whether its shad or bluegill.

 

[UCStandSitter]

Had better luck getting the beasts to bite in Jan-Early March than any other time of year. Numbers aren't as strong but size.

 

[WilcoKen]

My biggest (7lbs) was in mid June. 1:45AM 20 ft deep slow rolling a black spinner bait.

 

[younggun308]

My biggest (7lbs) was in mid June. 1:45AM 20 ft deep slow rolling a black spinner bait.

Do you just let it sink or do you use some weight further up the line to get it that deep?

 

[CBU93]

For me, bass are usually heaviest in the last time I tell about them, getting heavier every time I retell about them.

 

[West_Tn]

My biggest bass was caught in June. I don't think the time of year had anything to do with it, it was just a giant bass not gorged fat or anything. Probably would have been a couple pounds heavier in Feb/March.

 

[RUGER]

Probably would have been a couple pounds heavier in Feb/March.

That was the point of my thread.
I have always believed the same.
He was basically saying right the opposite.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

Hard to argue with Bill Dance… but I would imagine that "more" bass are caught in the summer, therefore bigger bass are caught in the summer. I would think an individual large bass would weigh more in the spring. My personal best was caught mid March, nasty day, flipping a jig into crappie bushes