A few years back I fished with Lake Fork guide Jeff Kirkwood and he said something that stuck with me in relation to bass spawning habitat.

Lake Fork guide Jeff Kirkwood said beginning as early as the spawn anglers target trophy bass in too shallow of water.

“When you start talking with a lot of the guys that catch the Sharelunkers and the really big fish during the spawn you find that most of those fish are caught out in a little deeper water. I mean during that time of year, they will not be out in as deep of water as they will during the summer, but they are usually out past the super shallow spawning beds a lot of the people target,” Kirkwood said.

A typical fishing report put out by Kirkwood who is extremely detailed about all of his fishing is as follows.

Photo by Lisa Moore (Texas Fish & Game)

“The fish appear to be literally everywhere, not really, but the fish are relating to banks, points, main lake shorelines with absolutely no cover whatsoever, to areas with grass and no stumps, and areas with nothing but trees and stumps. One thing remains consistent though, the depth of water. Keep the boat in 17 to 20 feet (casting in) of water or 10 to 14 feet (casting on both sides of the boat) or six to eight feet casting out, towards deeper water.”

Kirkwood emphasizes the importance of finding the break line, where one type of structure or depth breaks over into another.

“There is usually a pattern to what the bass are doing. Sometimes it is hard to figure out but when you do is when you catch those elusive big fish,” he said.

It is something to think about in prime spawning season.

Chester Moore