I purchased a bass boat late last year, and I am ready to go fishing. My question is, when do you start your fishing season? My wife, kids, and I all go fishing so I can't simply take my 2 1/2 year old boy out fishing when it's 30 degrees out.... is the temp in the 50's good fishing weather? when is the spawning season? what makes the fish 'come out of hibernation'? Are there some good websites that explain what I am asking? I'd love to read about it before heading out.

Thanks in advaced for all of your help!

ps:I live in Kansas City incase you need it to know based on geographical position.

Fish don't really hibernate, they eat all winter(icefishing?). When the water temp. gets in the mid 50's you might expect some fish to start getting ready to spawn.

The bass are allready on bed down here!

FOOLPROOF?
Never underestimate the power of a fool!

What if the "Hokey Pokey" really is what it's all about?

Just a little bit of info on fish hibernating during the winter if your interested. I've been icefishing for a number of years and have never caught any freshwater drum (silver bass) or channel catfish when icefishing. We had this conversation at work and we all had the same experiance. I'm not sure what happens to them, but it seems as if they disappear.

I ice fish on the RED RIVER up here in Manitoba along with lots of other places,, fish dont hibernate some are just less active during hard water periods,,,
catfish still bite through the ice ive caught a couple
bass on the other hand are very dormant,, although they do feed,, not very much thats why they are feeding soo heavily in the fall when u have ur best chance at catching a PIG
as for spawning
our fish are still under 3 feet of ice and they wont even think about spawning till the last week of MAY depending on the weather and should be done spawning around the end of June
BRad

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Well if your talking about bass you can start catching smallmouths when the water temp reaches 45deg or so although the'll be slow.Largemouths about 50,but the magic temp is 60.When the water warms to 60 ,your going to catch your bigger bass...

AFTER the ice melts! I can't get my boat in with 2 feet of ice!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

&quot;Semper Fi&quot; Mac!

Well, I have been floating a few flies in the small lakes around the house all winter. I am going up to Northern Ark. to tempt a few rainbow and brown the first weekend in March. I will probably break out the jigs poles after that.

Smallmouths start spawning when water temp. reach 55-60 deg,largemouths 60-68,of course it can vary a few degrees + -.

Lonebowman,

It' s a 18 ft Charger Bass boat. It' s a 1987, but it' s been parked in my in-laws garage all that time, so it looks about 5 years old...

We took it out to a private lake (trolling only) several times to get used to it and driving with it. It' s part of my neighborhood and the fishing is fantastic, so it' s really not worth driving elsewhere to go fishing. We took it out to a large lake once last year right before it got too cold, and handling the boat was enough. None of us got to fish, but it was ok.

Call me crazy, but I didn' t buy the boat for myself. I bought it so my daughter could fish. If the fish are bitting, my wife loves to fish as well. My son is only two, but he knows how to cast and probably use a dummy hook this summer. I didnt' buy the boat to be by myself. I bought it to spend time with my family outdoors!

It' s fun.. We get up early on Sat/Sun and me and my daughter would go out. When my son wakes up, my wife gets ready and come out if the fish are bitting. It' s only 5 minutes away, so we can do that. I am so glad I bought this house!

Later lonebowman