I know a white jig is popular for bed fishing and my guess for that is because someone knowing that a bass will move ANYTHING off its nest to protect its eggs started to use the white jig because it is much more visible that many other lures. then word simply got out that that was a good idea to use a white jig.

Since many people use them and many bass are caught on them, can a bass that is caught on one the pevious year while on a bed become conditioned to a white jig?

I heard that drop-shot and swimbaits work good also for bedding bass.
If bass will eat anything if it thinks its invading their nest, then anything can work good for bedding bass, right?

But somethings will have a tendency to work better than others due to their visibility, or the way they are presented right?

If you don't mind me asking, what are the best spawning lures and why?
anything given will help me a lot so i can become a beter bed-fisherman.

i have a problem with wording things in the right way so the stuff that i wrote above might be confusing, but if you get my drift, great.

thanks for your help

Whats up Bassinator Kid. I have good luck w/ t.d. minnows ripped over or near the side of the beds, try getting the flat finish ones instead of the shiney hologram ones, in my experience those work better. Also ive had some really good luck using a Lizard or a brushog on a really small 1" to 1 1/2" dropshot leader. I used that technique to hook up on a toad at Lake Casitas last spring but i was using a zipper worm instead, dummy me i was using 6 pound test and the fish worked me and got away. Big hammers work really well also cuz they stand on their noses making em look like they are feeding on the eggs, and you can get a really get a good quick hookset w/ the open hooks almost like fishing a jig. Also a castaic bluegill is a super good bed bait. Try em out this spring and let us know how you did. Good fishing to you.

Tsunami

Throw a color that YOU can see good. Then you can play the game...make sure you back off on the drag a bit, that short amount of line out breaks much easier....especially if she's good sized. Get 'em

The only thing that matters is that you can see it so you can have it in the right area at all times. Shoots, I have caught them on a piece of gum drop shotted over the bed. If they are stubborn, keep showing them something different. In a tournament, I will have up to 6 rods rigged up with different baits of different sizes to keep a constant flow of different baits coming at the fish. Even the most stubborn ones will eventually get mad and bite.

I am asked that very question often and like what the others have said, it begins with what you can see. That is primarily why white baits have been so popular. This becomes even more important on those deep beds that you can't quite make out, but know the general location. You can concentrate on the white and often when it disappears which means it would be a good time to set the hook. The next most important thing is to use a bait you have confidence in. Since it is a general understanding that a spawning bass can be aggravated enough using a wide variety of lures, begin with what you have confidence in and can see. I primarily use white or smoke and white tube baits texas rigged. It can be fished in a variety of ways including swimming across the bedding area. It is agile enough to be flipped through branches and stuff too. I quite using jigs a long time ago because too many fish would throw the jig when they broke water. I friend of mine used to religiously use a white jig and complained of this very same problem. I told him to leave the white jigs at home and go to a texas rigged tube and he lands most of the fish he sticks. Another important issue when you are bed fishing is to use heavy line. The unless the fish have been stuck over and over again, they won't care about the line size. Go big, #15 or #20 test. You will wish you did when you stick that big pig and she runs you into some underwater timber. I keep a 7-6 flippin's stick on deck at all times with big line and my killer bait just for when I come across that big toad. If you just want to have some fun sticking males, #10 test and a 6 foot medium action rod will allow you to have some fun fightin them. Remember that not all two fish think a like and no two have the same temperment. You have to take the time to figure them out and be willing to throw something different at them on occasion. A little trick I use is when a fish is acting like he or she is going to smack it, it make the bait look like it is retreating as the fish chases it off. That gives them confidence. You can then expect on the next cast they will be good and anger and not waste time just making a bluff attack but smack it good. Try it. It's fun sometimes to toy with them. You will be surprised at what you will learn. Good luck this spring.

that some great stuff guys.

thanks for the help.

i'm looking to land at least a 8 or 9 but who knows maybe i'll land a 10+ or even Long's 20-12 out of dixon. hahahahaha