Bass are among the most sought-after freshwater game fish. Everyone from professional anglers to weekend fishermen spend countless hours trying to discover the magic lure to catch bass every time they fish. But the truth is, there is no single bait that mimics all the forage opportunities bass have throughout the year. Knowing the primary forage bass eat at any given time improves your chances of catching them.

  Specific, reliable forage opportunities for bass come and go with the seasons. In spring, bass have the most complex feeding habits, so let’s start there.

  Spring into Action

  There are three stages to a bass’s life cycle in the spring: pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn. Each stage has its own available forage. When the temperatures begin to rise, a bass’ metabolism speeds up and it needs more food to survive. During spring, all species of fish start moving toward shallow bays and north- or west-facing bank lines to capture the sun’s warmth. Larger baitfish that survived the winter limits the available food sources for bass. Shad, minnows, bream/bluegill, and other smaller species are all primary targets for bass. In spring, bass are not picky eaters and devour anything available. Presenting larger baits better mimics the available forage size.

  Pre-Spawn: As spring advances, bass start preparing for the spawning season. Bass feed heavily prior to the spawning ritual because they know that during the 10 to 14 days of spawning they will not feed at all. As the water warms above 50 degrees, bass change their primary forage to a high-protein diet. This helps egg development in females. Because of the protein content, crawfish are a highly sought-after food source during pre-spawning. Lures that have the size and color of lake crawfish species are the best options for mimicking what the bass search for during this time of year.

  Spawn: During the spawning phase, a bass’s attitude changes, becoming defensive. Bluegill, bream, crawfish, salamanders, and even small turtles will attack a bass’s nest. Bass will aggressively assault these species, not for food but as a threat. First, a bass will try and run these pillagers away from the nests. If an invader returns, the bass will kill it. Anglers should choose baits that imitate these species that threaten bass eggs.

  Post-Spawn: The last phase in the spring cycle is the post-spawn. In this cycle, the females leave the males to guard the fry. The majority of the female bass can be found in deeper water, resting from the spawning ritual. The males will stay near the nests, protecting the recently hatched fry. Bait options vary depending on whether you target male or female bass. To target male bass guarding fry along the shorelines, use top-water baits. The fry stay very shallow and near the surface, so the male bass protecting them swim just beneath and attack anything that poses a threat to the fry. Surface baits that make noise and scare the fry become an immediate enemy of the male bass.

  Female bass migrate to slightly deeper water; although they are healing from the spawn, they are very hungry. Just about any bait that’s slow is a good choice. By now the water has warmed significantly and the shad in the lake will migrate to the shallows for their own spawning season. Their migration intersects with females moving toward deeper water, and the shad become a primary food source as the two fish cross paths.

  After the bass spawning cycle is complete in spring, the tables turn and the bass becomes the predator again. As the water continues to warm, other species begin spawning cycles. Bass utilize these spawning species to their advantage for easy feeding opportunities.

  As the water temperature gets to about 70 degrees, shad start to spawn; this typically occurs about two or three weeks after the bass spawn. When shad follow a bait to the boat, that’s a telltale sign of shad spawn. That signifies male shad looking for a female mate. At the water’s edge, you will also notice small groups of shad chasing each other around items such as rocks, dock pylons, vegetation, or any debris in the water. This is how they spawn.

  I like to call the shad spawn Mother Nature’s way of fattening up the bass after they have spawned. Hungry bass gorge themselves on this abundant food source in the shallow waters. Once you notice the shad spawn, choose baits that mimic the same size, shape, and color of the shad in your local lakes. Silver or white baits with a green or blue hue are very effective.

  Bream, bluegill, and other sunfish species start their spawning rituals after the shad spawn. You’ll see this by locating small, cleared-out circles cleared on the bottom of shallow pockets. A good bream/bluegill bedding ground will have 20-50 of these circles inside a 20-yard square. Large bass prowl the edges of these spawning grounds, waiting for weak or tired bream/bluegill to swim by. These species have a tremendous color variance across the country. It is important to investigate the local waters to best match the colors of the species. During this phase, bait choices should mimic the bream or small sunfish in your area.

  Summer Lovin’

  As the season moves into mid-summer, forage opportunities for bass open up, consisting of everything from shad that have migrated back to deeper waters to bream/bluegill that live in shallow water most of the year and crawfish that are plentiful in all lake depths. As summer progresses, shallow waters become extremely warm and bass seek deeper water for cooler temperatures. Bass use creek channels, ledges, deep grass lines, or points to migrate in search of shad. Finding one of these structures and presenting baits that mimic shad will increase your chances of landing bass.

  Look for part two that covers the fall and winter seasons in next month’s issue of The Bullet.

  Author Mike Cork has been bass fishing since he was old enough to hold a fishing rod. He's a bass fishing writer, and a current member of B.A.S.S., American Bass Anglers, and Bass Life Associates.

  This article brought to you by Fix.com, a lifestyle blog devoted to bringing you expert content to make your life easier. They cover everything in and around your home, like landscaping, gardening, outdoor activities, home maintenance and repairs. Visit them at www.fix.com.

  DES MOINES — State and national scientists are working to identify a fish found in the Mississippi River recently that, if proven to be what it is thought, would be the first time in more than 80 years the species has been confirmed in Iowa.

  Iowa DNR fisheries staff collecting fish for a fishing clinic in early July captured what is believed by state and national authorities to be a longear sunfish.

  "If this proves to be a longear sunfish it will be the first time since 1932 the species has been positively identified in Iowa," said DNR fisheries technician Adam Thiese, who collected the fish. "How it got here and where it came from remains to be determined. For those that work in the fisheries field, both state and nationally, anytime an uncommon species can be documented, it’s an exciting discovery."

  Leading national ichthyologists believe it is a longear sunfish. A fin clip has been collected to verify. Once listed as common in bayous around Muscatine, they have been extirpated from the state for more than eight decades.

  The fish is being held alive by the DNR until it can be positively identified.

  Check out www.iowadnr.gov for all the information you’ll need on the great outdoor activities in Iowa!

  Twenty additional counties removed from late-winter season: permits reduced for some counties

  SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller announced changes to the 2014-2015 deer hunting seasons today, including the removal of 20 additional counties from the late-winter season and a reduction in the number of firearm permits available in some counties. IDNR biologists made recommendations for the coming season following a review of deer hunting harvest numbers, deer-vehicle accident data, a survey of Illinois deer hunters, hemorrhagic disease reports and other factors.

  “Solid science is the basis of our deer program,” said Director Miller. “These changes reflect our commitment to professional management of the state’s deer population to provide recreational opportunity while being mindful of public safety and the rights of property owners.”

  In 2008, the IDNR began using trends in the rate of deer-vehicle accidents (DVA) as an index of deer population status in each county and adopted a specific objective for each county based on accident rates. Those initial objectives for each county were set at the point halfway between the lowest and highest rates occurring in that county between 1994 and 2007. IDNR’s statewide target called for a 14 percent reduction in accident rate from the peak observed in 2003, but individual goals and the changes needed to reach them varied widely by county. That statewide goal was first reached in 2012, but some counties still remain above goal.

  The most recent goal changes, which adjusted the deer goals higher in 41 counties, were announced in February of this year: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Pages/IDNRPlanningIllinoisDeerHuntingChangesfor2014-15.aspx

  “In order to be effective, Illinois’ deer management program adapts as new information is learned, as problems arise, or as public perception and tolerance changes,” said Paul Shelton, IDNR Forest Wildlife Program Manager.

  What hunters should know: Late-Winter Antlerless Only Season

  The Late-Winter Antlerless-Only Deer Hunting Season will be closed in 20 additional counties this year. These include Adams, Bond, Bureau, Calhoun, Clinton, Cumberland, Fayette, Hancock, Jefferson, Jersey, Logan, Menard, Perry, Randolph, Richland, Sangamon, Scott, St. Clair, Whiteside, and Woodford. Thirty-two counties already are closed to the late-winter season. Thirty-five counties remain open for the late-winter season, while an additional 12 counties are open for the special chronic wasting disease season held concurrently. Three counties in northeast Illinois are not open for firearm hunting. See attached map for the status of your county: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/wildlife/Documents/2014-15ProposedLWCounties.pdf

  Firearm hunting permits

  The number of firearm permits has been reduced in some counties. Statewide, the number of either-sex permits is being reduced by 4,925. Antlerless-only permits are being reduced by 6,375. The 11,300 permits amount to a reduction of about 4.1 percent. Last year, 277,585 firearm permits were available, compared with 266,285 for the upcoming season. Quota reductions begin immediately and will affect the second firearm lottery. See attached spreadsheet detailing permit changes for each county: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/wildlife/Documents/IllinoisFirearmDeerPermitQuotas2014.pdf

  Key decision-making factors: Deer vehicle accidents

  Deer-vehicle accidents are an accurate barometer of Illinois deer population trends. The deer-vehicle accident (DVA) rate in 2013 was similar to 2012, even though deer harvest numbers declined from 180,811 in 2012 to 148,614 in 2013. Poor weather conditions during the firearm seasons probably affected both hunter participation and success rates, and recent hemorrhagic disease outbreaks likely had at least localized effects, as well.

  In 2013, the DVA rate of 145.3 accidents per billion miles driven was down slightly from 148.3 in 2012. With a few exceptions, counties that stay below their DVA goal for two consecutive years are removed from the late-winter season: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/wildlife/Documents/DVARate.pdf

  Prepare for the upcoming hunting seasons by taking a hunter safety course. Find a course near you here: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/safety/Pages/default.aspx.

  For more information, visit the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer