The numbers don't lie — 10 pounds, 4 ounces, 12-14, 9-5. Those were some of the biggest bass ever caught by Bassmaster Elite anglers John Cox, Lee Livesay and Brandon Card, respectively. The common thread: they all caught their tanks during the prespawn. Surprising? Not at all. No doubt, these sticks can catch ’em any time of year, but each agrees that the prespawn is primetime for belt-notching, replica-mounting, Instagram-worthy giants. Backing up this assertion, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland explains precisely why spring brings the tank parade.
“At that time of year, the female bass — the heaviest fish — are gravid with eggs and they’re eating more because the water’s warming up,” Gilliland said. “More of those calories go into both muscle and egg production so there is a spike in weight, compared to other times of the year.
