Unlock the Secret to Trophy Bass: Blueback Herring Spawn

A secret ingredient has shaped a number of bass fisheries and now sparks a hot bite during spring: blueback herring, a baitfish that spawns between March and early May, congregates in huge schools and greatly impacts bass behavior and, ultimately, how much the fish grow.

Originally diadromous (spending part of its life in freshwater and part in the salt), blueback herring occur naturally in parts of the Mid- and South Atlantic regions. But some migrated into and established in Lake Ontario and connected waters. Adaptable enough to thrive in landlocked waterbodies, bluebacks were stocked in various reservoirs to bolster the native forage and produce better quality bass. These are prime examples.

LAKE LANIER, GA

The herring here have transformed the deep, clear reservoir into a superb destination for spotted bass that behave more like stripers (which are also abundant) than largemouths. The resident spots—often in the 3- to 4-pound range—cruise humps, saddles, and brush piles in 25 to 45 feet, waiting for the next blueback school to wander past.

Anglers lean heavily on forward-facing sonar (FFS) to track roaming wolfpacks, then cast topwaters or flukes ahead of the fish. Some of the best action happens under bright sun, conditions that push the herring to hold close to structure and make bass commit to fast-moving baits.

LAKE HARTWELL, SC

When the blueback from the Savannah River established in this lake decades ago, bass began relating to offshore points, drains, and open water instead of hugging shoreline cover.

The “herring bite” peaks during the postspawn in late spring, when largemouths set up on long, sloping points. At dawn, bluebacks push shallow, and the bass take advantage. Fishing walking baits the size of hotdogs around such points frequently results in explosive strikes. The bite often moves to water 40 to 60 feet deep when the sun climbs, and anglers should follow suit, casting swimbaits, scrounger heads, and jerkbaits toward the returns on their sonar displays.

LAKE MURRAY, SC

The surface melees along shallow points and shoals triggered by bluebacks on Lake Murray is the stuff of legend. Here, you keep a Spook on one rod, a soft jerkbait on another, and an oversized swimbait on a big-fish rod because the bass will still blow up baits that seem too big for the fish to swallow. The clear water and nomadic herring push largemouths to suspend off breaks, often in schools, and charge aggressively whenever the baitfish come within range.

SMITH LAKE, AL

Unintentionally introduced (as baitfish for stripers) at Smith Lake, bluebacks added rocket fuel to an already strong spotted bass fishery. Here, 4-pounders are now common, and the spots have turned pelagic and roam the deep, ultra-clear waters.

Naturally, FFS reigns supreme, as anglers count on it to track individual fish or small packs suspended 20 to 40 feet below the surface. Small swimbaits, Damiki rigs, and flutter spoons are staples. But when the herring move shallow—especially during the spawn—topwater fishing can be remarkable.

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