Spawning dates vary by region, but they are always closely tied to water temperature. Find out from your local fisheries manager when you can expect the following temps, and plan your days accordingly. PRESPAWN: Right around when the water reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit, males move to shallows and start making beds. Females are bulking up. Use crankbaits, jerkbaits, and ¿¿¿¿swimbaits. PRIME SPAWN: When the water hits 62 degrees, especially around the full moon phase, it¿¿¿¿¿¿¿s prime sight-fishing time (assuming the water is clear). Soft-plastic worms and jigs can elicit angry strikes. POSTSPAWN: As the water warms into the high 60s and low 70s, the females move away from the beds, and the males stick around to guard the fry. Males are susceptible to the same jig or soft-plastic annoying baits. Females get selective¿¿¿¿¿¿¿try soft plastics in natural colors and hard-bodied jerkbaits in slightly deeper water. POST-POSTSPAWN: The fish are eating, getting themselves back into form. Soft plastics and swimbaits work well on dropoffs and in deeper water. --K.D.