Bass Fishing Report
May 1st, 2025 Bass Fishing Update 🎣
Bass fishing fanatics! Dive in and explore all three Bass Fishing Report heat maps below. Make sure you don’t miss it — scroll down to check out the latest Bass Season and Bass High Wind maps to stay ahead of the game. Know-Adapt-Catch® more Bass.
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Bass fishing report for this week:
The past several days brought record-setting rainfall across much of the nation's midsection. PRO TIP: Use the weather graph in your BassForecast PRO app to check rainfall totals by location for the past 10 days—this will help you steer clear of lakes blown out by muddy runoff.
It’s also been warmer than normal across most of the U.S., and that’s a double-edged sword. The good news? Warming water temps mean bass feeding activity is heating up too. The bad news? Seasonal patterns are shifting fast. So what worked for your buddy Hank “The Hammer” just a few days ago could now land you squarely in Skunksville if you’re not adapting to current conditions.
Don’t fish the past—fish the pattern. Use your BassForecast mobile app to scout the Adapted Pattern® Top 5 Baits and Lake Locations for each day, especially 3–4 days before and after your target fishing day. It’s the fastest way to dial it in, crack the code, and be the hero of the day—maybe even for your whole crew.
If you want to see how the following weekend looks, use Bass Forecast PRO. If you don’t already subscribe, we just announced what we believe is the best deal in the fishing industry to subscribe….which you will see below.
Stop guessing and fish smarter—With Bass Forecast Pro you can see 10 days ahead and always be ready for the best bite!
The Upcoming 5 days - Nationwide Regional Breakdown
Northwest:
A warming trend should push bass into pre-spawn and even spawn locations. Pre-spawn feeding will be active but likely scattered. Use your BassForecast mobile app to identify as many lookalike spots as possible, and stick-and-move throughout the day—many of these spots will reload. On smaller bodies of water, be patient and revisit key pre-spawn areas multiple times. Keep an eye out for beds, especially in the warmest parts of shallow lakes.
Southwest:
Slightly warmer-than-normal temperatures could have bass in any of three phases: spawn, pre-spawn, or early summer, depending on the lake. Use the “Bass Season” toggle in your app to view not only the current pattern but also the preceding and following seasonal trends. Having Plans B and C ready will keep you productive if Plan A stalls.
Midwest:
Seasonal temperatures should have bass in pre-spawn or spawn patterns this weekend. However, heavy rains may complicate things in some locations. PRO TIP: Use the weather graph in your BassForecast PRO app to review rainfall totals for the past 10 days by location. This helps you avoid lakes likely to be blown out by muddy inflows.
Southeast:
A slight warming trend should boost bass activity above normal levels. Depending on the lake, the hot pattern could be spawn, post-spawn, or even early summer. Use your BassForecast mobile app to prep for all three so you're ready to adapt on the water.
Northeast:
This weekend is ideal for targeting big females pushing into pre-spawn or even spawn mode—especially in shallower lakes—thanks to a back-to-back warming trend. Feeding will be more active than usual, but still scattered. Use your BassForecast app to find multiple lookalike areas and stick-and-move to capitalize on reloading spots. On smaller lakes, revisit key pre-spawn areas during peak feeding windows, which your app will highlight.
To see exactly when bass will be turned on in your area, open your Bass Forecast mobile app and get PRO.
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Test your bass fishing knowledge
Bass Vision: Super Sight Below the Surface!
Bass need far less light to see than us mere mortals. To estimate the maximum depth at which bass can rely on vision to hunt, drop a white bait (jig or worm) into the water until it disappears, then multiply that depth by:
Choose your answer
a. 4 feet
b. 10 feet
c. 7 feet
d. 2 feet
What is the next 10 days winning pattern?
Great bass anglers are constantly monitoring the weather and trying to figure out how it’s going to affect bass behavior so they can figure out a fish catching pattern. And even they make mistakes in judgement when the weather is rapidly changing because some weather variables affect the bite immediately and some days or weeks later.
Patterns change daily based on the weather…
So, get in the know with Bass Forecast Pro
BassForecast simplifies and speeds up the process. It's bass AI engine, engineered and refined over years of study, predicted the winning pattern of the 5 top flight bass tournaments in 2024 with 86% accuracy 10 days BEFORE each tournament began.
Bass Forecast Tip:
No matter the day you plan to go bass fishing be sure to check the Bass Forecast app to see all 5 baits adjusted for cover type (weed, wood, rock) with additional details of how to fish effectively for landing bigger bass — changing conditions could affect the ratings or bait recommendations!
Bass Forecast Tip:
Over 1.5 million+ Bass Forecast anglers have used these tips to boost catch rates during the cooler season.
1. DO NOT rely on “what worked yesterday”. It's not a solid strategy. The trickiest part of figuring out the bite in bass fishing is that patterns can change daily based on the weather, thus changing the feeding behavior of bass. Use the Bass Forecast app feature Adapted Patterns® to help adapt your strategy in real time. Bass Forecast Adapted Patterns® has predicted the winning pattern in 86% of top flight bass fishing tournaments 7 to 10 days before the tournament began.
2. Select best odds days up to 10 days in advance by getting Bass Forecast PRO inside the app. While there's no ‘guarantee’ of success on any single outing, double blind research has shown that season long average catch rates during GOOD/EPIC rated days are 68% to 305% higher than the average. Fisheries biologist research has also proven that bigger bass are caught during GOOD/EPIC days due to proactive vs reactive feeding behavior.
3. NO MATTER WHEN YOU GO, the BFR combined with the Seasonal Pattern (see map below) guides the 3 key elements of a successful bass catching pattern: 1. Baits to use. 2. Best bet fish feeding locations. 3. Best bet presentation speed.
Tight lines and happy fishing!
