Spawn question??

[Steve]

Since i've got nothing better to do until soft water, here's a question for you.

If you have a body of water with equal amounts of gravel and hard sand bottom, would a smallmouth be more inclined to spawn near the gravel, or the sand? Lets say the lake has no moving water, with ample amount of wood cover.

[djkimmel]

In most cases, I've seen the smallies still prefer gravel; very common - they'll spawn at the edge in the largest numbers where sand and gravel meet. Depends on depth, but it's also common for the wave-washed edge of the lake the have the sand scoured down to the rock and gravel, while the deeper water has sand covering the rock/gravel in many places.

Depends on if the sand and gravel is equally dispersed around the lake too.

I once found a 3+ smallie on a bed waaayyyy out on a huge sand flat isolated 100s of yards from any other bed on a patch of gravel about the size of a bath tub. It was the only gravel I saw anywhere out there.

[PoorBoy]

finders keepers

on kent lake they use both about equally. however, there is a main shoreline with gravel that gets beat by the wind/waves pretty good that you wont see many beds on. but if you look hard enough, on the back sides of laydowns and stumps, you will find some hefty spawners.

also in kent lake, fish spawning on gravel tend to be deeper. since there is a ton of shallow sandy areas on the lake you will see more beds on sand. but i have a few spots in 6 -8 feet of water where ( with help from an underwater camera and a crankbait ) i find smallies bedding on gravel points.

PoorBoy himself

[MBell]

I can't recall seeing to many beds on sand that were not next to cover. On sagianw bay there are miles of sand bars, If there is no gravel on the bar the fish spawn just off the bar in a little bit deeper water where the rocks are. This may also be because of the rough water, but there are fish that spawn shallow in the rocks.

[blakstr1]

An older post but i'll still reply. Smallies love gravel, absolutely love it! I would always concentrate on the gravel, Black Lake near Onaway is like that, lots of hard sand some sunken wood, but you have to find the gravel beds to find the smallies.