JT Kenney Explains What Really Triggers Florida’s Biggest Bass Spawns

A day in the boat with Florida bass pro JT Kenney comes with plenty of laughs, but it also comes with insights that challenge what most anglers think they know about the bass spawn.

In much of the country, warming spring water triggers spawning activity. But in Central and South Florida, Kenney says the process works in reverse. Here, the biggest spawning waves and some of the most memorable fishing days of the year are triggered by cooling water, cold fronts, and the timing of the warm-up that follows.

Florida Bass Spawn Is the Opposite of What Most Anglers Think

In the short video below, Florida pro JT Kenney explains exactly what he watches for to time the biggest spawning waves of the season.

Kenney’s explanation in this video sets the stage for the rest of the spawning equation presented in this article—why some winters produce steady “trickle spawns,” while others deliver massive spawning waves that bass anglers dream of.

If, like me, you learned to fish for bass almost anywhere but Florida, you’re conditioned to think that warming spring weather increasing the water temps is what triggers the spawn. Especially in areas where lakes freeze in the winter, we knew that once the water temperatures finally made their way back above the 60-degree mark, you might start to find bedding fish. But in Central and Southern Florida, it’s the opposite.

Bass pro, JT Kenney hooked up with another Florida largemouth bass. | Kurt Mazurek

“You need to remember, summertime runs all the way into October here,” Kenney said. “So, water temperatures really don't start to drop until November most years. Where we are, the fish actually wait for the water to cool off before they think about the spawn.”

“I'm not talking about a little cold front coming through in the fall. But when the overall water temperature, instead of being 87 or 88 degrees gets down to 70, that starts to trigger a shift.”

When Do Florida Bass Spawn?

Two largemouth bass paired up in shallow water preparing for the spawn. — Bass in Central and Southern Florida can start spawning as early as the end of December. | Kurt Mazurek

Kenny told me he has seen fish on beds as early as the end of December some years, but the most consistent spawning happens in February. “February is when you get the real meat of the spawning cycle,” he said.

How Cold Fronts Trigger Waves of Florida Bass Spawning

“Once that water has cooled down and stayed consistently in the low-70s, I watch the weather. For a good spawn set up, you need a cold front to dip the water down several degrees, solidly into the 60s. And then when it warms back up on the other side of that weather, the fish will suck into the spawning areas. That climb back up a couple degrees after a cold front is what will trigger them.”

What is a “Trickle Spawn” in Florida?

Bass pro JT Kenney setting the hook on a Florida largemouth bass. — You'll find bass in all phases—pre-through-post spawn—during a "trickle spawn." | Kurt Mazurek

Kenney says, “Over the past couple winters we really haven’t had too many significant cold fronts. We’ll get into a weather pattern where maybe the wind changes from the north for a couple days and the temps drop five or six degrees. It causes some fish to spawn, but not all of them. They just trickle into the spawning areas. For January through March you’ll almost always find some spawning, some still pre-spawn and some done spawning. The fishing can be fairly consistent but you just don’t see any of those epic days.

Why Real Winter Weather Produces the Best Fishing Days

Kayaks with some ice on them near the edge of a Florida lake — A real winter storm of this level is rare in Florida, but when it does get truly cold, the warm up can trigger big waves of spawning activity. | Kurt Mazurek

“To me, the best fishing is when we’ve had what most people describe as bad winter weather for Florida. Those seriously cold temperature drops set up huge waves of spawning fish when the warm weather comes back. Like if the water temps climbs quickly from 62-degrees back up to 72, the fishing can be crazy. When we have winter weather patterns like that, the in-between times can be inconsistent fishing. The cold comes and the bass are like ‘I’m out’ and ‘My head hurts’”, Kenney jokes. “You’ll have to accept taking those four or five cold days off. But if you hit that warming trend right it can make some of the most memorable fishing days ever.”

Does the Moon Really Matter for the Florida Bass Spawn?

“The bass don’t care nearly as much about the moon as people down here think they do,” Kenney declares (as shocking as that may be for some people to hear). “But, the absolute best time and the situation I’m always looking for” he adds, “is if you see a bright full moon phase in sync with one of those warming weather trend. That’s when the fishing can be crazy. The weather trend is most important, but if you get the moon with it, you’ll get huge waves of spawners.”

To follow JT Kenney, check him out on his Facebook page or his YouTube channel.