Fishing During the Spawn - CAN I?

So, when I first started bass fishing, I saw so many anglers getting so excited about fishing during the spawn. Most states have their own rules and regulations about fishing during the spawn. Here is Pennsylvania's and I just wanted to remind everyone of this before we get started with this post.

§ 63.43. Fishing for bass during spring season.

 (a)  During the period from 12:01 a.m. on the second Saturday in April until 12:01 a.m. on the second Saturday in June:

   (1)  It is unlawful to kill or possess, while in the act of fishing, any largemouth, smallmouth or spotted bass.

   (2)  Tournaments are not permitted.

   (3)  Catch and release fishing for bass is limited as follows: It is unlawful for an angler to repeatedly cast into a clearly visible bass spawning nest or redd in an effort to catch or take bass. Otherwise, a bass caught and immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which taken during this period will not be considered a violation of this section.

 (b)  This section does not apply to portions of the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers and their tributaries that are regulated under §  65.24 (relating to miscellaneous special regulations).

This law can be very confusing, but the short answer is yes you can fish during the spawn. BUT you cannot cast into beds knowingly and repeatedly and you much immediately catch and release. 

This is a subject that is very up in the air for most anglers. Alot of people believe that this can hurt the bass population because the bass do not always return to their beds when being caught. However, the bass are extremely feisty at this time because they are trying to protect their young. On the next post, I will share some videos from other states where it is legal to throw into beds. Its extremely interesting to me how aggressive they are at this time.

Here is a Spawning chart for the areas across the United States! Click on the picture below for more information.