That makes sense. What's the best way to tell them apart? Because I've heard tons of ways but have no idea if they hold up.
generally the male will be the smaller of the pair on a nest. In many cases he may be the only fish on the nest. females generally hang around on the outskirts of the nest rather than on it unless they are actually "in the act" of spawning. the male will also be the most aggressive 9 times out of 10. usually if you fish a bed and get one to bite, it's going to be the male. however, bed fishing is an entirely different animal than "regular" fishing (particularly if you use artificial baits) and requires an ability to "read" a fish's body language and ultimately aggravate it into striking. it can be very frustrating until you figure out the game.
fortunately there is another great time to target the male bass and that is right after the spawn. the males will guard the fry for a few days when they hatch. if you find a fry cloud, chances are there is a male bass lurking nearby ready to pounce on anything that might be a threat to his youngsters. good luck.
