Every year I see people on here asking in late January about water temps and spawn activity. The best way I can put it is that it's like someone's pregnant wife. If she is 7 months pregnant with the last 3 months of cold weather and then you get a week of 70 degree weather, is she going to drop that young'un? NO! She doesnt drop when it feels right, she drops when the baby is mature enough. It's the same with fish and animals. It doesnt matter what the water temp is. I've seen them spawn when the water temp was in the 50's and lower. Yes the prime for US to find them shallow is 60-65 degree water, but if we cant find them, they still spawn just in deeper water. I've noticed that the spawn happens a little earlier the further south you go and that the smaller lakes will heat up and the spawn happen faster. Grand Bayou and Poverty Point will spawn before Darbonne, Red River, or Toledo Bend. I dont look for spawning fish ever in central La until the last 2 weeks of March (mostly on Red River cause there isn't any competition.)
As far as baits, you don't have to buy some special $2 or $3 baits over the internet to catch fish. The BEST spawn bait is anything orange (my little known fact). I buy Spike it dip and glow and make my own out of old tubes or panfish assassins. Experiment with different colors being dyed, cause some colors except the orange better than others. Don't be confused by so called jig tieing experts that show pics from 3years ago and then tell you that you cant catch them without their fancy special jig. People get snookered every year on here by con artist trying to get rich. ANYTHING ORANGE will catch as good or better than ANY fancy $3 jig. I make hair jigs but dont sell them, so I have nothing to gain from this note.
Hope this helps someone with the spawn a little.

Skipper