BFB,
A temperature gauge can be a big help in warm water, especially in the early season.
Generally, you want to find the warmest water available. If you are fishing a pond or lake, that's generally the NorthWest areas. Rivers and streams tend to be pretty homogenous with respect to temperature, but there can be areas where inflows change the temperatures.
For smallies, they begin to get more active when water temps hit the high 40s, and they will begin to think about spawning in the 55-65 degree range. This can and does vary quite a bit based on how far north you are.
Largemouths like warmer temps, so look for them to get active in the 50s, and start the spawning search in the high 60s.
Until the temps get into the 'ideal' ranges or above, the real key is finding the warmer areas, since the fish in those areas will be more active, all else being equal, than those in the cooler areas.
I use an electronic gauge, it's hooked into the sonar unit, so that I can see the surface temperature at a glance.
Good Luck!
Buddy
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