Fishing
the post spawn
Post-spawn
fishing for bass can encompass everything from hatched eggs to shady summer
haunts, but it pretty much begins as soon as the bass start leaving their
spawning beds and runs throughout the summer. Though some anglers love this
time of year and others hate it, once you get post-spawn bass pinpointed you
could be in for some of the best fishing of the year.
Just
because the bass have quit spawning doesn’t mean they’ve quit being bass, so
some of the tactics for spawning bass will still work. One of my favorite
spawning baits is also very effective during post spawn: a Berkley Power Lizard
in green pumpkin, one of the most productive bass baits ever made. After the
spawn, I’ll Carolina rig the Power Lizard and fish it for post-spawning bass in
areas where I expect to find the fish coming off their beds.
Even when
I’m fishing offshore areas, I’ll still fish the lizard — either Texas or
Carolina rigged — to catch bass during the rest of the year. But if the
post spawn coincides with the shad spawn, I’ll look for some shallow chunk rock
or riprap that will hold spawning shad and target the predatory bass nearby.
Sometimes
post-spawn bass will take to the shallows or other staging areas until they
leave for their summer hangouts. When I go after post-spawners in the shallows,
I prefer a Berkley Power Tube jig. I’ll rig the Power Tube with a lightweight
slip sinker if I want a slow fall to let bass see the bait longer.
If the
bass aren’t feeding actively, and I want to trigger a reaction strike, I’ll use
a heavier sinker like a 5/16- or a 3/8-ounce and fish it around any type of
cover I can locate. I’m betting on getting a strike as soon as the bait hits
the water and begins to fall.
If the
bass don’t take the bait on the fall, I’ll pop the lure up one or two times off
the bottom. If I still don’t get a strike, I’ll reel the bait in and pitch to
another piece of cover.
Remember,
the post-spawn period is much longer than the pre-spawn and spawning periods,
so learning how to fish this time of year will ensure you’re catching fish even
up into the dog days of summer.
Scott
Suggs is the 2007 FLW Champion and the first angler in professional bass
fishing to win $1 million in a single tournament.