Tools for Post Spawn Fishing

Ah yes, POST SPAWN. That dreaded time of year when it seems like the bass have gone into hibernation, again. And wasn’t it such great fishing just a couple of weeks ago when the fish were shallow? Well, believe it or not, those fish that you found shallow haven’t gone very far, they’re not hibernating – only resting after some stressful activity - and they’re very catchable.

Like humans, bass need rest after working that hard. And the spawn is certainly hard work for bass. Don’t give up on the areas you’ve been successful at over the course past few weeks. Naturally, the fish aren’t going to be as shallow as they were earlier, but neither have they ventured very far, just yet. The males remain closest (and shallowest) after fry emerge from the eggs. Females on the other hand have moved out a little deeper to hold near the thermocline.

Topwaters like a Zara Spook/Zara Puppy and Chug Bugs are good weapons now as bass have moved away from bedding areas and can be found along initial break-lines or suspended slightly above the bottom in that deeper zone, restoring the energy spawning took out of them. Generally speaking, you should be targeting the edges of flats with water from five to twelve feet deep. The fish won’t wait long to before getting back on an active, aggressive feeding pattern. That will happen before water temperatures rise too high for comfort in the shallows. The clearer the water, the better walking baits and chuggers are. A Zara Spook has the ability to attract bass from a considerable distance to smash your offering. Wind blown, mainlake points are ideal locations for resting largemouth and/or smallmouth. On the other side of the coin you have areas with shallower flats where breaklines drop off suddenly into channels. This is one of my favorite spots to use topwater poppers such as a Skip-N-Pop (made by JDC Baits), a Yellow Magic or Rick Clunn’s signature lure, the Rico, just above the breakline and all the way back to the boat. The bite could come at anytime.

You’ll still find fish over shallow flats in water anywhere from three to eight feet, preferably with laydowns or stumps on it, ideal locations to tie on a Terminator spinnerbait or shad imitating rattle bait like a Rat-L-Trap. For gin clear water at Canyon Lake our clients do best in spots with standing timber or laydowns with an all white spinnerbait, the 7/16 oz., small profile, tungsten series produces best. In water with more color we go to white/blue/chartreuse and Oklahoma blade for more vibration and ease of control at slower speeds. Now my favorite ‘Trap for the rest of the year is one of the Bleeding Shad series – usually a blue or green back with silver sides and a blaze of red on or near the head or throat. The holographic patterns that Rat-L-Trap has produced go a long way in imitating the native threadfin shad that fish in Texas waters thrive on.

With the popularity of plastic stickbaits like Crème Lure’s Whacky Stick, Senkos, and the rest, you’re probably already familiar with both rigging techniques; Texas and Wacky style, so there isn’t much more to say about when (anytime) or where (as shallow as a couple of feet and as deep as you have the patience to reach the bottom). A particular color or color schemes in different waters can be confusing for some anglers, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Rule of thumb: Generally, lighter/translucent colors in clearer water while darker or mixed colors in stained or off colored lakes. Watermelon-red, watermelon-chartreuse and green/pumpkin are good examples. Don’t forget the old standby – twitch baits/plastic jerkbaits. Flukes will always produce for you.

Pitching or flipping Snap Back creature baits and tubes at standing timber or stumps along river or creek channels is going to produce for you the rest of the year. Depth is the secret to success with these techniques. It’s a good idea to watch your water temperature and LCR closely. Find the coolest water and depth to locate active, cooperative bass.

This is the time of year when you want to be on the water early, on your first spot of the day just as it gets light enough to cast. Your topwaters, spinnerbaits and rattling lipless crankbaits are the best bet to help you boat fish the quickest during the first two hours of daylight. That isn’t meant to say that these same lures won’t produce for you all day under cloud cover. They will. However, without the benefit of clouds you’ll notice a distinct shift in activity once the sun in shining on the water. Bass are going to pull in tight to whatever cover the area provides; wood, ledges, rockpiles – whatever. This is usually when you’ll want to consider a switch of techniques to soft plastics, either Texas rigged, wacky style, drop shot or Carolina rigged and work the whole water column until you find at what depth and on what
type of structure that the fish are at.