Good morning brothers.
The Post Spawn Period, I have come to learn, is surprisingly unique. Bass can have an insane case of lockjaw, and at times they simply will not bite even when you can see them peppered throughout the shallows.
This is frustrating.
Bass can also be insanely active during this time (if you catch them on the right day) striking anything that crosses their path.
This is exhilarating.
A quick online search shows that the Post Spawn Period usually gets a bad rap… however, if you look just a bit further than the top 1, 2 & 3 results on the ‘ol Googlebox, you’ll find that many anglers seem to love fishing during this time.
What gives?!
Here’s a secret about fishing: if you find a guy that loves something, you can easily find another guy that hates that same thing!
This is a great truth of the universe.
It never fails.
If Guy A swears by BAIT X, you’ll quickly find another guy that swears BAIT X NEVER WORKS!
Guy A will tell you the XYZ Period is BEST, while Guy B swears the XYZ Period makes fishing IMPOSSIBLE!
Guy A LOVES bed fishing, Guy B says it WRECKS the fishery!
Pour Coca-Cola on their gills?!
Fizz ’em before release?!
No bananas in the boat?!
You get the idea… but without a doubt, right after the spawn there is typically a period where bass need to recuperate. During this time the bite can slow dramatically. However, as largemouth begin to move to their summer haunts, they’ll begin to put on the feedbag… this can lead to some ridiculously fun days on the water… like this:
On top of that, in larger lakes and reservoirs it is possible to find areas where the fish are actually in different phases even though they are technically living in the same lake. They could be post spawn in the northern part of the lake, while still spawning in the southern part. They could be slamming moving baits in the north, while requiring a slooooowed doooooown approach in the south.
If that’s the case, you’ll want to tie on a few good “soaking baits.”
Test this on your lake this spring, and don’t forget to target transitional areas (like the first major point outside a spawning flat) in the reverse order the fish would have used them when they moved in to spawn. OH! Keep your eyes peeled for bluegill beds too… those honeycomb patterns along the bottom can mean an easy meal… and some nearby bass lurking in the shadows…
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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