Post Spawn confusing advice

[RandyFish]

Hello All,

I plan on searching flats for post-spawn bass.

I have read two articles with completely contrary advice:

A) Fish fast. Throw cranks, spinners etc. over weed tops to cover a lot of ground.

If you are getting fish, go to swimming jig worms, etc.

Fish slow. Use carolina rigs (if possible) as a search type of baits. Focus on inside weed edges with tubes, flukes, etc.

What do you think.

Randy

[BigMike]

I think the bigger question that should be taken into consideration before you go with option 1 or 2 is to look at a map. Find the spawning bays on the map and start working out from there. Post-spawn bass don't immediately run to deep water after spawning. They cruise to the first blip on the radar a weedline, hump, break, etc... and hold there for a little bit. Then they will move to a deeper weedline and finally out to deeper water.

So when searching for post spawn bass, I would first start up on typical spawning structure with faster lures (spinnerbaits, etc...) to see if there are any still around, if there are & if they are smaller, it's a sign the big ones have already spawned and have made their move to their first layover spots as mentioned above - I would then focus on finding those types of spots and fish slower (inside weedlines in 6-10feet of water is a great spot to start). And if no fish keep moving deeper.

As a rule of thumb, most tourney anglers will use faster moving lures to locate the fish and then switch to a slower presentation. My personal preference is that a carolina rig (or any plastic for that matter) will only waste time in finding fish - unless you have your spots that you hit all the time and know always produce. And remember what you were doing when you catch that one bass (especially structure, depth, & any special topographical features), often times that is the start to developing a pattern in the post spawn.

Good Luck!

[EBass]

Good Q - I'll tell ya next Tuesday if it doesn't rain all weekend.

[Daze Off]

I am not entirely convinced we are dealing with post-spawn conditions in light of the recent cool-stretch. While there are certainly some fish that have spawned out, my guess is that the majority of fish will be found still staging or in the spawn itself.

Admittedly I have not been on MN waters yet but just over the river in WI the water temp was just arriving at the magic numbers for spawning. Saw lots of small males in the shallows but few active nests and very few females in close. The series of cold fronts and low pressure can't help the situation either.

I'm going to be fishing Tonka next week a couple of days in prep for a tourney on June 6th - will be interested to see what conditions are and where fish are located.

No way to tell until we can get out and try out the theories....

Daze Off

[Mr Special]

Not sure if this might help. But last weekend on the Opener. I had trouble keeping the bass off my line fishing 3way rigs in 10'-16' fow. Oh and anything less then 8' fow and it was instant bass.

Good luck

[Yaeger Guide]

My bet is that the spawning will culminate on June 2 with the full moon. We should see bass in all stages, with the most probably in full spawning mode. Good luck.

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God bless,
Judd Yaeger
Yaeger Guides
(Twin Cities Guides)
www.yaegerweb.com/guide

[Wayne Ek]

I don't think you will have much going on the northern lakes with post spawn fish. With the full moon the week after opener and the water temps (yesterday) at 51 in Alex area (900 acres lake) I'm guessing it will be spawners or pre-spawn farther north. I've notices large concentrations of bass stacking up on the first break this past few days. Rick and I got out walleye fishing this past week and the bass seemed to be holding in that 5-7 foot of water.

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Wayne
Agape Fishing Guides
www.agapefishingguides.com

[Stratosman]

I have done extremely well on opener starting in spawning bays as previously mentioned, then working my way out but instead of running deeper, I will hit docks adjacent to the mouths of these bays, not all females will head to to the deeper water, lots of big bass will hold shallow all summer, I think they will head to the docks in search of cover and food, and once the weed growth thickens in the spawning bays some will return and spend there summer in the slop.

The thing about the dock approach early in the season is that they provide the best cover until the weed growth develops, therefore you can eliminate alot of water by cruising from dock to dock simply because you know the bass should be there. And most the time they are.

If you can find docks adjacent to deep water, those are typically better than those on shallow weedless flats. Sunny days are also the best in my opinion because it will push even more of these shallow bass to the docks.

I remember two openers ago on one deep dock (10' of so) me and a buddy pulled out I think 8-10 bass, no lie.

Everyone has there own approach, but this one has never let me down not only for numbers but for size as well. My friend caught his biggest bass of his life on a dock last opener on Gull, it was just over 6lbs.

It a good time!

Looking forward to Saturday!

[kt]

I agree with statosman that those females definitely hang around for a while. Besides docks, i have also found dead and new bulrush stands to be good options to check. Two years ago we hit the big females hard on the postspawn. Our top five fish definitely pushed twenty five pounds. There were a lot of males still up on beds but the big postspawn females were either roaming or tucked away in dense stands of deeper bulrush. I think another reason why those postspawners will hang around for a while is because they have easy access to an abundance of food. With all of the fry hatching and the sunfish that will be in those areas why would a big bass be in a hurry to leave. The abundance of easy food and good cover keeps them around.

[BigMike]

Stratos - I was trying not to give away all the secrets. LOL just kidding ! Stratos has a good idea for post spawn bass - especially deeper docks. Although I think most bass fisherman can't pass up fishing docks no matter what time a year it is (spring, summer, fall, spawn, post spawn,etc...), it's almost ingrained in us as bass fishermen that you will catch bass holding under docks.

As for bass moving deep after spawn... usually what happens as I mentioned above is bass (big females) after spawn will go to the first available cover (especially if there are multiple structures in one spot aka weeds, brush, downed timber, 7-10ft water, humps, docks, etc.) and hold there for anywhere from one to three weeks. The males on the other hand will hold on the nests for up to 2 weeks and then will do the same as above.

Although you will catch big bass inevitably all year in the shallows, the biggest bass like to hold to the deeper weedlines 8-15ft and will eventually end up there. I find myself guilty of this all the time; searching the shallows, when I really should be focusing on the weedlines & thick mats.

[Stratosman]

Sorry BigMike!

I agree with you however, I do fish docks alot, but typically only around the opener for three reasons.

1. Fish are unpressured and easy to catch, but like you mentioned, docks are no secret and as time goes by, they get hit hard.

2. When the water warms up there tends to be more activity on docks as far as people using them driving bigger bass away.

3. The size of bass diminishes during post spawn, might be due to one or both of the above items, or it might be that the males move in after they are done babysitting.

But anyway, during midsummer, you can't beat fishing weedlines for bass, and as a bonus the occasional 'eye.

[BigMike]

Stratos - good stuff! I was actually reading an article in bassmaster or infisherman one in this month's mag about crankbaits in the weeds. The title was a little deceiving but basically it talked about burning cranks over the tops of emerging weeds and what to use. To break it down basically match your crank to whatever the depth of the weed tops are (mann's baby 1 minus for 12-18inches from surface, lipless cranks for weeds 4-6 feet from surface, etc...).

This is a great technique for northern lakes starting this weekend. Many lakes don't have heavy weeds & mats yet, so if you can find some thicker vegetation that hasn't broken the surface yet and close to spawning areas - it would be a good opportunity to work those cranks! Or just fish docks LOL.

Good luck Stratos this weekend - and everyone else too Pray for a miracle with the weather!!!

[Stratosman]

Yeah, Yeah,

I'm sure I will "expand my horizons" this weekend, I have never had much success early in the season on cranks, but then again I have never really gave them much time either! I kill 'em later in the season on cranks however. It's just funny especially with guys who fish bass how they all have their own tecnique on how to fish 'em. Some guys always fish deep, some guys always fish shallow so on and so forth.
I say whatever the heck works!!

Good luck yourself Mike and all others in search of the elusive largemouth bass.