This past Sunday I spent seven hours in a boat on West Point with Rob Boswell, his son Brent and Brent’s tournament teammate Dylan Thayer. They provided me with information for my September Map of the Month article.
Brent and Dylan won two high school tournaments at West Point during the past tournament year and both impressed me with their skill casting, knowledge of bass and use of electronics. Both just graduated and know more than I do after more than 60 years of bass fishing!
The thing that impressed me most was the maturity, courtesy and manners of the two young men. They worked hard trying to catch fish and never gave up. They never had a cross word for each other or me, even when I asked stupid questions. I told Rob he had trained them right!
Young men like those two give me hope for the future even on days when the news is full of the opposite kind of youth and adults.
The day was miserably hot, with bright sun, dead calm wind, water temperature 90 degrees and the air even hotter. It reminded me of why I prefer fishing at night this time of year.
One of my first night fishing memories is going to Raysville Bridge and fishing under it. I heard fishing under there was good and even back then I got fired up, just knowing I could catch catfish, bream, crappie and bass. I spent hours getting my rod and reel ready.
We got a bucket of minnows and walked the long causeway out to the bridge and got under it. I was tired from the walk and soon got sleepy – and irritable.
It seemed every cast got hung in the rocks and I had to break off and retie my line with sinker and hook. And we never got a bite.
Another memory is of daddy and how patient he usually was with me. We were camping at Elijah Clark State Park on Clarks Hill and could see the big Highway 378 Bridge a half mile across the water.
We had rented and old wooden jon boat and paddles. I talked daddy into paddling me to the bridge to fish one night. We loaded up the boat with rods, reels, ice chest with drinks, snacks and rope to tie up with and daddy and I, mostly daddy, paddled us to the bridge.
After tying up I got my rod and started to bait my hook, and there was no minnow bucket! I had forgotten to put it in the boat. Daddy patiently untied, paddled us back to the campground, got the minnows and paddled us back to the bridge!
I don’t remember getting a bite that night.
When I started teaching school in 1972 I had summers off so I often spent a week at a time at our camper at Raysville Boat Club. I would fish a lot at night, fishing from 6:00 PM to 9:00 AM and then sleep all day for a week at a time.
A few nights I tied up under Raysville Bridge in my bass boat and fished for whatever would bite. Two nights really stand out in my memory.
One trip I planned on fishing all night so I carried food and drinks with me. I tied up a few feet from a family in a big boat and we all sat there, catching a crappie or hybrid every once in a while.
About the time I started getting hungry the woman in the boat beside me pulled out a big box of fried chicken. The smell wafting across to me made my mouth water.
Although I ate my sardines and saltines, which I usually loved, they were just not that good that night. I kept hoping the family would offer me a piece of chicken. I even considered grabbing one of the bones they threw in the water and gnawing any tiny shred of meant left!
Another night worked out better. There were a dozen boats tied under the bridge but no one was catching anything. It was frustrating, we could see big hybrids holding about five feet down under our lights and sucking in tiny young of the year shad.
Drifting a shiner minnow in front of them did no good, they ignored it, the shad they were eating were no more than a half inch long. I remembered the adage “match the hatch” and got an idea.
I dug around in my tackle and found a black #6 long shank bream hook. I peeled some shiny foil off my pack of cigarettes and wrapped the shank the hook with it. When I dropped it down under a small split shot, the hybrids ate it!
I think they saw the tiny glint of my foil and mistook it for a little shad. Whatever happened, I caught more than a dozen big hybrids and no one else ever caught one. That laughed at me when I told them the “bait” I was using, I guess they thought I was lying, and they never tried it.
Big Bite Debuts New Sensation Fuzzy Stick, it looks weird but catches fish
By The Fishing Wire
Irving, TX –The Big Bite 4″ Scentsation Fuzzy Stick is creepy, crawly, and killer on bass. Featuring “fuzzy” appendages that are designed to drive fish crazy, the Scentsation Fuzzy Stick is truly unique and already has a proven track record.
“I first started using the Scentsation Fuzzy Stick at the St. Lawrence River tournament last year, which I won,” explains Big Bite pro Michael Neal, referencing his 2024 victory on the Bass Pro Tour. “It’s a bait that can mimic a variety of forage such as shad, bluegill, gobies, and crawfish. It’s all dependent on the color selection.”
The Scentsation Fuzzy Stick also shines in a variety of different techniques. “It can be fished a lot of different ways as well, including on a drop shot, nail weight, or Ned rig,” says Neal. “I feel like the bait shines on pressured fish that need a different profile to react. The skirt material is almost constantly moving with the water, so it looks much different than anything we currently have in the Big Bite lineup.”
Featuring Scentsation technology designed for bigger and longer bites, the Big Bite Scentsation Fuzzy Stick is available in 6 proven colors and comes 5 per pack.
For more information on Big Bite Baits, please visit their website HERE, or find them on Facebookand other social media avenues.
For additional questions or inquiries, please email marketing@gsmorg.com. Or, if you’d like to see the entire family of GSM brands, please visit www.gsmoutdoors.com.
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Momma’s parents lived on a small farm in Thomson until grandaddy died when I was six years old. I have a few memories of visiting there even at that young age.
There was a small barn for the milk cow and a tiny pasture for her, a hog pen where a couple of hogs were raised to butcher, a small chicken coop for eggs and meat and a big garden. Behind the barn was a pine thicket I loved to explore.
Every trip I could find “locust” shells on the pine trees. I put locust in quotation marks because later I found out they were really cicadas, a totally different bug. Locust like in the bible are just grasshoppers that cause terrible problems when they swarm. Fortunately we don’t have locusts in the Southeast US.
We do have cicadas. The adult female lays up to 400 eggs on branches and twigs that hatch into nymphs that look pretty much like the adults without wings. They immediately dig underground to suck sap from plant roots.
This stage is interesting. There are about 3000 species of cicadas and they are divided into 23 “broods” in the US. Those broods’ nymphs live underground for two to 21 years!
When they are ready to molt they come out of the ground and climb up trees and bushes. The nymph sheds its exoskeleton, the shell I found on the pine trees, and the winged adult comes out. It then mates and starts the cycle over again.
When broods emerge there may be thousands of adults looking for mates. When there is a big emergence, you can hear a humming sound for miles as the males flex their rib tymbals to make the “song” and females answer by rubbing their wings together.
The adults may live for six weeks before they die, so we often hear the “song” for weeks at a time. Around here, brood XIX, the Great Southern Brood, emerges every 13 years. They last emerged in 2011 so they will emerge again next summer.
One strong memory I have of the 2011 cicadas is a tournament at Lake Sinclair. I fished for several hours without a bite while listening to the hum of the cicadas all around. Dead adult bugs littered the water surface.
When I looked at one closely I realized it had a red hue. I knew all fish that could get them in their mouth, from carp to bass, gorged on them, so I put a red worm on my Carolina rig and caught two or three bass after switching colors!
I have read that about the only time you can catch carp on a fly rod on top is during a brood emergence. Carp will feast on the floating bodies and a dry fly imitating them, with a little red or orange in it, will catch them if placed in front of a rubber lipped mudsucker eating the bugs.
All this came to mind when I found a cicada shell on the post of my garage. I guess that one got confused and I bet it never found a mate!
——-
Last Sunday 12 members of the Spalding County Sportsman Club fished our July tournament at Sinclair. After casting from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM we brought 38 largemouth weighing about 66 pounds to the scales. There were four five bass limits and one member did not catch a keeper.
Raymond English won with five weighing 12.48 pounds and got big fish with a 5.96 pound largemouth that almost broke our six-pound pot. My five at 10.87 pounds was second, Jay Gerson came in third with five at 7.29 pounds and Lee Hancock came in fourth with five weighing 6.63 pounds.
I had an exciting start, catching three nice keepers, including a 3.06 largemouth, on a topwater frog around a grass bed the first 30 minutes. When a bass slams a frog working through grass the bite thrills me then I get hyper trying to get the bass out of the grass and into the boat.
The bite slowed way down and I caught two small keepers on a Trick worm worked weightless in grass, filling my limit by 7:45. Then I culled one with a two pounder that hit a jig.
Punching grass means using a very heavy rod and strong line with a one ounce or heavier sinker in front of a plastic bait like a Fighting Frog. You get your boat in close and drop the heavy weight into the grass where it “punches” through. A bass in the grass will often suck the bait in as it falls the foot or so to the bottom.
The heavy outfit wears out my weak arms and I have to sit down to fish and that makes it more difficult, so I do not do it much. But I keep a rod rigged and ready just in case. About 10:00 I picked it up and the first punch caught a 2.5-pound bass, culling my smallest one. But although I wore my arm out for over an hour punching, I never got another bite!
Go To Virginia’s Five Best Lesser-Known Smallmouth Waters for great catches
Virginia’s Five Best Lesser-Known Smallmouth Waters
By Dr. Peter Brookes
Photos by Dr. Peter Brookes
When folks talk about places to fish for Virginia’s stupendous smallmouth bass, you hear a lot of the same river names over and over again: the New, South Fork of the Shenandoah, the James, and the Rappahannock. Not that there’s anything wrong with that–these are great rivers for smallies (and other fish species).
Indeed, because of the likes of the New, ‘Doah, the Big Jim, and the Rapp–among other waters–Virginia is easily one of the top 10 smallmouth fishing states in the country; possibly even in the top five. That’s saying something when you’re up against the likes of the northern states that border the Great Lakes Basin.
But, there are a number of other rivers in the Old Dominion besides the Big Four that are definitely worthy of your smallmouth angling attention this year, especially as fishing for bronzebacks heats up with the weather.
If you’re new to smallie fishing, they’re a great game fish for a lot of reasons. These green-brown boulder beasts are aggressive, pull hard and often jump when hooked, aren’t too picky about flies, lures, or presentation, and are famous for their strikes on the water’s surface.
Smallies are a great choice for new anglers to target.
You won’t forget seeing the first time a smallie goes airborne to inhale some unsuspecting flying insect. The bronzeback’s willingness to play as well as the quantity and quality (i,e., 11-inch plus) of them across the Old Dominion make them a great fish for the novice fly fisher or conventional angling, beginning their lifetime of angling adventure.
With that in mind, here are five of the best of the less-celebrated waters for Virginia smallies that you may want to wet a line in this summer:
North Fork of the Shenandoah River
Everyone talks about smallie fishing on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River–and rightfully so, it’s a great fishery. But the North Fork is also worthy of attention for smallies. The North Fork in Shenandoah County holds good quantity and good quality bronzebacks, especially in the middle section near Woodstock and Edinburg and the lower section near Strasburg before it joins with the Main Stem near Front Royal.
The scenic North Fork, which meanders through the Northern Shenandoah Valley, offers riffle pool sequences, opportunities for wading and floating, and less pressure than its cousin on the opposite side of Massanutten Mountain, the South Fork. Possible smallmouth bycatches in the North Fork include: largemouth bass, channel catfish, panfish, or the occasional muskellunge (musky).
The North Fork Shenandoah River
Maury River
In Rockbridge County, the Maury receives clean, cold water from the mountains through Goshen Pass on a 40-mile run before disappearing into the mighty James River. The upper section is mostly a (stocked) brown and rainbow trout fishery. In the middle and lower sections, the water warms, creating ideal smallie habitat. The river also has lots of structure (e.g., ledges and boulders), which provide ample ambush points for these piscatorial predators.
Pressure on the Maury is lighter than on the Big Jim due to it’s less-celebrated status as a smallmouth waterway. It has both wadeable and floatable sections. (Spring is best for floating). Expect bronzebacks in the 7-13-inch range with numbers of quality fish increasing.
Not a smallie on your line in the Maury? It could be a panfish, rock bass, or carp; less likely, but possible, is a musky or flathead catfish.
Rivanna River
In Albemarle county, this river near Charlottesville is probably best known as a recreational waterway for tubing and kayaking. But this often-overlooked fishery offers good quantity and good quality smallmouth bass fishing. Designated Virginia’s first scenic river, the Rivanna–a shortened version of “River Anna,” named after an English Queen–flows for 40-plus miles before it disappears into the James River. It’s sometimes historically known as “Mr. (Thomas) Jefferson’s River.”
The Rivanna is known for its deep pools and rock gardens; it’s both floatable and wadeable with some convenient shoals for wading anglers. Expect the river to offer up lots of smallies in the 8-13 inch range with reports of an occasional trophy-size fish (i.e., 20-inches or 5-lbs.).
While angling the Rivanna, you might also hook into: largemouth bass, panfish, fallfish, crappie, rock bass, and channel cats.
A Rivanna River bronzeback.
Clinch River
Located in Southwest Virginia, the Clinch is considered one of the most biodiverse rivers in North America–and perhaps the world–with a large variety of aquatic life (e.g., mussels) and non-game fish species (e.g., darters and minnows). If that’s not enough, the Clinch also has more species of fish than any other Virginia river.
Mostly known as a top-notch tailwater trout fishery downstream in Tennessee, the Clinch offers deep pools and rocky runs for smallies on the Virginia side of the border. The one-time stomping grounds of Daniel Boone are scenic and offer low fishing pressure. The river has good fishing access, with wadeable and floatable sections. (Good news: It’s generally floatable all summer). The Clinch provides good quantity and good quality smallmouth bass fishing; expect smallies in the 10-16 inch range with an occasional citation-size fish.
Besides solid smallmouth fishing, smallie bycatches in the Clinch include musky, walleye (a native Virginia strain), rock bass, and panfish.
Rapidan River
A waterway usually known for its upper section in Shenandoah National Park that includes top-notch brook trout fishing and historic Camp Hoover, the lower Rapidan in Culpeper County offers excellent smallmouth fishing. The river is both floatable and wadeable, with good structure and clear water. This often passed-over warmwater fishery provides great sight-fishing opportunities for bronzebacks before it eventually dumps into the Rappahannock.
A trophy smallie is possible, but if the tug on your line isn’t a bronzeback in the Rapidan, it might be a largemouth, panfish, rock bass, fallfish, cat–or even a juvenile striped bass that has migrated up from the tidal reaches below Fredericksburg.
Other Virginia smallmouth rivers could have easily made this list such as the North Fork of the Holston, the Staunton, the Powell, the North Fork and South Fork of the Anna, Shenandoah Main Stem, and the lower Jackson River. The point is that Virginia has a lot of superb smallmouth bass fishing in big and small rivers across the state, so if you haven’t already gotten your Virginia freshwater fishing license, you can get it right now online here.
Overshadowed by bigger-name smallie rivers, these less-celebrated waterways offer not only great fishing, but because they’re often overlooked, they can put you on the fish while being away from the crowds. That’s what I call a dog days of summer good deal.
Dr. Peter Brookes is an award-winning, Virginia outdoor writer at Brookes Outdoors. Connect at Brookesoutdoors@aol.com.
Whitewater Fishing B.A.S.S. tournament pro, Alex Redwine, talks fishing the transition period
Muskegon, MI – On most waters, smallmouth bass have either transitioned from post-spawn into summer behavior – or are already in summer mode. Smallmouth bass will spawn in water temperatures between 58 and 70 degrees – and water temps are steadily rising, especially with recent warm spells.
What better way to figure out a program for tracking transition period smallies than talk to a pro angler, in this case, Whitewater Fishing B.A.S.S. tournament pro, Alex Redwine.
Having spent the last week fishing Lake St. Clair, Redwine was thrown into exactly this situation: Where are the bass now that they finished up the spawn? Many anglers are facing the same situation, so we quizzed him on recent and current on-the-water experience fighting the good fight.
“This part of June can always be a tricky time of year. Smallies are just getting off their beds and they get less grouped up as they start moving to their summertime spots,” said Redwine.
“There might be a few leftover fish, but 90% of them are done spawning. They’re in transition and aren’t 100% feeding up yet because the summer water temperatures in a lot of cases haven’t arrived.”
On St. Clair, Redwine found shallow water temps around 69-70 degrees and out a little deeper, in the 62- to 64-degree range. He felt like the deeper water had to warm up more before the fish would really start feeding, as well as the shallower waters warming up a little bit more to get them to start pulling out.
Where to look? Redwine worked both shallower and in-between depths looking for fish, as well as hitting transition spots like points where fish will often group up.
He also discovered a mayfly hatch, something he urges anglers to watch for in late June across the Upper Midwest. “After the spawn, the fish are pretty skinny and wanting to feed up, so if you can find where the mayflies are hatching, you can intercept them feeding on the carcasses, even if they haven’t moved entirely deep to feed up on baitfish.”
Post-Spawn Through Summer Smallies 1
Top Presentations
“During this transition period, the first thing I’ll do is throw a 3- to 4-inch swimbait – like a Keitech – something I can cover a lot of water with. The fish can be really spread out during this period but still aggressive, so this is a perfect bait for putting the gas on the trolling motor.”
Redwine says that covering real estate with a swimbait allows him to find out where fish might be starting to group up.
Then, if he gains confidence in an area, Redwine will put the swimbait rod down and pick up a Ned Rig or dropshot rod and really dial into an area.
Dialing into gear, Redwine throws swimbaits and Ned Rigs on a 7-foot medium-power, fast-action rod with a 2500 or 3000 size reel and 10- or 15-pound braid depending on how rocky and snagging the terrain is – which he terminates to either an 8- or 10-pound fluoro leader.
“On St. Clair, the bass will spawn anywhere from 3 to 10 feet of water – and the depth in the middle is 18 to 20 feet – so I caught most of my fish targeting that 9- to 14-foot range because there were still some fish that weren’t fully out deep.”
For anglers stuck in this predicament right now, Redwine suggests mapping where you think the smallmouth spawned and then draw out paths from there – first stops for where the fish will move post-spawn, like a secondary point coming out of a pocket or creek.
“Obviously, you need to intercept them on that path from their spawning site to deeper waters,” noted Redwine. “It can take a lot of looking around.”
Post-Spawn Through Summer Smallies 2
Smallie Summer Mode
Redwine says when the water temp in shallower and mid-depths reaches about 75 degrees is when smallmouth bass have transitioned to summer mode and head deeper collectively. That’s when he’ll start fishing deeper, relying heavily on his electronics, and fishing four basic ways – Ned Rig, shakey head, FFS minnow, or topwater.
“And not only is it a water temperature thing that pushes the bass out deeper,” noted Redwine. “They’re following baitfish that are leaving shallower spots and taking up residence over deeper water. Follow the food, find the fish.”
Redwine added that not all his deeper water summer smallie fishing is in no man’s land. A lot of times he’s looking for the shade of deeper banks near shore where the fish will congregate.
“In terms of presentations, my summertime smallie confidence bait is a shaky head. Seems like when the fishing gets tougher, I can always rely on it to put fish in the boat. The other thing is fishing topwaters over the bait high in the water column. When the bass really want to feed up after the spawn you can do some serious damage with a popper or walking bait.”
Post-Spawn Through Summer Smallies 3
Stay Comfortable
To follow—and catch—smallies the entire open-water season, an angler must be prepared for cold, snow, rain, and then heat. Redwine says he starts off in the early spring in the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Jacket and Bib, which gives him “excellent range of movement” and “isn’t bulky for how warm it is.”
Then, as spring wears on, he’s never without his Great Lakes Pro Jacket and Bib in case of routine wet, cool, and drizzly weather.
“I’ve put that stuff away for the season, but have been living in my Whitewater Rays Performance Hoodiewith the built-in gaiter that protects my face and neck—as well as the rest of me from UV while being in the sun all day. For the same reason, I’m wearing the Prevail Pants to protect my legs. And it’s all super breathable and cool.”
Looking Ahead
Currently on break from B.A.S.S., but looking at two events in August, Redwine has been fishing “a lot of local stuff” and has his fingers crossed to qualify for the 2026 Bassmaster Classic. Whitewater continues to root for the young gunslinger and thanks him for sharing a few tips to catch more smallmouth bass in this time of post-spawn to summer transition.
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Its scary how fast my attitude can change at a club tournament. Many times I have gone from disgusted to happy in a few minutes when I suddenly caught several bass or caught a big one. And it goes the other way, too when I lose a big fish or miss several bites on a tough day.
Last Saturday I went from disgusted to happy at the Potato Creek Bassmasters June tournament on Oconee. After fishing hard all day I had three small keepers to weigh in. I just knew everybody else would have a limit of big bass based on reports I had been getting. The weekend before it took 19 pounds to win a local tournament.
At 6:00 Robert and I ran down to a grassy point where I can usually catch a keeper at first light this time of year on a spinnerbait or buzzbait. After 30 minutes of casting the sun came up and neither of us had a bite.
I was hardheaded and kept fishing the grass, concentrating on shady banks. At about 7:00 I decided to fish out deeper on a rocky point. I told Robert I saw what looked like big fish moving on the bottom about 15 feet deep.
I cast a jig to them and felt a thump, but before I could set the hook my rod almost got jerked out of my hand. Almost as soon as I started fighting the fish I told Robert it was probably a catfish based on the way it rolled when it pulled.
Sure enough I got a six or seven pound blue cat to the boat. It was hooked in the tail, I guess that is why it took off when it bumped my jig. I used my pliers to pull the hook out without landing the fish.
Going into the next cove Robert got a keeper largemouth on a whacky rigged worm behind my buzzbait. That made me put it down and go to a slower moving bait.
In the back of the cove I caught a 13.5 inch largemouth on my jig. That set the pattern for the day. Largemouth must be 14 inches long to be kept at Oconee. A few minutes later as I reeled in my jig for another cast a thump made me set the hook and I landed a barely keeper largemouth on the jig. One for me at 8:00!
For the next three hours we tried a lot of different things, from rocks to docks. At about 10:00 I made a blind cast out on a shallow point as we rounded it to fish the next dock and saw my line moving out. When I set the hook I landed a 14.5 inch keeper, my biggest of the day.
Talk about a blind hog finding an acorn. There was no cover to hold a bass out there, but I believe in keeping my bait in the water at all times I can. That accidental keeper shows why.
After another hour of fruitless casting I decided to go back to the grassy point and try it. As I told Robert, they had to be hungry since they didn’t eat earlier.
After 15 minutes of casting my jig to the grass I had about given up. As happens all too often, not paying attention cost me. I cast my jig to the grass and before I could engage the reel a bass took off back into the grass. I hooked it a little and felt a strong pull before it came off.
That got my attention and in the next hour or so I caught at least a dozen bass from the grass on my jig. Unfortunately, although I measured several of them that looked like keepers only one was over the 14-inch line.
Robert had quit fishing since his back hurt and was sitting down in the boat with 30 minutes left to fish. I told him there was a deep brush pile on the way in I wanted to fish. My first cast to it produced another 13.5-inch bass on my jig.
That made Robert get up and fish, and sure enough his first cast with a Carolina rig produced a two pound keeper, our biggest of the day!
That was it. I was pretty disgusted.
At weigh 17 members of the club brought in 32 keeper bass weighing about 55 pounds. There was one five bass limit and two members didn’t have as keeper.
Lee Hancock blew us all away with a five bass limit weighing 11.75 pounds for first and his 3.60 pound largemouth was big fish. Doug Acree had three at 5.45 pound for second, third was Jason Turner with three weighing 5.19 pounds and my three at 4.13 pounds was fourth!
I really needed that last bass Robert caught! But fourth place cheered me up a lot!
What Are Some Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass
By The Fishing Wire
The post-spawn largemouth bass transition period is one of the best times to be on the water, but the party doesn’t last long
What’s so great about the post-spawn? It’s a recuperation period. Bass are hungry and rapidly becoming more aggressive. But it’s also a relocation period, which means the locations where post-spawn bass may be found can change from day to day. Thankfully, while post-spawn bass locations are variable, they are also highly predictable.
Post-Spawn Behavior Think of post-spawn largie behavior like this: All post-spawn bass are eager to feed, but there are two primary things going on. Most male bass engage in a distinct fry-guarding ritual for about a week or ten days immediately following the hatch. Meanwhile, the females are immediately out, abandoning their spawning sites – and their baby daddies – headed back towards deeper water. Once the neurotic males abandon their posts (often after snapping and devouring a good percentage of their own offspring), they may follow the same basic routes offshore as the females. The whole post-spawn transition usually lasts around a month.
Post-Spawn Locations Post-spawn bass routes often mirror pre-spawn routes. Their first stop is usually the first major drop off, which varies by location, but is often an emerging weed line or a secondary point leading to deeper water. Regardless of the actual depth, which may be anywhere from 7 or 8 feet to 15 or 20, structure is key. It doesn’t matter what it is, but something will attract and hold the bass (and forage) while they feed and adjust to the shallow-to-deep transition. In reservoirs that have creek channels, the locations where those channels intersect with structure can be golden. From these first, primary recuperation stops, post-spawn bass will continue to migrate to places like shallow humps, weed beds, and primary lake points. Some will spend the rest of the year there, and others will depart and disperse throughout the system.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 1
Post-Spawn Presentations Once anglers understand a bit about the ways post-spawn largemouths behave and have a good idea where to find them, the next step is dialing in the specific presentations to which they’re vulnerable.
Fry-guarding males stationed near cover or structure on the first break off the spawning flats can be very easy to catch, despite the fact that they’re not programmed to eat during this brief period. Capitalize on their plight by offering baits that threaten the offspring they’re programmed to defend. Soft plastic jerkbaits and stickbaits are a favorite here, but topwaters, and moving baits like crankbaits, swimbaits, underspin swimbaits, and spinnerbaits all resemble threatening school-raiders and will elicit strikes.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 2
For true post-spawn bass transitioning to deep water, specific presentations should be dictated by the structure, cover, and depth at which the bass are holding, as well as available forage. This may be crayfish, bluegills, frogs, shad… you name it… but it’s worth noting that a shad spawn can sometimes coincide with the largemouth’s post-spawn period. When this brief but significant event happens, bass key in, actively hunting and targeting weak or dying individuals within the swarms. When present, a shad spawn will dictate post-spawn bass locations and it should also dictate an angler’s presentations. Top post-spawn transition baits include hard and soft jerkbaits, topwater lures, frogs, jigs, shakeyhead jigs, wobblehead jigs, Texas and Carolina rigs, swimbaits, and Damiki rigs/jighead minnows.
Post-Spawn Tackle Recommendations Given the wide variety of effective post-spawn presentations, suffice it to say that almost any spinning or casting setup has its place. That said optimizing rods, reels, and lines for specific presentations always yields more success. Here are some solid recommendations.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 3
Hard and Soft Jerkbaits – A 6’6” to 7’ medium power, fast or extra-fast action spinning or casting rod is ideal, with a 68MXF being the sweet spot. 10-20 lb. fluorocarbon line is preferred because it sinks and has minimal stretch. Pair jerkbait casting rods with a slow- or medium-speed casting reel like the SEVIIN GFC166, GFC173, GSC166, or GSC 173.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 4
Crankbaits – Crankbait rods should have a softer, moderate action to absorb the shock of a bass slashing at a moving bait and to keep the treble hooks in place during the fight. Rod length starts at 6’6” when accurate casts to specific target windows are required and can go up to 8’ when long casts are needed in order to get deep-diving crankbaits down to depth. In most cases, a 72MM, 72HM, or 72MHMF are ideal. 12 to 20-lb. fluorocarbon line is preferred. Reels should prioritize power over speed. A SEVIIN GFC166 or GSC166 is an ideal choice.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 5
Topwaters – Tackle choices will vary due to the variety of lure styles and retrieves. Moving baits like buzzbaits and propbaits deserve a softer moderate or moderate-fast action like a 70MHMF. Popping baits, frogs, and walk-the-dog-style baits need a faster tip to animate the lure. Choose medium to heavy power depending on the cover you’re fishing. Thicker vegetation and areas with wood, dock pilings or other trouble call for a heavy stick like a 74HF. A rod like a 70MF or 71MHF is ideal for areas with less cover. Medium-speed casting reels like the SEVIIN GFC173 and GSC173 work great for most topwaters, but many anglers prefer a faster 8.1:1 (GFC181 or GSC181) for frogging and other presentations that require picking line up quickly.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 6
Spinnerbaits – Similar to crankbaits and chatterbaits, a spinnerbait is a reaction bait, meaning bass strike it while it is moving. This requires a softer rod to convert strikes and land fish. A medium-heavy power, moderate-fast action rod like you would use for a buzzbait or surface prop-bait is also perfect for spinnerbaits. A rod like this can also fish most common crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and chatterbaits effectively. A 70MHMF is a perfect choice. Most anglers present spinnerbaits on 12-20 lb. fluorocarbon line and use a 6.1:1 or 7.3:1 casting reel.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 7
Stickbaits – Whether rigged Texas-style or wacky, stickbaits can be deadly on post-spawn bass. Spinning tackle gets the nod in this finesse presentation. The most popular stickbait rods range from 6’8” to 7’6” in medium-light to medium-heavy power, depending on nearby structure. Fast or extra-fast tips are helpful in detecting strikes on falling baits. Solid candidates are a 68MXF, 70MF, 70MHF, 610MLXF, or 73MLXF, with a 73MXF perhaps being the best all-arounder. 10-lb. braided line in a high-vis color also aids in detecting strikes but be sure to use an 8 to 15-lb. fluoro leader. A smooth and powerful 2500 or 3000 size SEVIIN GF, GS, or GX spinning reel is a perfect match.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 8
Swimbaits & Swimjigs – Paddletail soft-plastic swimbaits in the 3-4-in. range rigged on ¼ to ½-oz. jigheads or underspin jigheads catch bass everywhere. They’re a go-to choice for targeting post-spawn bass above weed beds, through sparse grass, along thick weed edges, around docks, on points, or in open water. They are versatile in that they can be counted down and fished at a variety of depths, and retrieves can be varied as well. Almost any casting or spinning rod can fish one of these baits. Moderate-fast or fast actions are ideal when paired with medium or medium-heavy power. A 71MHF is a great choice. Once again, 10 to 20-lb. fluorocarbon line is preferred. A medium-speed SEVIIN GFC173 or GSC173 reel gets the nod for casting rods, while a 3000-size GF, GS, or GX pairs great for swimbait fishing with spinning rods. Duplicate these setups for swimjigs.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 9
Bottom-Contact Baits – Jigs, shakeyhead jigs, wobblehead jigs, Texas rigs, and Carolina rigs all play for post-spawn bass. Highly sensitive, powerful rods are the rule, with 7’ to 7’5” medium-heavy to heavy, extra-fast action casting models serving anglers best. One exception is the Carolina rig, which are often fished in thicker vegetation. Rods for this technique still need loads of power but require a more moderate action. Shakeyhead jigs are another exception. More of a finesse technique, shakeyheads are often fished on spinning tackle – specifically a longer, medium-to-medium-heavy power rod like a 73MXF or 73MHF. Most of these bottom contact presentations are best fished on braided lines in the 15-40-lb. range. Preferred casting reels have a fast 8.1:1 retrieve to pick up line quickly before hooksets (GFC181 or GSC181). Shakeyhead spinning presentations call for a large-capacity 3000 size GF, GS, or GX spinning reel loaded with 20 to 30-lb braid and a 15-lb. fluoro leader.
Tips, Techniques, And Tackle For Post-Spawn Bass 10
Damiki Rigs / Jigging Minnows – Primarily a forward-facing sonar technique, Damiki rigs/jigging minnows are a finesse technique best presented on medium-light to medium power, extra-fast spinning rods between 6’3” and 7’ in length. Your stickbait setup can be used to fish these lures. 63MLXF, 63MXF, 66MLF, 610MLXF, and 70MFspinning rods are popular choices. Use the extra capacity of a 3000-size spinning reel to manage the lighter lines used for these techniques. The SEVIIN GX3000 is ideal. You can use straight 6-to-10-lb. fluorocarbon line or very light 10-lb. braided line, but if you go the braid route, be sure to use an extra-long 8-to-10-lb. fluoro leader.
About SEVIIN Reels
Wherever and however you fish, the reel in your hand should help create better experiences. Born from St. Croix Rod’s seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels only, designing and marketing products that improve the angling experience, regardless of the rods anglers choose. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days a week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed only by our passionate desire to deliver the most reliable reels on the water. Learn more at seviinreels.com. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks.
Some of my earliest memories are of following mama and grandma to local ponds. They would have their long cane pole and a five-gallon lard can. I followed with my much shorter cane pole. The can was their tackle box with small split shot, hooks, corks and extra line.
It also contained the bait. We always had a tin can of worms dug from behind the chicken house where the water trough drained, keeping the ground wet and rich from droppings in the water trough. Those red wigglers were a favorite bait and we could get a can full in a few minutes.
There was also always a can with a piece of cheese cloth tied across the top. The can was half full of corn meal and flour siftings. It had been moistened and left open for flies to lay their eggs. Within a few days “meal worms,” really fly maggots, started hatching.
The cheese cloth cover kept the flies in the can when they molted from the maggots. Young maggots were white and worked best, but bream and catfish loved to eat even the old dark brown ones. And they did not smell bad or make as much of a mess as did the earthworms when impaled on a #6 bream hook.
There were four ponds within walking distance of the house where we had permission to fish. Mama or grandma would bait their hook then sit on the lard can. I would try to sit still and fish but usually wanted to move around the pond, dabbling my bait into the “pasture is always greener” spots.
We caught small bluegill and cats and kept everything we landed to eat. As mama said, “it’s big enough to make the grease stink.” And she loved the crunchy tips of fried bluegill fins, no matter how small.
By the time I was 13 years old I was allowed to ride my bicycle to local ponds by myself or with Harold or Hal. We fished every pond we could get to during the summer vacation, wading and casting our Zebco 33s for bass and bream.
I had a huge Old Pal tacklebox and one year all I asked for at Christmas was a basket for my bicycle big enough for it. I could carry all the tackle I owned and some bait as well in the big basket I got. And my rod fit across the handlebars of my bike.
We spent several days every week fishing during the summer. I still went with mama and grandma, and often mama would load us up in the truck and take us to ponds too far for walking or bike riding. I have many wonderful memories of those trips, spending hours sitting with them and talking and catching fish.
One trip when I was about 12 changed my life. We were fishing the pool below the spillway at Usury’s pond and my cork went under. When I raised my pole a little ten-inch-long bass exploded out of the water and jumped three or four times. I was hooked for life; it was much more fun than the circling pull of a bluegill or the dogged runs of catfish.
I still love the sight of a jumping bass at the end of my line. It is a thrill that speeds up my heart, partly because I fear it throwing the hook!
Last weekend at Bartletts Ferry in the Flint River Tournament I was casting a spinnerbait and got a thump. When I set the hook the fish took off fast, sizzling my line through the water. I was sure it was a hybrid until a solid five pound largemouth cleared the water!
In the tournament only four of us showed up for the Flint River Bass Club June tournament. In eight hours we landed ten keeper bass weighing about 14 pounds. There was one five bass limit and one zero.
Zane Fleck won five at 5.98 pounds and got big fish with a 2.31 pound largemouth. I was second with two at 3.78 pounds and JR Proctor had three weighing 3.73 pounds for third.
That five pounder I hooked? I got it to the boat and as I reached down for the net, my line went slack!
Once the bass spawn, some bass move to deeper water, but plenty stick around in the shallows. This is when the shallows are alive with bass guarding fry and spawning activity for bluegill, shad, and herring—all of which keep the bass in shallow water.
Professional bass anglers and Segar Pro Staff, Luke Clausen and Drew Gill, know this and stay in skinny water for much of the post-spawn with various approaches.
Clausen’s Mix of the Old and New School
Like most professional anglers, Luke Clausen’s bass boat and office on the water is decked out with plenty of big electronic screens and the most up-to-date technology. He uses it plenty, but the Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup champion often relies on the old-fashioned way during the post-spawn: using his eyes and paying attention to clues from his surroundings.
After the bass spawn, one of his main focuses is the spawns of some of their favorite meals. The bluegill, shad, and herring spawns are critical to his approach. His electronics help, but years of experience and some hints from the environment guide his approach.
“Tools like side scan are good for locating bluegill beds, and you can use your forward-facing sonar to find baitfish and bass guarding fry this time of year, but so much of it is just done by watching and using your eyes,” he said. “Your electronics help a bunch with deeper bluegill beds, but the shallower ones are best just looking around on flat places, around vegetation, or the back of a pocket. They rarely spawn on something that’s not very flat, and it needs to be somewhat protected.”
He’ll mix various techniques to catch these bass feasting on spawning bluegill, from a wacky rig to topwater lures like frogs, walking baits, prop baits, and poppers.
“I like a popper for the sound and the ability to stop it in place, and a small walking bait is a great choice,” he said. “I fish it on 30 lb Seaguar Smackdown in the Stealth Gray color, and that thin line is great for accurate casts with those light baits. The worst thing you can do with a topwater is to pull a topwater bait away from a fish, so I keep the bait in place when one rolls on it, and you’ll hook a lot of those fish because there’s no stretch in the line.”
Clausen goes white-colored baits like a spinnerbait, buzzbait, or swim jig when targeting bass feeding on spawning shad. “The shad spawn is always going to happen first thing in the morning, and they’ll always spawn around hard places, either rocks, docks, or somewhere with a hard surface,” he said. “It’s hard to beat fast-moving baits like swim jigs and buzzbaits, and I fish all of those on 50 lb Seaguar Smackdown, which is still very thin to get long casts to reach any surface activity you see. I like 15 lb Seaguar Red Label for my spinnerbaits because it has a little less stretch, which is important for short-range hooksets.”
Gill’s New Age Approach
Bass Pro Tour angler Drew Gill is one of the poster boys of the new generation of professional bass anglers, getting the most out of his electronics to find bass. While many consider forward-facing sonar an offshore approach dominated by finesse techniques, he finds it successful in shallow water with a wide range of baits. It’s something that he employs all spring, especially in the post-spawn.
“After the bass spawn, you have the bluegill bed thing and throwing topwaters around shallow cover,” said Gill. “It’s a tandem thing, and forward-facing sonar plays a role in both. It helps you locate the bluegill beds, showing the harder bottom areas they use to spawn. It’s also great for finding shallow targets that provide shade to cast a topwater lure to.”
Once he finds bedding bluegill, Gill will use standard finesse techniques but likes to use heavier weights. “I’m going to use a plastic worm in some form or fashion, but want something fast and snappy, so I use heavier weights than I normally use,” he said. “I want something a little more intrusive, whether a Texas rig, drop-shot, shaky head, or some other way to rig the worm. The heavier weights allow me to get that bass to react when fishing around bluegill beds.”
Even though Gill primarily uses spinning gear and finesse tactics, he likes to beef up his fluorocarbon leader material to 15 or 17-lb Seaguar Tatsu.
“This time of year, fishing this way, your average size of bass goes way up,” he said. “I like to use heavier lines to manhandle the fish because you tend to catch some really big post-spawn fish doing this.”
Gill also likes to stay back on bluegill beds he finds with his electronics, sticking to 50 to 80 feet away and making casts to what he sees. “Fishing at a distance is critical in shallow water because the bass are very mobile this time of year as they roam chasing bluegill and tend to be very aware of their surroundings,” he said.
Aside from soft plastics, Gill also likes to mix in moving baits like topwater lures. “It’s a one-two punch for me, and I also like to use a lure that will call them up to the surface, either a walking topwater or some sort of bait that will draw them like a glide bait,” he said. “These baits are great when searching and looking across shallow flats. For topwater walking baits, I like 20 lb Seaguar Smackdown in Stealth Gray with a very short leader of 15 or 17-pound Seaguar Tatsu to keep the braid from wrapping around the treble hooks. It seems light, but I like how the bait reacts to each movement, and heavier braids tend to overpower a bait.”
Bass fishing in shallow water is an excellent approach almost any time of the year, but around the spawn and for a few weeks afterward, it can be the way to find big and hungry bass.
Seaguar Smackdown braid is available in high visibility Flash Green and low visibility Stealth Gray. It is available in 150- and 300-yard spools in sizes ranging from 10 to 65 lb tests
Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon mainline is available in 200- and 1,000-yard spools from 4 to 25 lb tests
Seaguar Red Label Fluorocarbon mainline is available in 200- and 1,000-yard spools from 4 to 20 lb tests.
Seeing a ferocious strike from a huge largemouth bass as it blows up on a topwater lure at sunrise or sunset is absolutely thrilling. To witness the power and aggressiveness on full display sends a collective shiver down the spine of any passionate angler; it’s also one of the most consistent ways to catch big bass throughout the hot summer months.
When it comes to topwater bass fishing, there are several categories of lures, which are effective in certain situations. Among the favorites are poppers, walkers and prop baits, as well as frogs. For this, we’ll just consider the first three since frogs fall in a category all their own.
Largemouth bass are ambush predators and are willing to strike nearly anything that comes into range. They can sense a lure visually, by sound or by picking up vibrations through their lateral line as it swims across heavy cover. That’s one reason poppers, like the familiar Rebel Pop-R and prop baits including the Smithwick Devil’s Horse are especially effective in off-color water, since they can draw in fish from the sound alone. Whether it’s the gulping bubble of a popper or the buzz of a prop bait, bass sure love ‘em. Walkers, like the old standby Heddon Zara Spook, tend to work better in clearer water, where the fish can track the lure visually. It takes some practice but the walk-the-dog technique of zig-zagging a stickbait past heavy cover will draw ferocious strikes.
On the bite, bass create suction by forcing water through its mouth and out past its gills. If the fish misses the lure on the first strike, allow it to sit twitching—the fish will often circle back to consume what it believes is a crippled prey.
Topwater bass fishing can mean hundreds of casts though, and hand fatigue can become an issue. There are also those little cuts, nicks and scrapes we get from a long day on the water, from fins, gill plates, hooks, braided line and more. Fish Monkey’s Free Style fishing glove is a perfect match for topwater fishing. It offers a number of key features, including a second-skin fit with ultralight, moisture-wicking fabrics offeringUPF 50-plus sun protection as well as light padding and protection in all the right places. This means you can lip a big bass or take a wrap with heavy braid without worry of the line cutting into your hand. The Free Style is also designed to allow the user to remove any fingertips they wish without having the glove fray or split. This is key for tying knots or manipulating snap swivels without having to remove the glove. And because of the additional padding and grip in the palms, making hundreds of casts a day is much less fatiguing.
The Stubby is another great choice. It’s designed for those who prefer shorter cuffs and fingers. It’s not short on features though, with PVC Monkey Grip in the palms that works as well when wet as it does dry, plus UPF 50-plus sun protection. That ultralight fabric and second-skin fit means you’ll forget you’re even wearing gloves after about five casts.
A third choice is the Pro 365 Guide Glove. It’s designed with professional guides in mind, with a slightly longer cuff and fingers than the Stubby, but with all those same great features, fit and sun protection. Want even more coverage? Check out the Half Finger or even the Full Finger Guide Gloves.
Although topwater bass fishing can mean a ton of casting, those explosive strikes from giant largemouths make it all worthwhile.
