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.
“Schools out schools out, teacher let the mules out.” On the last day school back in 1962 I was not too sensible but was as excited as a twelve-year-old could be so I sang such nonsense.
All I could think of was seemingly endless days ahead of fishing, building treehouses and huts, damming Dearing Branch, camping out, swimming, climbing trees and just generally growing up wild in Georgia.
At that age I would climb anything without fear. Dearing Elementary School was an old brick building and each corner had decorative recesses about two inches deep every three feet or so going up the side.
I usually hung around school to ride home with daddy, the principal of the school. For several years, as soon as everyone else left the last day of school, I would go out and climb up on the roof. It was like my own private world, with many toys lost up there during the year.
I also found a way to get into the area above the ceiling. I had to be very careful to step on the rafters, a misstep would put me through the fiberboard ceiling tiles.
I found the old school bell there, suspended in front of a vent to the outside. It was long unused, I never heard it ring. I wonder if it still hangs hidden out of sight.
I think I tried to climb every tree on our farm. One “fun” activity was to climb a small sweetgum maybe 20 feet high and get one of my friends to chop it down. It was a crazy ride as it fell and you had to be careful since your body weight would make the tree turn as it fell, making you hit back first under the tree if you didn’t jump to the side at exactly the right time.
I am surprised I lived through some of those years and one tree climbing almost killed me. I had climbed a big sweetgum at the corner of our hog pen fence. The wire fence had boards and post holding it up and had been patched by old barn boards.
A limb broke or I lost my hold and fell, back first. I hit the ground looking up at the top of jagged 2/4 that I had missed by inches. I came “that close” to impaling myself.
Most of our activities were not so dangerous, although many required hard work, more than we would have wanted to do if productive around the farm. But we were having fun, not working.
Dearing Branch came under the fence at our property line, widened out in a sandy area then got narrow where it ran between two trees. Every summer we tried to dam it to make a pond, the narrows at the trees made a natural place for it.
We tried piling sand for a dam but the natural flow would soon wash it away. We improved our efforts by bringing croker sacks and filling them with sand. They held up longer but the water flow would soon eat under and around them.
We spent endless hours dragging an old railroad crosstie a couple hundred yards through the woods to the branch. We would drag it about ten feet and stop to rest. Those things are heavy!
It made a great base for our dam. That summer the crosstie and sandbags worked to make a pool about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. And it was deep enough to come up to the chest of a skinny-dipping 12-year-old.
Our swimming hole lasted several weeks until a heavy summer thunderstorm dumped enough water into the branch to wash even the crosstie away.
I fished Dearing Branch a lot, too. I made myself a “fly rod,” a stick with some fishing line tied to it. My hand tied fly was made with chicken feathers and some of mama’s sewing thread on a #6 bream hook.
I have no idea what it looked like but I caught many tiny bluegill and hornyhead chubs by dabbling it on the surface of deeper holes in the branch. I guess my trembling it made it look like a bug on top of the water.
I had a wonderful childhood outdoors. It helped that our tv got only two channels and those black and white shows were not much interest until after dinner, when I watched a couple hours of such shows as Bewitched, The Flintstones, Twilight Zone, Bat Masterson and The Beverly Hillbillies.
At that age, I don’t think anything would have kept me inside though! I am sorry most kids nowadays don’t get to experience such fun outside.
How Many Alligators Live In Georgia? If You Live In the North Half of Georgia, You Might Be Surprised
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (May 29, 2025) – If you reside in the northern part of the state, it might be a surprise to hear that Georgia is home to an estimated population of around 225,000 alligators. But, if you live south of the fall line, an invisible marker that connects Columbus to Macon to Augusta, you likely are familiar with that fact. No matter where you live, it’s time to get GatorWise, says the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
“As the weather warms up and people are spending more time outdoors, it’s a great time to remind everyone that it is normal to see alligators moving around and basking in rivers, ponds and lakes in the southern part of the state,” said Kara Nitschke, WRD’s state alligator biologist. “Alligators are native to Georgia and are critical to the health and balance of our ecosystems, so being GatorWise means we know how to modify our behavior to minimize any potential conflict.”
Learn The GatorWise Basics:
Assume Alligators are Present: Alligators can live in any water body in their range. They are good at hiding and may be found in places where you have never seen them, especially after storms or floods. Keep your distance.
Never Feed Alligators: Feeding alligators on purpose or by accident is illegal in Georgia. This is because this action can cause alligators to associate people with food and lose their natural fear of people.
Don’t Dispose of Fish or Food Scraps in the Water: Throwing fish scraps in the water is one of the most common ways people unintentionally feed alligators. Properly dispose of bait, fish scraps and food items.
Never Harass, Capture or Handle an Alligator: Approaching, capturing or handling alligators puts you at risk. View and photograph alligators from a distance.
Be Responsible for People and Pets in Your Care: Alligators do not know the difference between pets and prey. Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Supervise small children near the water.
Maintain Awareness: Observe alligator warning signs. Stay away from the water if you see an alligator. Avoid swimming in areas with dense vegetation and only swim during daylight hours.
GatorWise promotes realistic public perceptions about alligators and provides guidance on responsible human behavior to minimize conflict between people and alligators.
GatorWise was developed with cooperation from state fish and wildlife agencies of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, all states withing the range of the American Alligator.
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.
Making Dad Happy on Father’s Day is Simple Hey Ronnie, Josh here. I’m St. Croix’s communications manager, and that’s me fishing with my son Jack in Alaska last summer. Fishing with my kids is what makes me happiest. I also like fishing gear and fishing clothes… all of it. We dads are pretty simple, right?
To celebrate dads everywhere in advance of Father’s Day, the St. Croix Factory Store is offering some great deals and one-stop shopping for everything dads love! SHOP $20 LIMITED EDITION-FATHER’S DAY TEESSHOP 20% OFF ALL IN-STOCK APPARELSHOP ROD, REEL & TACKLE SPECIALSSale ends at 11:59 PM Central Time on June 1. All quantities are limited. While supplies last. Remember… in addition to offering easy online shopping, the St. Croix Factory Store is a full-service, physical tackle store. That means if you ever have questions or need any help at all, you can pick up the phone during business hours, call 715-762-3226 Ext. 119, and talk to one of our team members. They’re here to help!
– JoshBEWARE OF IMITATIONS! There’s only one St. Croix Factory Store. Our website is StCroixRodFactoryStore.com.
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.
I grew up reading the big three outdoor magazines of the time: Outdoor Life, Sports Afield and Field and Stream. At one time I had every copy of all three from 1964 until about 2000. Those magazines made me want to catch salmon in an Alaska stream and shoot doves in Argentina.
Sometimes an article applied directly to this country Georgia boy. I distinctly remember a tip that redwing blackbirds often lit in bushes hanging over the water and watched a bass under them, expecting the bass to injure a minnow the bird could than eat.
A few days later while fishing Harrison’s Pond with my trusty Mitchell 300 and a Devil’s Horse, I saw a redwing blackbird sitting on a small bush growing from the top of a stump about 40 feet off the bank. It took me a couple of cast to place the Devil’s Horse perfectly and bring it by the stump, but I got an explosive strike from a nice two-pound bass.
More recently I had gotten my fishing stuff ready for a Jackson night tournament and was killing time waiting to leave. I read an online report on an Arkansas lake. It said the bass were hitting a jig and pig at night.
I went out and tied one on for the tournament. At midnight I had not caught a fish and had just two hours left to fish. Remembering the article and jig, I picked it up and started casting it to a rocky point. I landed five bass on it in the next hour and won the tournament.
The big three magazines were national and covered everything about the outdoors. Then around my senior year in high school, 1968, I heard about a new group that published a magazine. But it was different. The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) was nothing but black bass fishing.
Youth nowadays have almost unlimited information available to them and many of them take advantage of it. Some college bass fishermen have more bass fishing knowledge than I have accumulated in 65 years of bass fishing. They constantly study and read about bass fishing.
I share recaps of my tournament here and hope they help fishermen catch fish. Sometimes another fisherman sharing what they catch fish on and how they are caught is a big help. For the same reason I post a variety of fishing reports on my web site. You never know where or when a tip may help you in the future.
I hope somehow my reports help you catch a bass!
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I wish I had read something or heard something to help me at West Point last weekend! That lake has been my bane this year in tournaments, finishing near the bottom in Potato Creek and a Sportsman Club tournaments in February.
Last Sunday 12 members and guests fished from 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM to land 40 bass weighing about 40 pounds at West Point. There were four five-bass limits and one person didn’t weigh in a fish.
Raymond English won with five weighing 10.31 pounds and got big fish with a 2.59 pounder. Second went to Billy Roberts with five at 6.33 pounds, third was Lee Hancock with five at 5.30 pounds and Jay Gerson was fourth with five weighing 4.97 pounds. My four weighing 4.69 pounds was fifth, one place out of the money again!
Before the tournament Lee said a big tournament there the day before produced a winning weight of 18 pounds. He asked “How do they do that?” I told him I thought they ran way up the river and threw topwater frogs around grass and other shallow cover, working hard all day for five bites from quality largemouth. I also said I could not fish like that anymore, my old body won’t let me.
Instead I tend to fish memories, trying to catch fish in the same places and the same ways I caught them the same time of year in the past. Sometimes it kinda works.
After a club member helped me launch my boat and I sat waiting on blastoff Sunday morning, the fairly strong wind make me change my plans. I knew the wind would be blowing right into three rocky points down the lake where I caught fish two weeks ago, usually a good thing. I decided to start there rather than a place upstream I originally planned to go.
Wind was blowing into the points and a crow walking the edge of the water, looking for shad I thought, made me think I had made a good decision. I quickly missed a bite on topwater and picked up a Carolina rig and landed a 11.9-inch spot. Not a keeper.
And it was the only bite I got until I ran back up the lake to where I planned to start at 9:00. I finally caught three fish on a shaky head worm on rocky points and one on a whacky rigged worm under a dock.
I hooked exactly five bass all day! I just could not catch that fifth keeper.
PRE-REGISTER TO ATTEND CAD IN PERSONJoin Us in Celebration of Anglers and Angling at One of the World’s Most-Unique Fishing Events2025 St. Croix Customer Appreciation Day Planned for June 21
PARK FALLS, Wis. (May 7, 2025) – St. Croix Rod invites anglers to join in celebration of fishing at its 2025 Customer Appreciation Day, Saturday, June 21 at the St. Croix Factory in Park Falls, Wisconsin.
Customer Appreciation Day continues to evolve and grow, but the event’s identity and purpose remain the same. It’s a chance for the St. Croix Rod and SEVIIN Reels Teams to express thanks to our anglers while celebrating our collective passion for fishing. “We provide the setting for our team members to spend a really fun day serving and interacting with thousands of visiting anglers, and the dynamic takes over from there,” says Jesse Simpkins, St. Croix Vice President of Marketing. “Each year we provide more opportunities and new experiences for both in-person and online participants as well. It’s a special day our entire team looks forward to every year.”
Visiting anglers look forward to the event as well. “We have anglers who make the trip to Customer Appreciation Day in Park Falls every year, plus hundreds of new visitors each year,” says St. Croix Vice President of Sales, Steve Self. “They come from all over the country and from overseas, too.”
Anglers attending Customer Appreciation Day are part of the St. Croix Family and experience something no other rod manufacturer offers on such a personal level. This year’s event will include multiple opportunities to learn about the rod-building process, informative fishing seminars from St. Croix pros, casting demonstrations, a free lunch provided by Johnsonville, prize drawings, free line winding, and – of course – a variety of special, one-day-only deals on St. Croix rods, special limited-edition combos, SEVIIN reels, tackle, and apparel, which are available both in-person and online.
2025 St. Croix Customer Appreciation Day Activities
Rod Building – Learn the process of how St. Croix Rods are handcrafted. Multiple stations will be set up for you to see an abbreviated example of how our rods are built. Included in this will be a live rod winding demonstration. SEVIIN Tent – See how we engineer and test our reels. We put them through more than 15 grueling tests with thousands of reps to make sure your time on the water is fun and productive! Fishing Seminars – Gain fishing knowledge and up your game on the water. We have a full day of informative presentations – in person and live streamed – presented by St. Croix and SEVIIN Pro Staff. Learn from these elite anglers and have fun doing it. The current schedule includes seminars from Al and James Lindner, Bassmaster Elite angler Pat Schlapper, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, and Joel Nelson, as well as a second-annual in-depth musky seminar delivered by a panel of the Northwoods’ top musky anglers. Seminars will be livestreamed on St. Croix’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Special CAD-Only Deals at the St. Croix Factory Store – CAD attendees and virtual participants will enjoy exceptional one-day-only deals on a huge selection of various St. Croix rods, special combos, gear, and limited-edition St. Croix CAD apparel. In addition to regular items, all CAD deals and special offers will be available online at stcroixrodfactorystore.com the day of the event.
Partner Vendors While the people of St. Croix and SEVIIN host CAD, the event is enriched by the presence and participation of a variety of other great companies from within the fishing industry, including Rapala, Daiwa, Stormy Kromer, Walleye-X, and others.
Giveaways Anglers attending CAD in-person are automatically registered for three huge prize drawings! All prize drawings will take place at 1:30PM after the seminars.
BassmastHERCreated by B.A.S.S., BassmastHER is a support system for education, travel, inspiration, and more to the passionate community of female anglers. Meet BassmastHER Ambassador, Maggie Jo Carsello, a fishing influencer and tournament angler from Madison, Wisconsin with the goal of inspiring women to claim their space on the water. Improve Your Casting – Spincasting, spinning, baitcasting, or even fly casting, learn the proper technique from our team members with the latest St. Croix rods and SEVIIN reels at the onsite casting pond. Free Johnsonville Lunch – We’re always working to deliver our anglers the upper hand, and a full stomach! Our friends from Johnsonville will be here to help celebrate our anglers with premium Johnsonville brats and hot dogs!
Free Line Winding – Anglers who pick up a deal on a combo or a reel at CAD can have the reel spooled with line at no cost (available to in-person CAD attendees only), courtesy of St. Croix, SEVIIN, and the University of Wisconsin Fishing Team!
Warranty Service – If you’re visiting Customer Appreciation Day on June 21, here’s your chance to save time and money by getting your warranty claim processed in advance of your visit. Pre-register your warranty claim HERE before 5:00PM Central Time on Friday June 13. Bring your broken rod to the Warranty Tent at Customer Appreciation Day, pay a $30 In-Person Warranty Fee (half of our Standard $60 Warranty Fee) and pick up your rod!
Meet the St. Croix and SEVIIN Teams – At least 32 sets of hands come in contact with a St. Croix rod before it ever reaches yours, and there are a whole lot more that help design them and bring them to market. Meet the St. Croix and SEVIIN team members who share a passion for crafting the “Best Rods on Earth,” as well as a passion for fishing that matches your own. They talk a lot about the what’s and how’s of making rods and reels, but most of them really just want to talk about fishing and swap stories!
Plan Your Trip and Stay Up to Date
Anglers can learn more and stay up to date with St. Croix’s 2025 Customer Appreciation Day event by following St. Croix on Facebook and Instagram, or by checking back regularly at stcroixrods.com.
For all kinds of great ideas, information, and assistance in planning your travel to Northern Wisconsin, visit the Travel Wisconsin website.
About St. Croix Rod Headquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has been proudly producing the “Best Rods on Earth” for over 75 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing processes with skilled craftsmanship, St. Croix is the only major American rod company to still build rods entirely from design through manufacturing. The company remains family-owned while owning and operating duplicate manufacturing facilities in Park Falls, Wisconsin and Fresnillo, Mexico. With popular trademarked series such as Legend®, Avid®, Premier®, Imperial®, Triumph®, Mojo, and BASS X, St. Croix is revered by all types of anglers from around the world. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks.
Sale ends at 11:59 PM Central Time on June 1.
PARK FALLS, Wis. (May 7, 2025) – St. Croix Rod invites anglers to join in celebration of fishing at its 2025 Customer Appreciation Day, Saturday, June 21 at the St. Croix Factory in Park Falls, Wisconsin.
