It’s no secret that the best bass fishing of the whole year is followed by the worst. You guessed it, they are the dreaded post-spawn blues. The post-spawn is arguably the hardest time of the year to catch a bass, let alone a good limit or a big one. Many anglers really struggle during this period, especially with targeting post-spawn smallmouth. But with a little persistence, finesse, and effort, you can have some fun out there.
After smallmouth finish their sexy time up shallow, it takes a lot out of them. They are stressed out, beat up, and looking to relax after tumbling around in a nest. The last thing on their mind is eating. It is also the time of year that most tournaments are starting up throughout the northeast, and kids are getting out for summer vacation. Between tournaments, the weekend warriors and the retired weekday anglers, our fish experience more pressure now than they did in the colder months. Here are a few tips and tactics to help figure out these fish and not rid you of the post-spawn blues.
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After smallmouth finish nesting and the fry move off into structure to grow, bronzebacks generally won’t stray too far from their beds. Because they are so tired out, they tend to recoup for a few weeks before getting into their summer patterns. You can often see these smallmouth just cruising around the shallow flats. If you see them and try throwing a bait at them, nine times out of 10, they will swim away and not bite. So, why try and cast at fish that aren’t biting? Because if you play your cards right, it can pay off in big dividends.
Usually, if you can see a bass swimming in the water, they can see you. Being stealthy is crucial to getting those fish to chew. Using light tackle, finesse baits and making long casts will get you the most bites, even in the clear, shallow water. Utilizing a 7’6” medium-light action rod and 6-pound fluorocarbon line to make those long casts without the fish knowing you’re there is a cakewalk.
As far as baits go, this is where a light marabou hair jig really shines. It’s a bait that imparts a lot of movement in the water without the angler having to do much. Marabou has such a natural flow that it looks more like a leech or swimming crayfish, which drives big smallmouth bass nuts.
Another technique is called “mid-strolling”, which is all the craze in deep-water fishing with forward-facing sonar. Working a jighead/minnow combination over their heads makes for a treat giant smallmouth can’t resist. However, what many anglers fail to do is fish it up shallow for cruising bass; it’s a technique that works wonders!
While a lot of fish stay shallow, many of the larger smallmouth go deeper into the middle of nowhere after spawning, which a lot of anglers overlook. Often, it’s the bigger females that head back to deep, offshore water to chase around baitfish. Now, do they go deep into their offshore haunts to not be seen again until the fall? Not necessarily. If there is a deep point near where the bass are spawning, then usually, that is where they will be. Typically, after spawning, big smallmouth don’t have the energy to exert into chasing baitfish, but if they can position themselves on a deep point and use wind-driven current to their advantage, then they can feast without exerting much energy.
You may think suspending fish aren’t feeding fish, but with the advancements in today’s electronics and forward-facing sonar, you can position yourself to make an accurate cast that looks natural and entices the fish to bite. Bait selection is fairly simple, as you want to imitate some sort of baitfish. I’m a huge fan of either a topwater bait, a suspended jerkbait, a jighead/minnow combo, or a combination of the three. A suspending jerkbait gets right up in their face and can then be paused to torment them a little, while a jighead and a soft-plastic minnow can hover directly in front of them and get them to commit. Of course, you can’t beat a topwater bait, as their curiosity gets the best of them sometimes, and the bites are explosive. All used together, these three tactics are some the best ways to catch suspended, post-spawn smallmouth.
If there’s one way to find bass, it’s going to be close to structure—more importantly, structure that provides a lot of shade. When a bass makes its nest and lays its eggs, it needs direct sunlight. For weeks at a time, these fish sit in the sun, and when its time to come off the nest, they slide into the nearest available shaded cover they can find. This could be a dock, sunken tree, or even thick, standing vegetation. I find a lot of our New York smallmouth gravitate towards two main structures post spawn: wooden docks and, surprisingly enough, lily pads closer to deep water. Both provide excellent shade cover and a great food source to make it the best of both worlds for a bass.
Generally, smallmouth will hit as long as the bait is tight to the cover; there are only a few baits that can get close enough without getting hung up, but also draw bass out to bite. My personal favorite is a spinnerbait. I can get that bait tight under the cover while still being able to work it around the structure, and even in the shade, it still provides some flash. A spinnerbait looks like a small school of baitfish that big smallmouth just can’t resist.
When it comes to my post-spawn tackle, I’m extremely particular. Certain baits only work at certain times, and having the right one can make or break your day.
When it comes to hair jigs for shallow smallmouth on the flats, I’m a huge fan of the Beast Coast Superfly Hair Jig. Its stout hook, tungsten head and lifelike movement in the water drives those shallow smallmouth crazy.
For any of my “minner shaker” friends out there, you can’t beat a Northland Smeltinator Jighead paired with a Strike King Z-Too soft jerkbait. The plastic durability and lifelike jighead is something I have a lot of confidence in all season, but especially post spawn.
Lastly, for a spinnerbait, I reach for a 1/2-ounce Bassman Compact MW Spinnerbait. Arguably, these are some of the best spinnerbaits on the market and the compact profile is sure to mimic a small school of baitfish and drive bass to chew.
Hopefully these tips, tactics, and bait selection help you catch more big smallmouth this upcoming post-spawn season. It can be tough fishing, but if you keep a positive mindset and maintain confidence in your areas and baits, then you should have no problem getting fish in the boat!
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