Post-spawn fishing for bass can encompass everything from hatched eggs to shady summer haunts, but it begins as soon as the bass start leaving their spawning beds, and it runs through the summer.
Though some anglers love this time of year and others hate it, once you get post-spawn bass pinpointed, you could be in for some of the best fishing of the year, especially at Pickwick Lake.
Just because bass have quit spawning doesn’t mean they’ve quit being bass, so some of the tactics for catching spawning bass will still work. One of the pros’ favorite spawning baits is also very effective during post-spawn — a soft-plastic lizard in green pumpkin, one of the most productive bass baits ever made.
After the spawn, Carolina rig the lizard and fish it in areas where you expect to find the fish coming off their beds.
Even when fishing offshore areas, continue fish the lizard — rigged both Texas- and Carolina-style — to catch bass the rest of the year In areas where the post-spawn coincides with the shad spawn, look for some shallow chunk rock or riprap that will hold spawning shad. Predatory bass will often be holding nearby.
Sometimes post-spawn bass will take to the shallows or other staging areas until they leave for their summer hangouts. When going after post-spawners in the shallows try a tube jig. Rig the tube with a lightweight slip sinker for a slow fall to let bass see the bait longer. If the bass aren’t feeding actively, and you want to trigger a reaction strike, use a heavier sinker like a 5/16- or a 3/8-ounce and fish it around any type of cover you can locate.
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