The post-spawn period is among the best times of the year to catch bass on topwater baits. With the bluegill spawn in full swing, bass spread out across flats and establish hunting grounds around bluegill colonies. Carl Jocumsen explains how to find these productive fishing spots using a combination of mapping, sonar, and effective moving baits like topwaters to trigger bass.
FEATURED PRODUCT
- LURE – Storm Arashi Cover Pop
- ROD – Millerods FrogFreaK Casting Rod, 7’10” Med Hvy
- REEL – Shimano Curado 150 DC Casting Reel
- LINE (braided mainline): Power Pro Super8Slick V2 Braided Line, 50-pound
- LINE (fluorocarbon leader) – Sunline Shooter Fluorocarbon, 18-pound
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex Trolling Motor
- FISH FINDER – Humminbird SOLIX 12 CHIRP MEGA SI+ G3
- FISH FINDER (360 Imaging) – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging
- SHALLOW WATER ANCHOR – Minn Kota Raptor Shallow Water Anchor
- MAPPING – Humminbird LakeMaster Mapping
Here are Carl’s top 4 tips for post-spawn bass fishing success:
- Start your search for productive flats adjacent to bass spawning areas. Carl advises a combination of Shallow Water Highlight and Highlight Depth functions to determine high-percentage spots before dumping the boat in so you’re maximizing time on the water.
- Cover water quickly until you locate bluegill beds and key cover like laydowns and brush piles. Switch from your trolling motor to stationary positioning with shallow water anchors to fan cast prime areas.
- Target bass around bluegill beds with topwater baits. Find bluegill beds through a combination of local knowledge, visibility to the lake eye, or with the aid of sophisticated electronics like side or 360 Imaging. In any case, bass are a sucker for a bluegill-imitating popper or walking bait on the surface. Versatile lures like the Storm Arashi Cover Pop allow you to seamlessly walk the dog or fish the bait like a popper.
- Change your topwater retrieve to appeal to a wide range of bass. Jocumsen recommends mixing it up by varying between walking the dog and popping the bait, or a combination of both. Bass often show a preference for one over the other — it’s your job to determine this through cadence experimentation.
Visit our Topwater Channel for more tactics, techniques, and tricks for catching bass on topwater lures.
