POST SPAWN
capitalize on the
Story & Photos
BY MARK FONG
TOPWATER BITE
T
here are a lot of misconceptions about the
post spawn period. While it is true that
fishing can be challenging, the post spawn
offers some of the best topwater action of the entire year. I have a buddy who is so addicted
to the post spawn topwater bite that for the past
decade he has planned his annual fishing vacation
around it.
RETRACE THE SPAWN
Locating prospective fish holding areas during the post spawn is a systematic process. I start my search in the vicinity of spawning areas; but rather than work towards the back of coves (as I would during the pre spawn) I simply move in the opposite direction. Once a fish vacates the nest, it may stay in the area for a while. This behavior can correspond to a period of inactivity during, which it is reluctant to bite.
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As the fish recover from the stresses of the spawn, they will follow ditches or creek channels as their pathways back offshore. Somewhere along the journey, they will stop and set up on areas just adjacent to deep water to feed up.
These key areas can be near small cuts, points or flats. If I can find a flat with isolated cover, be it willow trees, bushes, stumps, boulders or scattered vegetation, I know there is a good chance that groups of fish won’t be far away. As anglers, even though our eyes are readily drawn to visible targets, it is important to fish the broader area as well. Often times the bass are scattered across the flat, either roaming or associating with changes in bottom contour or composition, that aren’t readily visible to us.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
Whether the primary forage base in your fishery is shad, pond smelt, bluegill or other, if you understand
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