Top 5 Baits for the Post-Spawn and Early Summer
Many anglers slow down and finesse fish during the post spawn but those that commit to power fishing are often rewarded with giant bass that are bulking back up before going into the summer.
This time of year I keep my arsenal simple and focus on a few key baits to consistently target above average bites. My top 5 baits in no particular order are:
1) Swim Jig: Let's face it, you knew this one was coming. What you might not expect though, is I prefer to drop down to 3/8 or even 1/4 oz coupled with a small keitech to fool finicky fish
2) Squarebill Crankbait: The squarebill is a great bait option to draw a quick reaction strike from fish that are beginning to position over the grass beds.
3) Super Fluke: Tim recently covered this overlooked bait. There is perhaps no better option in early summer to cover a variety of situations from grass to docks, to rocks, without ever hanging up. You can fish it fast, slow, or as a topwater!
4) Whopper Plopper: This ugly bait is DEADLY. If you aren't throwing it, you need to. Period.
5) Hollow Body Frog: Who doesn't love the frog??? Last year it was the Spittin' Wa, this year we've put a lot of time into the Bully Wa 2. Of course you can't go wrong with a Koppers, the snagproof, and many others. We all love frog fishing!
This is such a fun time of year! You may not catch the biggest bass of your life but you can catch a lot of quality fish on a variety of techniques. Try putting down the finesse baits on your next trip, commit to power fishing with these simple baits, and hold on! Good luck out there!