By Scott Norton
All the options are open, and the angler can pick from many plans starting right now. Now we have topwater fishing and nighttime fishing to add to your plans. Bass are coming out of their spawn funk and are now feeding aggressively. This means they are either shallow or deep. All techniques can be used just in case you want to change gears to adjust to your current situation. If you are well versed on bass and trout you can switch to one or the other if the weather gets too windy to be on a boat. It is a great time to out there living life right now.
Let us talk about topwater. Now that the grass is about to reach the surface you need to fish the upper water column, Personally I like to use something with a treble hook while you can up shallow. After the grass hits the surface your only option is to fish the grass line. If you want to keep fishing the shallows you will need to switch to a weedless bait such as a frog. You will have many different varieties like the size, walking, popping, and straight retrieve frogs. This is a treat for most anglers alike because it has been so long since their last time. Those blow-ups are so visually pleasing that you never get tired of seeing it.
After post-spawn your bass will split up into two groups, one going shallow, the other going deep. No one really knows what makes them pick one over the other but, I believe it has to with their food of choice. The bass that like to eat trout, shad, and Kokanee will go deep. The ones that stay shallow like terrestrials like frogs, lizards, and rats. These bass will always eat bluegill and bugs that land on the water as well. Now that we are at full pool these bass love to explore new feeding grounds in search for new things. Most people like the shallows because you can see where they might be. Fishing deep, you may have to feel around with a bottom contact bait unless you have forward-facing sonar that allows you to see that what you could not in the past. All are skills that can be honed.
Now that bass are shallow we can hunt them at night when the traffic in the day get too much. When bass get pressured they will start feeding more at night than in the day. I find that it is easier to sneak up on them at night with a kayak than using a boat. These fish know what to listen for especially after being caught so many times in the day. They will also pattern you. The best bites happen with a topwater lure. Just make sure you can see enough to clear objects in the dark.
As always have fun and take someone to share it with. It is up to us to pass the torch to the next generation and keep the sport alive. I hope this helps and I hope to see you on the water this year.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.