By Scott Norton
The spawn has been interesting this year to say the least. The bite, for the most part, has been mediocre with spurts of frenzy feeding. The weather, with its many fronts passing through, can confuse the average angler but through hard work and process of elimination, you can figure out the puzzle of the day. Don’t be the angler that sticks to one thing- you’ll find few treasures that way. To catch bass consistently, you must learn to switch gears and let the fish do the talking.
Moving through the transitions, we now are approaching the shad spawn. Notice that when this starts to happen, you’ll see blow-ups in very shallow water early in the morning before the sun rises. If you can get there early enough to get in on this action, you’re in for a treat. Look for birds to help you locate the general area where this happens. Lots of other wildlife key-in and take advantage of this, so you should use that to hunt them down. Now is the time for topwater walking baits. Once the sun rises, the shad will move back to deep water and just like that, the topwater bite is done. To remedy this, be prepared to use square bills, lipless crank baits, and jerk baits. Match the hatch with the size and color of the forage.
Keep in mind where your bass are in relation to the spawning flats. You may also have some big females moving in for spawn so you also have a few options when the bite slows down. Lots of big bass have been found spawning in months after it should be over with. Never rule anything crazy out when things get tough.
If you favor the kayaks for your choice of vessel its a great time right now as the fish are not far from the launch ramps. Bank anglers can join in if you are the thrifty type, or just like the comfort of hard ground. This is a great time to turn small children on to the aggressive bite and active blowups of the feed. Try and stay back as far as you can so you won’t disturb what is taking place.
Enjoy the post spawn as we transition to the summer patterns ahead. Topwater fishing is finally here and it’s game on for all the action bites. This is a good time to catch your personal best, as bass are schooling up and very competitive.
Scott Norton is a native of Western North Carolina. Born in Asheville, NC, he is a long time avid hunter, angler, and weekend warrior. He is a member of Southern Raft Supply’s prostaff team representing them in his Jackson Kayak Coosa FD