Fishing Boot Tail Swimbaits for Post Spawn Bass

The post-spawn period is a great time to target bass with boot tail swimbaits. Bass are typically in a recovery mode after the rigors of spawning, and they are looking for easy meals. 

Boot tails are also a great option because they offer a realistic presentation that bass can't resist.

Here are a few tips on how to fish boot tail swimbaits for post spawn bass:

• Use a medium-heavy or heavy action rod and matching reel. This will give you the power you need to set the hook on big bass. In addition, use 10-15 pound fluorocarbon line which will help you to keep your bait in the strike zone. Also, use a 3/0 or 4/0 swimbait hook providing the hook strength you need to land big bass.

• Focus on transition areas. Bass will often move to transition areas during the post-spawn period. These are areas where different types of cover meet, such as points, drop-offs, and weedlines. Boot tail swimbaits can be fished effectively in these areas by working them along the edges of the cover.

• Use a slow, steady retrieve. Bass are typically lethargic during the post-spawn period, so they won't be chasing baits. A slow, steady retrieve will help you keep your bait in the strike zone longer.

• Vary your retrieve speed. Bass can be finicky at times, so it's important to vary your retrieve speed and cadence. Try working your bait at different speeds to see what the bass are biting on.

• Use a variety of colors. Bass can be attracted to a variety of colors, so it's a good idea to have a few different colors in your arsenal. Try using natural colors, such as shad and baitfish patterns in clear water, as well as brighter colors, such as chartreuse and reds when fishing off-colored water.

Elite bass pro Jason Christie has a unique approach to rigging and fishing boot tail swimbaits around grass in the late spring. Take a few minutes and watch as Jason details his system to fishing boot tail swimbait for post spawn bass…

With a little practice, you'll be catching big post spawn bass with boot tail swimbaits in no time.

Fishing Texas-Rigged Worms for Post Spawn Bass

The post-spawn is a great time to fish Texas-rigged worms for bass. Bass are typically looking to feed up after the rigors of spawning, and a Texas-rigged worm is a great way to present a big, juicy meal.

There are a few things to keep in mind when fishing Texas-rigged worms for post-spawn bass. First, you'll want to use a worm that is the right size for the bass you're targeting. In general, a 6- to 8-inch mag finesse worm is always a good choice. Second, you'll want to use a weight that is heavy enough to keep the worm in place in the current, but not so heavy that it impedes the worm's action. A 1/8- to 1/4-ounce weight is a good starting point.

Once you've chosen your worm and weight, it's time to start fishing. The best places to fish Texas-rigged worms for post-spawn bass are in areas with some cover, such as grass, rocks, or wood. Cast your worm beyond the cover and let it sink to the bottom. Once it's on the bottom, slowly reel it back in, making sure to give it a few twitches every few feet. This will give the worm some action and make it more enticing to bass.

If you're not getting any bites, try changing up your retrieve speed or your worm color. Bass can be finicky creatures, so it's important to experiment until you find what they're biting on.

Bass pro Luke Palmer relies on a Texas-rigged Yum mag finesse worm to entice many of the post spawn bass he catches into striking. Take a few minutes and watch as Palmer explains his approach to worming his way through the post spawn...

Frog Fishing for Post Spawn Bass

As spring transitions into summer, many bass anglers eagerly anticipate the post-spawn period when bass start to recuperate from the rigors of the spawn. 

After a short period of recuperation, bass are known to be particularly aggressive and hungry, making it the perfect opportunity for various topwater techniques to trigger explosive topwater bites. 

One topwater technique known to really fire up post spawn bass is fishing a hollow belly frog over and around shallow cover.

Choose the Right Gear: First and foremost, you need to make sure you have the right gear for fishing a hollow belly frog. You'll want at least a 7' medium-heavy to heavy action rod with a fast tip and a matching reel with a high gear ratio to quickly retrieve slack line. Braid line with a high weight capacity is recommended to ensure you can set the hook, get the bass away from cover  and ultimately land big post spawners.

Select the Right Hollow Belly Frog: When it comes to hollow belly frogs, choosing the right one is crucial. Opt for a frog with a realistic appearance and a soft, hollow body that collapses easily when a bass strikes. Additionally, select a color pattern that closely resembles the local forage species in the area you plan to fish. This attention to detail can significantly increase your chances of fooling bass into biting.

Identifying Ideal Post-Spawn Areas: Understanding the bass's behavior during the post-spawn phase is vital for locating them successfully. After the spawning process, bass tend to move to nearby cover such as submerged vegetation, lily pads, fallen trees, or docks. Look for areas that provide shade, cover, and ambush points, as these are the spots where bass are likely to hide while they recover then feed up to regain their energy.

Timing is Everything: Timing plays a crucial role in hollow belly frog fishing. The best time to target post-spawn bass with a frog is during low-light conditions, such as early morning or late evening. Bass tend to be more active and willing to strike during these periods, increasing your chances of success. However, don't discount the possibility of hooking a bass during other parts of the day. In cloudy or overcast conditions, or when there's a light chop on the water, bass may be more willing to come up and attack a frog.

Here are a few presentation techniques tips can help you entice post-spawn bass into striking:

Targeting Cover: Cast the frog near or over structures and cover like lily pads, submerged vegetation, or fallen trees. Retrieve the frog with a series of short hops, imitating the natural movement of struggling forage. Pausing intermittently and allowing the frog to sit motionless can trigger explosive strikes from lurking bass.

Walk the Frog: With a slow, rhythmic side-to-side motion, "walk" the frog across the water's surface. This technique mimics a bait gliding and creates a commotion that can draw bass from a distance. Make sure to use a rod with a soft tip to enhance the frog's action and increase your hook-setting efficiency.

Popping and Splashing: To imitate forage darting and fleeing on the water's surface, use a combination of short hops, pauses, and gentle pops. This technique creates a commotion that can attract bass from a distance, triggering their predatory instincts and provoking them to strike.

The Pause: Incorporating pauses into your retrieve is essential. After a series of hops or a walking action, let the frog rest for a few seconds. This imitates stationary pause of most struggling forage and entices bass to strike an easy target. Be patient during the pause, as this is often when bass strike with full force.

Take a few moments and watch the following video from the folks at Snagproof where froggin' guru Bobby Barrack demonstrates the why, how and where to fish frogs for post spawn bass...

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Frog Fishing Gear

Using Topwaters During the Post Spawn

The post spawn is a great time to use topwater lures to catch bass. The fish are still recovering from the spawn and are looking for easy meals. 

Topwater lures can be used to imitate a variety of prey items, such as frogs, insects, and baitfish. Beyond imitating forage, most topwater lures create different sounds and disturbances on the water's surface, ultimately drawing the attention of bass and triggering strikes from otherwise reluctant fish.

Following are several tips to help you improve your topwater fishing during the post-spawn period:

Choose the Right Lure: There are different types of topwater lures, including poppers, ploppers, buzzbaits, and walking baits. Each of these lures has a different surface action, so it's essential to choose the right one for the specific conditions you're fishing. For instance, if the water is calm, a popper or walker might be a great choice, while a buzzbait or plopper would be a great choice for choppy water.

Fish at the Right Time of Day: During the post-spawn period, bass tend to feed actively in the early morning and late afternoon. Fishing during these times can increase your odds of catching more and bigger bass. Although low light hours are often great times for topwaters, don't be afraid to try topwaters in the middle of the day; the results just might shock you.

Use the Right Technique: Different topwater lures require the use of unique retrieves associated with specific topwater types. With a walking bait, for example, you should use a slow, side-to-side retrieve to create a "walking the dog" action. With a popper, you should use short, sharp twitches to create a "popping" response as it moves across the surface.

Vary Your Retrieve: To keep the bass interested, vary your retrieve by changing the speed or pattern. As an example you can pause for a few seconds between twitches or create a "pop-pop-pause" pattern with a popper or change from a steady retrieve with a plopping bait to a stop and go pattern.

Fish over Different Water Depths. Bass will typically be found in shallow water during the early post spawn, therefore look for shallow water areas with cover, such as lily pads, docks, and laydowns. During the latter half of the post spawn, try cover around the first transitional break lines between the shallows and the bass' deeper water summering haunts.

By following these tips, you'll increase your chances of catching more bass and bigger on topwater lures during the post-spawn period. Remember, always be patient and keep experimenting until you find what works best for the waters you fish.

Using Big Baits to Catch Big Post Spawn Bass

Big swimbaits and other specialized lures are a great way to target post-spawn bass. They are big, realistic, and can be fished in a variety of ways to cover water and trigger strikes.

Here are a few tips on how to use big baits to fish for post-spawn bass:

• Use the right gear. Big swimbaits require heavy gear in order to cast them effectively and set the hook on big fish. A 7 to 8-foot heavy-action rod and a high-speed reel with 50-pound braid with fluorocarbon leader are a good starting point.
• Fish in the right areas. Post-spawn bass are typically found in shallow flats and points, around cover such as docks, laydowns, and vegetation. Look for areas where bass are likely to be feeding, such as around baitfish schools or bait spawning areas.
• Use a variety of retrieves. Big swimbaits can be fished in a variety of ways, including swimming, twitching, and pausing. Experiment with different retrieves to see what works best on the day.
• Be patient. Fishing with big swimbaits can be slow-going, but it's worth it when you finally get a big bass to bite. Be patient and keep casting, and you'll eventually be rewarded.

Bass pro Chris Zaldain is considered by many to be an expert in selecting and fishing the right types of big baits for big bass from spring through fall. Take a moment and watch as Chris explains his system for using big baits to locate and catch big post spawn bass...

Think Finesse for Post Spawn Smallmouths

Post-spawn smallmouth bass can be tricky to catch, but finesse soft plastic baits can be a highly effective way to entice them to bite. 

Here are several tips on how to use finesse soft plastic baits to catch post-spawn smallmouth bass.

Use Light Line: Post-spawn smallmouth bass can be finicky and easily spooked, so it’s important to use light line. A 6-8 pound test fluorocarbon line will allow for better sensitivity and finesse when fishing with soft plastic baits.

Choose the Right Bait: When it comes to finesse soft plastic baits, there are a variety of options to choose from. Some popular options for smallmouth bass include drop shot worms, finesse worms, tubes, and grubs. Choose a bait that matches the size and color of the natural forage in the area you are fishing.

Rig the Bait Properly: Rigging your finesse soft plastic bait properly is key to getting bites from smallmouth bass. The drop shot rig is a popular option, which involves tying a hook to the end of the line and attaching a weight a foot or so above it. This allows the bait to be presented off the bottom, where smallmouth bass are likely to be feeding.  Also consider Ned rigs, tube jigs, Texas rigs and Neko rigs for more subtle presentation options.

Quick Tips for Fishing the Post Spawn

Bass fishing can be rewarding but it can also be challenging at times, especially during the post spawn period. 

During this time, the bass are recovering from spawning and may not be as active as can be. However, with the right approach and techniques, anglers can still have a successful fishing trip. 

Following we provide several quick tips for bassing throughout the post spawn.

Look for cover: During the post spawn period, bass tend to seek shelter and cover in shallow cover such as weed beds, logs, docks, overhanging brush, and rocks. Focus your presentations around shallow cover to help increase strikes from lurking bass.

Fish during low-light periods: Bass tend to be more active during low-light times such as early mornings, late afternoons, and cloudy days. Plan your fishing trip accordingly to increase your chances of success.

Use finesse techniques: During the post spawn period, bass can be finicky and may not aggressively bite. Use finesse techniques such as drop-shotting or wacky-rigging to entice a bite.

Downsize your bait: Bass may be less aggressive during the post spawn period, so downsizing your bait can be effective. Use smaller worms, jigs, or crankbaits to mimic their natural prey. Also use finesse techniques such as drop-shotting or wacky-rigging to entice extra bites.

Experiment with different lure colors: Bass may be less aggressive during the post spawn period, so experimenting with different colors can help you find what they are biting on. Try using natural colors such as green or brown in clear water, or bright colors such as chartreuse, orange or red when fishing stained to murky water.

Selecting Soft Plastics for Post Spawn Bass

Once bass finish their annual spawning ritual and enter the post spawn period, their energy levels tend to be on the low side causing them to be in a nuetral to negative mood. 

The result in the eyes of most bass anglers, post spawn bass can be somewhat funky and difficult to catch!

According to fisheries biologist and pro bass angler Mark Menendez however, if you adjust several of your soft plastic presentations, you can increase the number of bass you can entice to strike can be significantly increased!

Take a few moments and watch as MM describes his approach to selecting soft plastics when Texas rigging, punching and Carolina rigging when fishing for post spawn bass...

Drop-Shotting for Post Spawn Bass

A favorite bass fishing tip for post spawn bass is to use a rig many anglers overlook, drop-shotting soft plastics along edge of drop-offs. 

Drop-shot rigs are far more versatile than many bass fishermen believe but drop-shotting the shallow to deep water transition edges will produce quality post spawn females looking for an easy meal.

In the following video, Angling Edge’s Al Lindner describes just how and where to use this style of presentation when searching for a post spawn sow …

Subtle Presentation for Post Spawn Bass

Once bass finish spawning, they'll often move to dense shoreline cover to recoup and gear-up for the post spawn feed. Give the wary nature of post spawn bass, even the slightest change in the environment will send them into deep funk and they become very lethargic.

It often takes a slow, subtle presentation to get the attention of funky post spawners and a weedless swimbait with a twist maybe just the trigger need to coax these stubborn fish into striking...

Take a moment and watch how the guys from W2F trigger strikes from funky post spawn bass holding in dense shoreline cover...