Suspending Post Spawners?

[papajoe222]

So I had some time to experiment on the water on my last outing.  I had no problem locating males on the beds, but I wanted some big fish action, so I headed out to the staging areas they use and started bumping bottom with some suspending cranks and football jigs. My reasoning was simple; Past experience. The bass around here tend to be caught in the upper to mid-water column before the spawn and either on the   bottom or close to it after the spawn.

The result was zero takers. I had a swimbait tied on that I was using to target aggressive males on the beds, but I'd backlashed on the last cast with.  I made a long cast, cleared the backlash and began reeling when I got a bump. Not a jaring strike, but it was definately a fish.  I cast back out, counted to ten and began reeling.  Same result.  I quickly switched to a suspending Rogue and on my second pause in the retrieve I hooked and landed a nice three pounder.  Five nice fish later, I sat scratching my head. They were all spawned out females.

Have you guys ever run into suspending post spawners?  I never marked these fish on my sonar, let alone any baitfish.  I'm wondering If I've been missing out on some good fishing by targeting only bottom fish at this time. 

[jhoffman]

Youre in post spawn already? Heck the fish are just now getn to the beds here.

[Brian Needham]

Papajoe......... I have no idea but when you figure it out let me know!!!!

 

I marked the biggest wad of fish I have ever seen Sunday.... I swear there were a 1000 there in a few hundred yard stretch of ledge off a bar.

Issue was they were all suspended...... I only caught fish in more than a hour trying to make them bite. 

[Catt]

Post Spawn is time to get Wacky

[Lund Explorer]

Papajoe......... I have no idea but when you figure it out let me know!!!!

 

I marked the biggest wad of fish I have ever seen Sunday.... I swear there were a 1000 there in a few hundred yard stretch of ledge off a bar.

Issue was they were all suspended...... I only caught fish in more than a hour trying to make them bite. 

 

At the risk of looking like a bucket fisherman, consider the option of a slip bobber presentation.  It's easy to set the depth to where the fish are suspended, and you can leave a soft plastic offering sitting right there in the middle of them. 

 

Think the old Float & Fly.

[papajoe222]

Youre in post spawn already? Heck the fish are just now getn to the beds here.

The males are still guarding the beds and will be for a while. I was searching out the females and this is the first time I've run into this situation, or so I thought.  I checked my fishing logs and I had the same thing happen in 2009.  Guess I should check my logs out before I leave to fish.