Need help identifying a pattern/phase

[BiteArray]

Fished a local lake today - air temp was around 80F and peaked around 93F, whereas water temp was probably high 60s or mid 70s.

 

I had fished this lake back in end of April and caught several paired up on beds, so I thought today's outing would be strictly summer patterns.

 

However, today I saw at least four or five separate instances of decent sized bass just cruising in the shallows during the mid-day heat (11am-1pm or so). Each time, the bass were relating to hard cover (next to small piers) or in the shadows right in the bank. One instance, I saw a big bass followed by a smaller bass, but they did not look to be staging for spawn and cruised around then disappeared. Another instance, I saw at least 3 big bass cruising together in the shadows, exhibiting almost carp like behavior and getting their heads up right against the shallows. There was even one instance of a bass just suspended right at the top of the water column 20-30 feet from the bank next to no apparent cover or structure.

 

For some of these instances, I was able to present a Ned rig, dropshot, and lipless crankbait but they didn't seem interested at all. In some other instances, once the fish spotted me or saw the flash of my cast, they darted off for deeper water. I threw a jerkbait at the bass that was suspended near the surface, and it just seemed to get annoyed and slowly swam out of casting distance, but still visible.

 

I'm pretty sure these were all bass and not carp based on the dark coloration, shape, and tell-tale stripe.

 

Question: what phase were these fish in? Is this post-spawn behavior, and the lack of bites a sign of lethargy? Or is it more of a summer pattern that will just require more stealth and long casts in order to be successful at?

[Catt]

My guess, post spawn ?

 

Not all bass do the same thing at the same time.

 

This whole pre-spawn/spawn/post spawn can take 4-5 months. 

[papajoe222]

Same line of thinking here.

Even knowing the water temp. as stated, not all bass spawn at the same time and thus, not all are in a post spawn funk.

Fish in a negative mood, whether it's post spawn, post frontal, or just off their feed can be caught. Whenever they are in that mood, no matter what the reason, they can be caught.  Whatever your choice is for post spawn fishing can be applied to post front conditions and visa versa.

[WRB]

The bass may be hunting fry or young of the year bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Carp and catfish.

Unweighted Senko often trigger a strike from post spawn to summer transition bass.

You establish bass behavior, without strikes no pattern developed.

Tom

[CrankFate]

Assuming this is post spawn, they’re looking for something. If they are completely keyed in on one specific thing they become very hard to catch.

[txchaser]

  On 6/19/2021 at 6:59 PM, WRB said:

Unweighted Senko

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☝️ yep this

 

Similar pattern showed up for me post-spawn this year. Started chucking the senko either right on to the bank and dragging it off, or dropping it about 1 ft from the bank and letting it just sit there. And sit there. And sit there. Way longer than I would usually soak a senko. But then it lit up.

The day went from no pattern and just junk-fishing, which makes me nuts, to game on. 

 

[ABart61]

3.5 inch Tube and lighter weighted tube jig. Cast in front of the group and work bait towards youself. Make the tube look like it is trying to get away. Guido Hibdon Tube fishing.