Favorite post-spawn technique for finding fish

[clemsondds]

Just curious what your favorite way of finding fish is, right after spawn season. Do you work your way out from the. Asks of coves, go straight to secondary points, look for baitfish first…etc. just love hearing everyone’s methods. Thanks 

[Catt]

Down scan/side scan

Outboard moderate idle

Start at spawning area & work back out towards deeper water. 

[clemsondds]

1 minute ago, Catt said:

Down scan/side scan

Outboard moderate idle

Start at spawning area & work back out towards deeper water. 

What are you searching for? Baitfish, bass, blue hill beds, cover…all the above? 

[Reel]

I go to the first weedline next to a spawning area.

[BigAngus752]

There isn't any "right after" spawn because all the LM in a lake don't spawn at the same time.  There will be some still on beds a month after the first spawners have already moved back to deep water.  At least that's how it is here.  So I start in the spawning areas and work my way out or vice-versa.  I don't pay as much attention to exactly where as I do the area of the lake + sun/shade + (most importantly) wind. 

[Pat Brown]

I agree with Catt.  Move out slowly from spawning areas (and fish the spawning areas for the post spawners!!!) and look for smaller schools of shad/herring/crappie/bluegill/baby bass/whatever and find cover on structure near deep water near spawning areas.  The bass usually aren't far from that.

[clemsondds]

6 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

There isn't any "right after" spawn because all the LM in a lake don't spawn at the same time.  There will be some still on beds a month after the first spawners have already moved back to deep water.  At least that's how it is here.  So I start in the spawning areas and work my way out or vice-versa.  I don't pay as much attention to exactly where as I do the area of the lake + sun/shade + (most importantly) wind. 

Yeh that’s why I said “spawning season”

[Bankbeater]

I look for the sunfish that are spawning.  Most of the time I can see them from the shore.  After I find them I start fancasting out past the beds to the bass that are sitting out in the deeper water.

[BigAngus752]

4 minutes ago, clemsondds said:

Yeh that’s why I said “spawning season”

I apologize, if you were talking about after every single bass has finished spawning then that changes things.  That's a true summer pattern for me and I'm going to pay the most attention to the weather.  If it's sunny and calm then I'm looking for "deep" structure or shade.  If the wind is blowing hard enough to move baitfish then I'm headed straight for windblown banks that have rock or submerged/partially submerged vegetation, usually on the main lake or main lake points. 

 

If "right after spawn season" means most fish are done (which is very roughly beginning of June here) then I might find fish in either pattern.  By the time we reach late July I'm finding some other hobby until October. 

 

I also fish one lake where focusing on the bluegill spawn is really good bass fishing.  It's just the one lake, but if I find bluegill on beds I go to the edges and look for any kind of cover or ambush spot.  A blk/blue jig will catch bass after bass. 

[Jar11591]

Once I know spawning is wrapped up for the most part, I fish deeper water, outside weed lines and drop offs on points, edges of coves, or other sharp contour lines. 

[Catt]

2 hours ago, clemsondds said:

all the above

 

Just like pre-spawn but in reverse 

[A-Jay]

35 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Just like pre-spawn but in reverse 

So I wear my underwear on the outside then . . .

?

A-Jay 

[T-Billy]

Weeds, chatterbait, in the dark. 

[WRB]

1st step is determining what thecseasonal period actually is based on prior and current weather and water temps. Water still in the 60’s spawn is ongoing somewhere. 

2nd step visually look around the marina docks for baitfish like Shad and bass fry, usually some if it’s Post spawn.

Crappie spawn before bass and blue gill afterwards, carp activity in the shallows is another clue.

I am not patient enough to start slow so rather go searching with my sonar and use something that I cast and retrieve to settle down, takes me about 15 minutes to get a feel what’s going on. Once I know where the bass should be settle down and go fishing. Post spawners are not active and require something like a weightless Senko or nail worm so too early to fool around with that stuff.

I like to work a baby bass Zip n Ziggy if fry are around.

Atfer The wiggles are out move out to deeper breaks and fish jigs, now I am a happy camper.

Tom

[papajoe222]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

So I wear my underwear on the outside then . . .

?

A-Jay 

Here I thought you always do, now I find out it's only after the spawn.

[papajoe222]

I use my electronics to find suspending bass on pre-spawn locations and then check other locations for active bass near or on the bottom. If I find them there on that first spot, all the better. The bluegill here are usually two weeks behind the bass, but if I see their beds, I'll do a quick fan cast of them from a distance with a bluegill imitating tube.  If no bass respond, I'll move out deeper. When the bass aren't feeding on them, they'll be suspended over deeper structure and will be in more of a neutral mood rather than the negative one immediately after the spawn.

Keep in mind that not all bass will be using bluegill as their main forage. In seasons other than the actual short spawn a bass' life revolves around feeding. Find the forage and the bass will be close by.

[BigAngus752]

24 minutes ago, papajoe222 said:

Find the forage and the bass will be close by.

Oh, it sounds sooooo easy when I'm just reading it....

[Catt]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

So I wear my underwear on the outside then . . .

?

A-Jay 

 

No sir! For you Yankees they go over your head to keep your ears warm!

 

Bass follow the same structure to & from spawning areas.

[Woody B]

Here after the bass spawn we have the shad spawn, bluegill spawn and mayfly hatch.