In spring, 95-percent  of the fish population is shallow. Focus on shallow bays and food shelves to quickly locate and catch fish and to evaluate the lake’s potential.

The postspawn period can be a tricky time to fish for smallmouth bass. After the fish have been aggressively chasing horizontal baits, the switch to vertical baits can be a difficult transition. However, with the right technique, anglers can still find success.

Ronald and I recently had a successful day on the water, deadsticking our way to some nice catches. We approached structure with a slow moving presentation, casting up to shallow depths and slowly crawling our baits back to the boat. We kept the boat in 10 feet of water, casting up to 6 or 7 feet. Ronald would drag his lure directly behind the boat, covering water from 8 to 10 feet.

Once we finished a pass at the 10 foot depth, we moved the boat up to 6 or 7 feet of water and returned the same run, casting up to as shallow as 3 or 4 feet. While Ronald continued to drag his bait in 6 to 7 feet, straining the water column, this was a good way to turn negative fish into biters while fishing fairly aggressively.

Lure Selection

I was whaling them on a Trigger X tube, and doing quite well. Ronald was catching bigger fish behind me, dragging a Ned Rig. Ultra Bite seemed to make it, and the Flutter Worm in the back was a good choice.

Patience Pays Off

Fishing slow but doing it as fast as possible, proper lure selection, boat control, casting angles, and some patience can pay big dividends when fish are off. The postspawn period can be a tricky time to fish for smallmouth bass. However, with the right technique, anglers can still find success. By approaching structure with a slow moving presentation, casting up to shallow depths and slowly crawling our baits back to the boat, we were able to turn negative fish into biters. I was whaling them on a Trigger X tube, and Ronald was catching bigger fish behind me, dragging a Ned Rig. With proper lure selection, boat control, casting angles, and some patience, we were able to have a successful day on the water.