by Dave Landahl
Major League Fishing pro Mike Iaconelli has been around the block chasing bass from one end of the USA to the other. He makes his living catching them. So, he knows a little about how to hook ‘em most times of the year. This time out Ike helps us 
with his thoughts on his three most productive approaches for catching post-spawn bass.
Post-Spawn is the Best Time to Fish Crankbaits
“I believe the post-spawn is the absolute best time to use a crankbait,” said Iaconelli. “You can cover a lot of water, it mimics the preferred forage in most places, and you can fish at a variety of depths.”
“Whether its a squarebill, a Rapala DT 6 crankbait or DT 10 for the medium depths, or a DT 16 or DT 20 for fishing the deep stuff, you can deflect that crankbait off of cover as you retrieve and you’ll get that reaction bite on the crankbait during post-spawn. It’s a great lure to use.”
Topwater Baits are Another Post-Spawn Fishing Favorite
“Post-spawn is probably one of the best times for topwater fishing, too,” claims Iaconelli. “When the water temperatures rise into the mid-to-upper 60s or low 70s, it’s hard to eliminate any topwater approaches. A buzzbait, the slower moving variety like a triple wing or clacker type, can be great in super shallow water. Poppers are excellent in that 5-to-10 foot depths range. A slow-moving walking bait over deeper flats can really produce.”
“The bass are in the recovery/feeding mode at this time. They might not feed as much, but when they do, they want to eat something substantial. Seriously, anything on top, and work it slowly.”
Weightless Soft Plastics are Great Lures for Post-Spawn Fishing
“Whether you’re fishing clearer water or heavily pressured fish, a weightless or lightly weighted soft plastic bait is a great lure to have ready for post-spawn,” says Ike. “After the females come in and drop their eggs for a few days, they’re all, ‘see ya boys, we’re out’, and the males are left guarding the nests and the fry. This is a terrific time to catch them.”
“The Berkley Powerbait General worm is an excellent bait to fish either wacky, on a Neko rig, or even a light shaky head. That light, subtle approach can really make a difference.”
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