There are lots and lots of myths that surround bass fishing, but none of them are as crazy as some of the ones that deal with the postspawn. It’s like all the bass go off their beds and then move and act together in a kind of military operation.
That sort of thing just doesn’t happen. Bass are individuals. They don’t all act alike, and they all don’t do the same thing at the same time. They scatter and pursue their own needs in their own way.
Nevertheless, the myths persist. Here are four of the worst:
Bass go deep after they spawn.
No, they don’t.
Some of them do, obviously, but just as many stay right in the immediate area where their beds were located. If they have a spot that gives them cover and protection from their predators, as well as plenty to eat, they won’t go anywhere. Why would they travel miles just to move to a place that’s no better than what they already have?
Fish places that look good regardless of their depth.
The best time to catch postspawn bass is early in the morning, late in the evening and at night.
Really? I think the best time to catch a bass is when it’s feeding.
It might be that in some lakes where the water is crystal clear it’s tough to get a bite during the day. And, you might say the same thing if there’s a lot of recreational traffic where you bass fish. But those factors are outside of the bass. It’s not that they won’t eat during the day. It’s that there are other things that interfere with their desire to eat.
Fish when you can.
The spawn is over.
The spawn is never over, because it never begins.
Reproduction is a continuous process that doesn’t have a starting or a stopping point. Bass spawn early and late in the year, and I firmly believe that some of them spawn twice, once in the spring and once in the fall.
I say that because I frequently see fry that are less than an inch long in October and November, and I catch bass in those months that are obviously fat with eggs. Neither one of those things happened six months ago.
Fish for postspawn bass during any month of the year.
The fishing gets tough after the spawn.
No it doesn’t. The postspawn bite is no tougher than any other bite at any other time of the year.
The real problem is that too many anglers have bought into the first and second myths I mentioned. They’re ignoring good shallow areas and fishing out over deep, open water where the bass are hard to find, and they’re missing prime feeding times. If they’d stay shallow, fish all day and target good looking spots, they’d have more success.
Much of what you hear about postspawn bass fishing is nonsense. It’s dock talk that has taken on an element of truth by being repeated over and over. Anglers think it’s true just because they hear it all the time. Don’t buy into it.