®
Summer 2025
C
hoosing the best colors, baits, and depths
are the key to getting more bites. Once you
understand how and why to make these choices, you will never stare with confusion when looking at
the many lures in your tacklebox.
In past fishing articles you have heard me state that bass at any time are doing one of three things (Eat, Rest, or Spawn). Now that we are in the post-spawn summer season, how do we apply this to catch more bass? As I just said, we are post- spawn, so that eliminates one of the three activities of a bass. Let’s focus on the other two, Eat and Rest.
Post-spawn is considered a difficult time to catch bass because they are recovering from the rigors of spawning. Their fat reserves are depleted along with their energy. They rest. Often, they suspend deep enough to feel safe, but shallow enough to absorb the sun’s warming rays. They aren’t actively feeding and are difficult to catch.
But after they recover, the water temperature quickly rises, which in turn switches their metabolism to kick in high gear. Activity levels of
insects, small fish, and predatory bass explode. Pollen and plankton bloom with the warming temperatures, and the minnows start gorging themselves.
The bass notice. They belly up to the buffet with every intent to eat it all. And because the water is warming their metabolism is burning up the calories as fast as they consume them. The “Eat” state dominates in summer and deserves your focus now.
Study the mouse, not the owl. If you want to catch more bass pay attention to what they are eating, and where they are eating it. The menu can vary by the body of water and the species present, which is why you must study the “mouse,” or in this case the baitfish, crayfish, prey, etc. In a typical pond or lake, the bluegill spawn now, and big bass will be waiting nearby to take advantage of an easy meal. On large bodies of water, the shad spawn may be occurring,
and bass love
to fatten up on
shad. Crayfish
have emerged
from their
resting places
and gorge
on emerging
vegetation, fish,
and anything
else they can
find. With all the
food sources
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