‘Buzz’ away those postspawn blues

For most fishermen, “postspawn” is a dreaded term. To them, it means that bass will be inactive, tired and unwilling to chase and bite lures.

While this condition certainly exists, we need to remember that just as not all fish spawn at the same time, not all fish are in their inactive states at the same time. In fact, the whole month after the fish spawn has become my favorite time to fish. Why? Because they are hungry.

Usually the postspawn blues for an individual fish will last about a week, and then it will become very aggressive — making a buzzbait one of the best lure choices.

This lure is great because you can cover enormous amounts of water, which may be necessary to locate active bass. I fish an Assassinator Buzzbait, which has a unique bend in the wire that allows the lure to ride low in the water. This feature allows the bass to eat the lure more effectively, getting you more hookups.

I like to fish the buzzbait directly in the spawning areas themselves early after the fish spawn. These areas are most likely protected pockets or flats. In these shallow-water areas, I like to fish the buzzbait by casting directly perpendicular to the bank or at a slight angle. I do this because some fish may actually be suspended away from the bank, and they are notorious for following a bait a long way before biting at this time of year.

When fish get a little further along in their normal feeding patterns for early summer, I like to start fishing steep banks near spawning areas. They may be just outside the spawning cove or on a main channel bank. In this situation, I usually fish parallel and very quickly until I start getting bites. Often, shad will spawn on steep rock or clay banks. Bass will then school up and gorge on them and the buzzbait as well. However, never forget about those pockets, especially early in the morning. In the summer, fish will cruise them to feed very early.

One trick I use to make the bait easier to keep on the top at the end of a cast is to bend the blades in more, which gives it more lift. Also, try holding the rod high and, when it is about to hit the water, stop it with your thumb while lifting the rod more. Then engage the reel and start your retrieve. This will all happen very quickly.

My favorite color is white, but I’ll use any color depending on the situation — the first one being that your buddy is wearing you out of a different color, then you better also have that one in your tackle box. I like black at night — or if there are lots of people throwing white. Sometimes they really like chartreuse as well. I like gold blades most of the time — they tend to squeak a little more, and the blades are easy to change. I also always use a trailer hook.

If you have got the postspawn blues, try a buzzbait and cover a lot of water. I’m willing to bet you won’t have the blues for very long.

Dustin Wilks is a professional bass fisherman from Rocky Mount. He has fished professionally since 1999 and currently competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Wilks has qualified for five Bassmaster Classics and is sponsored by Culprit, Daiwa, OutKast Jigs, Costa Del Mar, RJA Custom Crankbaits, Skeeter, Yamaha, and Keelshield.