Anglers who visually locate bream on a shallow bed but cannot get many to hit are well advised to return to that spot several days later. It is likely that they found a group of males moving in and the bite will turn on once the females join them.

While the moon phase for maximum activity stays consistent throughout the summer spawning season, where the bream bed does not. The first spawns of the year are the shallowest, because skinny water hits the key temperature first. The prime early-season spawning sites are usually in 2 to 3 feet of water and normally on hard sand or shell bottom with no vegetation. The majority of the time, it is easy to locate shallow beds using a pair of polarized sunglasses.

As the water warms through the summer, bream normally move their spawning sites to deeper waters away from vegetation. These deeper beds can often include both bluegills and shellcrackers, which are known to crossbreed. These areas are predominantly open-water patches of hard- bottom sand in the 4- to 6-foot depth range. On some clear lakes, late-season bream have been known to spawn as deep as 9 feet. Though this is too deep to see the beds in most waters, there are some tricks that you can use to help you find them.

A quality topographical map of the lake can help put you in the neighborhood. Then pinning down the exact spot is the key, and sometimes that can be as easy as taking a deep breath. There are anglers who swear they can smell the fishy odor of bedding bream. If the wind is calm, this can get you close.

Most panfish on the bed will hit mini-jigs and small spinners, but shellcrackers rarely do. They want meat, and the most consistent producer is an earthworm, followed by grass shrimp. Those baits also appeal to all other panfish, as do crickets. It can pay to have a selection of baits on hand and offer a variety until the fish show a preference. This is especially important when fishing deeper summer beds, where you won't know the species of the bream until you start catching some.

Tackle needs are not complex for bream. For shallow beds in vegetation that is heavy enough to allow the fish to be approached closely without spooking, a cane pole rigged with a No. 8 or 6 long-shank hook, a small split shot six inches above that, and a 2 1/2-inch slender oblong float will make up a very effective rig.

In clearer water, especially if the fish are bedding in open sand holes within a grassbed, getting a boat close enough for the cane pole may spook them. In this situation, savvy anglers shift the same terminal tackle to a 6- or 7-foot light-action spinning rig with 6- to 8-pound line.

These can be tossed a comfortable distance, and the cork lets you know that your bait is right on the bottom where it needs to be. If the first cast has it floating straight up and down, the sinker is not on the bottom and you do not truly know where the bait actually is. If it is lying on its side there is too much line on the bottom and strikes may be missed.

Adjust the float depth so the float is leaning at a 45-degree angle. That shows the split shot is just kissing the bottom -- and kicking up a little silt -- as the bait eases along behind it. That sinker brushing the bottom can be a major strike trigger for bedding bream, and the proper float depth can make a difference in your catch.

For deeper beds, dispense with the float, add just enough split shot to maintain contact with the bottom, and slowly twitch the bait along.