3 Pro Picks for Post-Spawn Bass

MLF pros Josh Bertrand, Dave Lefebre and Andy Montgomery share their choices.

Post-spawn bass disperse as they swim to summer haunts from spawning beds, so finding them requires covering lots of water.

Three Major League Fishing anglers name the lures they use to get that done.

Josh Bertrand reaches for Berkley’s 120mm Choppo, a prop-tail topwater. “You’ve got the shad spawn and water temperatures warming up, so topwater is the No. 1 deal,” he said. “It’s a good way to get a big bite, too.” It fishes fast on a steady retrieve. “Compared to a popper, you can fish five times faster,” he said.

Dave Lefebre picks Rapala’s 1/2-ounce Rippin’ Rap. A proven bass-catcher on straight retrieves, it’s capable of much more, allowing him to explore different depths, structures and covers. “A lot of times I pitch it like a jig, hopping it a couple times before bringing it back,” he said.

In clear water, Andy Montgomery wants Strike King Lure’s 1/2-ounce Tour Grade Skipping Jig, which he helped design, with a Rage Bug trailer. He precisely places it where he expects a bass, eliminating the need to fish through less-inviting water. “[Post-spawn bass] tend to suspend under shallow cover,” he said. He sticks with a jig — a homemade bladed version — in muddy water.