When BASS announced the 2012 Elite Series schedule, I was both surprised and pleased to find Bull Shoals Lake listed. Although it had been years since BASS visited the Northern Arkansas impoundment, I remembered doing well in that competition.
Even more encouraging was the fact that few of my fellow competitors knew that much about the lake. I believed this was one venue that might provide a truly level playing field, and I liked that a lot.
Most people refer to the post spawn for bass as a tough time to catch fish, but it does not have to be if you know how to fish for them and make a few select lure choices.
I won’t go into the shad spawn in great detail because it can be a little different depending on location and time of year. What I will do is discuss lures that mimic the shad during the shad spawn.
There are several tried and true baits that can greatly assist you and at least one new technique that may come in handy. My two favorite ways to fish for bass that are feeding on spawning shad is with a swim jig paired with a Yamamoto Double Tail Grub, and top water.
Novice crappie fishermen can have good success during the spring when crappie move into the bank to spawn. Crappie hit aggressively and are easy to find. However, post-spawn crappie are dramatically different with tired, lethargic fish leaving fishermen tired, lethargic and scratching their heads.
