I like the fact that I can catch them on some of my favorite lures: soft stickbaits and buzzbaits. Mainly I’m targeting the fish that are slowly moving out and still cruising the shoreline looking for food, usually in the form of bluegills getting ready to spawn. My favorite soft stickbait is the 6-inch Venom Lures Salty Sling in green pumpkin. It really doesn’t look like much of anything, but I’ve caught fish on it everywhere. I rig it Texas-style with a 4/0 or 5/0 hook. That’s it I throw it out on 20-pound-test fluorocarbon so the line helps sink it, then let it go to the bottom with its rocking, fluttering descent. If nothing grabs it on the way down, I’ll crawl it a few feet on the bottom and bring it back in. Sometimes I’ll rig it wacky style too. Either way, I’m fishing it with a HALO medium-action 7-3 rod. My other favorite lure to fish later on in the postspawn is a buzzbait. I can really cover some water with it and it’s a great locator bait. Part of the fun of fishing is the bite, and when fish blow up on a buzzbait, I’m reminded why I love topwater fishing so much.
