Bernie Schultz
Keep All Options Open During 'Post-Spawn'

Photo: BassFan Some remnant spawners recently 'saved' Bernie Schultz at two Elite Series events.

What's your attack plan?

If you're fishing a tournament, you'd better take a good chunk of your practice time to make sure the spawn's truly over. That's what Florida pro Bernie Schultz recommends, and he should know. Some remnant spawners recently saved him at two events in a row, he said – the Clarks Hill and Murray Elite Series, where he finished 34th and 33rd, respectively.

Examine Everything

"An angler has to be cautious he or she doesn't overlook something," Schultz said. "There can still be the remnants of a spawn right on top of a primarily post-spawn situation. And that was the case at Clarks Hill and Murray.

"While most of the fish were done spawning and had moved out to the main and secondary points to feed, there was still a percentage of the population trying to spawn. For a tournament fisherman, you can't afford to overlook that."

At Murray, he only caught four spawners, but they were critical fish that got him to day 3. And at Clarks Hill, spawners comprised his entire day-1 catch.

In order to find them, Schultz noted, you have to look. You must spend practice time running the points and pockets.

If you need a shortcut for a last-minute practice, think dam.

"This time of year, when the largest percentage of the fish are done spawning, check pockets closest to the dam first," he said. "It isn't 100%, but it's pretty reliable when you're trying to figure out where the remnants of the spawning cycle might be.

"The last fish to spawn in most reservoirs are near the dam – in deep pockets close to the main lake. And some of the pockets may be small, with no tributary feeding them. In fact, it's generally the ones that don't have any water running into them that have the last fish to spawn. The water temperature stays cooler and more consistent."

It's a visual search, he added. If the skies are high, just put your trolling motor down and scan the bank. But be careful, he noted, to look deeper too. A lot of times the down-lake fish bed deeper – they can even bed deeper than previous spawners in the same pocket. That's a function of water clarity – the water's generally clearer by the dam – and perhaps fishing pressure.

Fish the Fry

Another option to save a tournament, according to Schultz, is to fish fry guarding males. When the females leave, the males hang around to guard the little ones, and will strike at anything that's a threat.

These can be quality fish.

"Just like how the last spawn will occur generally in the lower part of the lake, closer to the dam, that's also where you'll find the last males guarding fry," he said. "There are always exceptions, but that's the general rule."

Schultz' all-time favorite topwater is the Rapala Original Floater.

If he finds bed-fish, Schultz will use traditional bed-fishing techniques. But when it comes to fry guarders, he has a number of tools he works through to find exactly what they want.

One thing he does while looking is to cast a Zoom Super Fluke, Yamamoto Senko or Kut-Tail, or floating worm ahead of the boat.

Other tackle tips: