This time of year, late May and through much of June, can provide some of the best fishing action of the year for many species of fish found across the Midwest. In fact, in the minds of some of the most successful anglers, June is the best time of the year to go fishing. If you get the opportunity to go fishing in the next few weeks, you should do so. And if you keep the following ideas in mind, your chances for catching fish will be very good.
Weather has an impact on where the fish will be found this time of year. Depending on when they spawned, they might be shallow or at mid-depths. The earlier they spawned, the earlier they’ll move to deeper water.
Also, you might find that, early in the month, the smaller fish will be more active. As the water warms the bigger ones will get more aggressive. After the spawn, the smaller male fish begin feeding sooner. The larger females need more time to recover from the spawn. They’ll eat after they’ve recovered.
Look for the best activity to be near the spawning areas. After the spawn bass and walleyes will stay around their spawning areas for awhile, then they’ll move to an area where there’s food. For walleyes, that might be the first drop-off or newly emerging weedbeds. Look for bass around reeds or lily-pads. If you find where they are, you’re going to have action.
In years past, my fishing friends and I instinctively reached for a spinnerbait when it came to catching largemouth bass early in the year, and spinnerbaits will still catch’em. But lately we’re throwing a rubber-legged jig tipped with plastic as much as a spinnerbait, maybe even more. We’re fishing the jig/plastic like we would a spinnerbait, there’s just no blade attached. Maybe bass have become conditioned to the spinnerbait: I don’t know why, but that jig/plastic combo has convinced a lot of bass to bite the past couple of years. A good jig/plastic combo would be something like a Tour Grade Swimming Jig tipped with a Rage Grub. I like black/blue, green pumpkin, or bluegill colors, but chances are if you put any color near a bass this time of year, it will probably get eaten. Cast it around cover and retrieve it just like you’d slowly retrieve a spinnerbait. Also try a lift/drop retrieve, but keep the bait moving. In places where the bass have seen a lot of spinnerbaits, this technique is very productive.
Jigs are also good for walleyes right now. We’ve been using jigs tipped with plastic for walleyes a lot more in the past few years, especially when the walleyes are in newly emerging weeds. It will be best if you move the jig/plastic combo faster than you would the traditional jig/minnow, as it takes a bit more speed to make the plastic tail to vibrate and wiggle.
I like to go fishing any time the opportunity presents itself, but this year, especially this year, I’m thinking that June is going to look like a really good time to be on the water. And I know that if I try what was just mentioned, the catching is going to be pretty darn good. If you give these ideas a try, I’m guessing that you’ll agree.
Photo Caption: This big largemouth bass ate Mike Frisch’s swim-jig about a week after spawning.
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By Bob Jensen