Buzzer Beater: How to Score Postspawn Bass with a Buzzbait

With bass coming out of spawning season, anglers are given a great opportunity to catch bass using a lot of different methods. While it can be difficult to figure out exactly what to use and when to toss it out, one great lure to try is a buzzbait. 

Throughout the prespawn and spawning seasons, bass use up a ton of their energy. Once all of that is over, they enter a time where they need to recover and build that energy back up. Feeding becomes one of their top priorities, making them far more likely to hit lures.

During this time of year, the water temperature is also going to start rising. When this happens, the metabolisms of bass are also going to start kicking into high gear, leading to a higher feeding frequency.

Postspawn also allows for bass to move around the body of water more freely. During the spawn, they’re pretty much locked in on their beds, defending the area they chose to spawn in. After that’s over, they begin to roam around looking for food. That being said, it’s pretty common to still find them in shallower areas near where they spawned, presenting a great opportunity to toss a buzz bait.

Buzzbaits are designed to create a ton of commotion in the water as you retrieve them. The action they have is something that bass can hone in on from a long way away, leading them to strike aggressively as they look to feed and build that energy back up.

Another factor that leads buzzbaits to be successful is that bass are positioned to feed upward this time of year. They’ll find areas where they can hide in cover in the shallow water areas and pin baitfish upwards towards the surface of the water.

With all of that said, there are some specific areas you’re going to want to target with your buzzbaits during the postspawn to have the most success possible when bass fishing. 

The first place to try a buzzbait is shallow cover near spawning areas. These areas are especially important to try immediately after the spawn, as the bass won’t have gone too far into the body of water yet. You’ll want to focus on areas like shorelines next to spawning flats, inside pockets, coves, and places with cover. Some of the best cover to look for when fishing a buzzbait is going to be scattered grass, timber, or around docks.

You’ll usually want to look for these areas that are in the 2 to 6-foot range for water depth. All of these areas are key places to look for bass that want to feed aggressively without expending the little bit of energy they have left right after spawning, making them ideal for buzzbaits.

Another great place to try is any area where bluegill are spawning. It’s common for bluegill to spawn a little bit after bass, and sometimes even in the same areas that bass spawn in. That makes this an ideal place to look for bass, since they won’t have to move very far, and one of their main types of food is in the area.

Specific areas to try are shallow flats with a hard bottom, shallow areas where you can visibly identify bluegill beds, or shorelines with sun exposure. This is especially good for buzzbaits if you can find them in areas of 1 to 4 feet of water. Bass like to swim through these areas this time of year, looking for an easy meal.

If you’re fishing on a day with some wind, it’s a good idea to try a buzzbait on the windblown shore. The wind is going to help concentrate baitfish all along the shore, making it a prime spot for bass to be feeding. Look for places like banks receiving direct wind, or areas where wind is pushing the bait into shallow water.

On windy days, it’s also going to be harder for the bass to see subtle baits. Buzzbaits do a great job of creating a ton of noise and disruption in the water, making it easier for the bass to identify and strike.

So we know where to throw a buzzbait and why they work, but when are some of the best times to use one?

While you can use a buzzbait throughout the day depending on water conditions, it’s usually going to be the most effective during the early morning and evening bite windows. This is the time of day when bass are most likely going to be in the shallow water that buzzbaits thrive in, and also looking to feed on baitfish.