June is one of the best months of the year to catch bass — the spawn is over, the fish are feeding up, and you can catch them on a lot of different lures. But some baits simply outperform everything else, no matter where you’re fishing. In this video, I break down the most reliable June baits, from shallow to deep, that work nationwide.

20 hours ago, Glenn said:

June is one of the best months of the year to catch bass — the spawn is over, the fish are feeding up, and you can catch them on a lot of different lures. But some baits simply outperform everything else, no matter where you’re fishing. In this video, I break down the most reliable June baits, from shallow to deep, that work nationwide.

Thanks for the video Glenn. What’s been your experience fishing craw colored crankbaits from post spawn through fall? In the video you mention that they will still work where there is rip rap and therefore presumably crawfish present. Sounds like you stick to the more natural craw colors vs a bold red which is more typical in prespawn. I imagine in those rip rap situations on a given day that a shad color could outproduce a craw color and vice versa depending on the conditions. I’ve also heard crayfish tend to be more active around the full and new moon which could make a craw color more effective during those times.

This is all top of mind for me since I started fishing a new lake this year with a lot of rip rap, and have been on an excellent crankbait bite. The fish are currently in their post spawn funk, but I’m curious as to whether this bite will continue once they become more active in the post spawn period. And whether they will have a preference for craw vs shad colored baits. Good thing I have a ton of each 😅

That’s a great question, and you’re thinking about it the right way.

Yes, craw-colored crankbaits absolutely continue to work from postspawn through fall, especially around riprap, rock transitions, chunk rock, bluff ends, bridge causeways, and anywhere bass are used to seeing crawfish. A lot of anglers think “craw color” only means bright red in late winter and prespawn, but that’s really just one piece of the puzzle. Once you get into postspawn, summer, and fall, I usually lean more toward natural craw patterns: brown, green pumpkin, olive, orange/brown, muted red, or something with just a little orange or chartreuse in it depending on water color.

That said, I don’t look at it as craw versus shad as much as I look at it as matching the situation. If bass are actively chasing baitfish, especially on flatter banks, points, or windy stretches, a shad color can definitely outproduce a craw pattern. But if I’m grinding that crankbait into rocks, deflecting off riprap, and keeping it close to the bottom, a craw color can be excellent even in the middle of summer.

The key is how the bait is being presented. A craw-colored crankbait looks most natural when it’s digging, deflecting, stopping, and bouncing off cover. That’s when it imitates a crawfish trying to escape or just creates that reaction bite. A shad color, on the other hand, often shines more when fish are feeding up in the water column, chasing bait, or when the crankbait is being burned or waked through active fish.

As far as the moon phase, there may be something to crawfish being more active around full and new moons, but I personally wouldn’t build my whole color decision around that. I’d let the fish tell me. Water clarity, forage, sunlight, wind, bottom composition, and how the bass are positioned usually matter more day to day.

On your new lake with lots of riprap, I’d keep both tied on. Start with a shad pattern if you see baitfish, birds, surface activity, wind blowing into the rocks, or fish feeding higher. Start with a natural craw if you’re grinding bottom, hitting rock, fishing dirtier water, or the fish are tight to the bank and not chasing much.

And yes, that bite can absolutely continue after the postspawn funk. In fact, once those fish recover and start feeding again, riprap can be a great crankbait deal because it gives them shade, crawfish, baitfish, and ambush points all in one place. I’d experiment with both colors until you see a trend, because there will definitely be days when one clearly gets more bites than the other.

Good problem to have when you’ve got a ton of both!

On 6/1/2026 at 4:11 PM, Glenn said:

That’s a great question, and you’re thinking about it the right way.

Yes, craw-colored crankbaits absolutely continue to work from postspawn through fall, especially around riprap, rock transitions, chunk rock, bluff ends, bridge causeways, and anywhere bass are used to seeing crawfish. A lot of anglers think “craw color” only means bright red in late winter and prespawn, but that’s really just one piece of the puzzle. Once you get into postspawn, summer, and fall, I usually lean more toward natural craw patterns: brown, green pumpkin, olive, orange/brown, muted red, or something with just a little orange or chartreuse in it depending on water color.

That said, I don’t look at it as craw versus shad as much as I look at it as matching the situation. If bass are actively chasing baitfish, especially on flatter banks, points, or windy stretches, a shad color can definitely outproduce a craw pattern. But if I’m grinding that crankbait into rocks, deflecting off riprap, and keeping it close to the bottom, a craw color can be excellent even in the middle of summer.

The key is how the bait is being presented. A craw-colored crankbait looks most natural when it’s digging, deflecting, stopping, and bouncing off cover. That’s when it imitates a crawfish trying to escape or just creates that reaction bite. A shad color, on the other hand, often shines more when fish are feeding up in the water column, chasing bait, or when the crankbait is being burned or waked through active fish.

As far as the moon phase, there may be something to crawfish being more active around full and new moons, but I personally wouldn’t build my whole color decision around that. I’d let the fish tell me. Water clarity, forage, sunlight, wind, bottom composition, and how the bass are positioned usually matter more day to day.

On your new lake with lots of riprap, I’d keep both tied on. Start with a shad pattern if you see baitfish, birds, surface activity, wind blowing into the rocks, or fish feeding higher. Start with a natural craw if you’re grinding bottom, hitting rock, fishing dirtier water, or the fish are tight to the bank and not chasing much.

And yes, that bite can absolutely continue after the postspawn funk. In fact, once those fish recover and start feeding again, riprap can be a great crankbait deal because it gives them shade, crawfish, baitfish, and ambush points all in one place. I’d experiment with both colors until you see a trend, because there will definitely be days when one clearly gets more bites than the other.

Good problem to have when you’ve got a ton of both!

Thanks for the thoughtful reply! Now I just need to find time to get back out on the water.