I'm on the Oregon coast and it's the beginning of July and we just now had our spawn last week. The weather has been very cold until the last week or so.

Anyway, I have been fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth. I've been catching both but almost all are very small. 6 or 8 inches or so and they aren't in places that I've found them in years past. I did catch a 5.7 last week but that's the only one of size so far this year. Caught her in the grass and it was a foot or two deep but that was a week ago.

My question is where are the bigger fish? I've fished grass and reeds on the bank, around docks in 8 to 15 feet of water, I've fished submerged timber and also drop shotted main lake points in deeper water and I just can't find 'em. Both smallies and LM.

The water temps around here have risen dramatically in the last 10 days. 10 to 12 degrees in most cases.

The weather has been in the low 50's and at night it's been in the low 40's until last week. Current weather is warming with highs coming into the high 80's and low 90's later this week so I'm sure the waters will warm dramatically again this week. I don't know how much difference that makes but I'm throwing it out there anyway.

Is our crazy weather this year just giving them lockjaw or am I doing something wrong? Our weather the last month or two has been cool and sunny one day and then a low pressure front comes in for a day or two and then sunshine again.  We didn't see a 70 degree day until a week or so ago but now it's warming up quick.

       Thanks in advance for any help.

The big ones are ladies who are just getting over the spawn so give it another week and they should be recuperated and ready to feed.

There are many articles on post spawn fishing so look them up and check out the baits that are suggested.

Let us know how you do.