If you are headed out fishing this month, you are lucky, as May is one of the best months to go bass fishing. It might be the best month across the board for bass fishing, as it can be incredible from north to south and east to west.
Many things are happening this month, and there are plenty of ways to catch bass in May. Here are a few things to look forward to this month and a few techniques that will work wonders for you.
The Spawn and Immediately After
Depending on where you live, the spawn may be happening right now, or it may be a few months in the rearview mirror. But it’s still relevant no matter where you live. If the bass have recently wrapped up spawning, targeting bass guarding fry is a proven way to catch bass this month. These bass will be shallow and doing their job but can be caught with topwater lures, wacky rigs, and small jerkbaits.
Another thing to remember is that not all bass spawn at once, and there will likely be some bass that will spawn much later than the bulk of the population. This can happen in sections of your home waters that are slightly cooler, such as places with more moving water or other factors.
After the bass spawn, the postspawn feeding binge is on, and you can have some great days this month by fishing topwater lures like walking baits, buzzbaits, jigs, and frogs.
Another tried and true May approach is to fish deep on offshore structure such as river ledges, rockpiles, humps, and other places that bass congregate after they are done spawning. Popular lures like deep-diving crankbaits shine, but you can also slow down and catch them with Carolina Rigs and finesse rigs like a Ned Rig, Neko Rig, and drop-shot.
The Baitfish Spawns
The bass spawn and the different phases within it dominate most of the springtime bass fishing talk. There are still opportunities to catch bedding bass in May in many regions, but the shad, herring, and bluegill spawns are just as important this month. They each offer a feeding frenzy of bass action if you can find them.
The shad spawn is an occurrence that happens shortly after the bass wrap up spawning and can create some crazy fast action if you are in the right place at the right time. The shad spawn at night, which will continue very early in the morning, and bass and other predators know this. To find this activity, look for hard structures such as rocks, ripraps, bridges, and nearby docks. The key is finding where it’s happening, as just about anything that looks like a shad will fool a bass that is gorging on shad.
The herring spawn is similar to the shad spawn but very regional. It is only in lakes with blueback herring, but it can be just as productive. On the other hand, the bluegill spawn is much more widespread and can happen for several months, not just in May. Bluegill spawn after the bass and usually well into the summer, and you can find their beds relatively easily as they make big circles in the sand or grass and guard them fiercely. Bass will be nearby and often roam in groups to harass the bedding bluegill. Some of the best baits to catch these bass are topwater poppers, soft plastics, and frogs.
Other Things to Look For
Spring bass fishing contains clues from Mother Nature that will help you find bass. Some of those are mentioned above and have to do with spawning, either the bass or the spawns of things that bass eat, but there are other things to look for this month.
One major thing to pay attention to is vegetation if your home waters have it. As the water warms, aquatic vegetation grows as fast as the grass and weeds in your lawn. Paying attention to new growth and where grass is popping up can be a great way to locate bass. It’s still early enough in the year that any fresh green grass will likely be full of life, both from bass and bluegill, and if you get around it, you will almost certainly be able to catch a few fish.
Another often talked about part of bass fishing is paying attention to the birds, and it’s always a good idea to watch for fish-eating birds like herons, but they can be critical this time of year. They can be your eyes, help you locate shad, and even point you in the right direction to the shad spawn, so these birds are your friend this month.
One more friendly reminder from the environment is to watch the wind this time of year. Like the other clues, paying attention to wind conditions is always smart, but it can also help you locate the shad that the bass are eagerly waiting for. A day or two of wind in one direction will push baitfish to the other side of the lake, and often, you’ll find more feeding activity in these areas. This simple information can help point you in the right direction when you head to the lake.
May is an excellent time to go bass fishing, and there is no shortage of ways to catch them. It’s a time of year when “junk fishing” or catching a few bass on one lure, a few on another, and more bass on other lures is all part of a day of bass fishing. It’s also a time when you can almost fish however you would like to and have a chance to catch some fish, so get out there and make the most of one of the best months of the year to go fishing.
