Gear

Jason Christie’s postspawn tacklebox

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Photography by
Craig Lamb
Captions by
Craig Lamb
Postspawn. It’s the final phase in the spawning cycle with the bass backtracking along the same prespawn migration routes and transition areas toward deeper water for the summer. 
Jason Christie’s proven postspawn expertise is worth a closer look. Get that inside this postspawn tacklebox he created specifically for this gallery. “I chose these eight lures that I would use anywhere in the country, with a water temperature range of between 65 and 80 degrees,” said the 2022 Bassmaster Classic champion with eight B.A.S.S. wins. 
Christie is a shallow-water specialist with a knack for locating postspawn bass on the move, and this tacklebox reflects that expertise. Create a postspawn box with these baits, and bring them back out again in the fall. 
You get two seasons in one box. “This box comes back in play during fall when the water temperature cools back down to the 65- to 75-degree range of water temperatures.” 
Heddon One Knocker Spook (Progill)
A specially designed sound chamber holds a single tungsten rattle — hence the name. The distinctive thump makes it ideal for covering water and bringing bass into the boat, and the rattle chamber enhances the classic bait’s walking action. Length: 4 1/2 inches. Weight: 3/4 ounce. Available in 14 color patterns. 
Christie chooses this bait when the bass are guarding fry, looking for any intruder that will trigger their predator instinct. He also uses the One Knocker as the bass migrate out to main lake points. “I can cover a lot of water with it, and it’s ideal for clear to slightly dingy water,” he said. This, and other baits in the box, are ideal choices for the shad spawn, which lines up with Christie’s favored style of maximizing his time in shallow water during the postspawn. 
Booyah Pad Crasher (Leopard Frog)
With a keel-like belly (like a bass boat hull), the design of this frog allows a walking action in open water, and a specially designed drain hole expels water to keep it running true. Length: 2 inches. Weight: 1/4 ounce. Available in 15 colors. 
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The Pad Crasher is a weedless alternative to the One Knocker, during the shad spawn (the underbelly is white). “I can throw it into hard-to-get places, skipping it under trees, docks and over grass,” he said. 
Booyah Covert Double Colorado Spinnerbait, Nickel/Gold (JC Special)
The Christie-inspired raked-out gill in the head keeps the bait running true, regardless of retrieve speeds. The bait is fitted with premium components, including Hildebrandt blades, to withstand use in heavy cover. Weights: 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1 ounce. 
Christie favors this spinnerbait for dirtier water conditions and cooler water temperatures during postspawn. Fish it around typical shoreline spinnerbait targets like wood, docks and around marinas. Christie uses it for two applications. “It’s a shad imitator during that spawn, and it’s a target bait for effectively and thoroughly covering individual pieces of isolated wood structure, and even rocks and bluffs.”
5-inch Yum Dinger (Green Pumpkin Purple)
Call this the utility soft plastic in the box, as it can be Texas or wacky rigged, pitched into heavy cover, used finesse-style like this application, and much more. Available in 1-inch sizes from 3 to 7 inches, and in 72 colors. 
“This is my go-to bait for pressured bass in the postspawn, and also when nothing else is getting a bite,” Christie said. “I can wacky rig it and throw it around fry guarders, under docks or as a Texas rig for heavy cover.” 
Booyah 1/2-ounce Mobster Swim Jig (The Cleaner), Yum Craw Chunk (White)
Christie calls this his “all-terrain” swim jig. It covers open water to any type of shallow cover with its weed guard. The custom head is designed to keep the bait running true, and it can weave through grass, brush, laydowns and dock pilings used by bass as ambush points. A high-quality silicone skirt and stout black nickel hook round out the package. Weights: 5/16 and 1/2 ounce. Available in nine colors. 
“It’s the perfect one-two punch with a spinnerbait when switching baits is productive in pressure situations,” Christie said. “I can fish it through cover, or high in the water column in open water.” 
Yum Spine Craw (Green Pumpkin Blue)
The craws are designed to produce a rapid kicking action to displace water, to mimic fleeing forage that trigger the predator instinct of bass. Water-displacing, angled appendages slow the rate of fall to prolong the bait’s time in the strike zone, especially when flipping and pitching. Length: 3.75 inches. Available in 13 colors. 
Christie calls this another utility bait, used as a jig trailer or Texas rigged for flipping and pitching. “The subtle action is perfect for lethargic bass, and late spawners.” 
Yum Christie Critter
This Christie-designed creature bait features an elongated body with a rounded top, making it ideal for heavy gauge hooks and concave weights, and it’s impregnated with Yum scenting for added strike appeal. Length: 4.5 inches. Available in 12 colors. 
“I’ve made more money on this bait than any other in the box,” Christie said. “After the bass come off the spawning beds, I switch from soft plastics to a jig, and this is my choice for a trailer.” Christie also makes a Texas rig with a 3/8-ounce weight and 5/0 hook. “I designed it as a compact bait to be used with heavier sized hooks, for better hook-up ratios.”

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