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Top 5 early summer baits with David Mullins

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Elite Series pro David Mullins loves the months of May and June for various reasons, and they’re likely the same reasons bass anglers from many points in the U.S. anticipate this time of year.</p> <p>In Mullins’ home state of Tennessee, spring to summer typically brings a variety of fishing conditions and ways to catch bass. In the earlier parts of that timeframe, anglers may find bass in the late stages of the spawn. After that, there’s a shad spawn to look for and that can bring bass into a feeding frenzy.
Elite Series pro David Mullins loves the months of May and June for various reasons, and they’re likely the same reasons bass anglers from many points in the U.S. anticipate this time of year.
In Mullins’ home state of Tennessee, spring to summer typically brings a variety of fishing conditions and ways to catch bass. In the earlier parts of that timeframe, anglers may find bass in the late stages of the spawn. After that, there’s a shad spawn to look for and that can bring bass into a feeding frenzy.
In late May and early June, Tennessee bass begin to make their way into main channels and to offshore points where they school and can be caught in bunches. Mullins said that’s his favorite time to catch bass, and he’s certainly not alone.</p> <p>Similar scenarios apply in a good portion of the U.S, give or take a few weeks on either side of the month. So if you live in Tennessee, the Carolinas, northern Alabama, the Ozarks, Kentucky, in the Midwest or up the East Coast, May and June should be prime time for bass fishing.</p> <p>With that in mind, consider what Mullins listed as his five favorite bass lures for late spring and early summer. He offered a variety of options, and at least one is sure to fit just about every angler’s style.
In late May and early June, Tennessee bass begin to make their way into main channels and to offshore points where they school and can be caught in bunches. Mullins said that’s his favorite time to catch bass, and he’s certainly not alone.
Similar scenarios apply in a good portion of the U.S, give or take a few weeks on either side of the month. So if you live in Tennessee, the Carolinas, northern Alabama, the Ozarks, Kentucky, in the Midwest or up the East Coast, May and June should be prime time for bass fishing.
With that in mind, consider what Mullins listed as his five favorite bass lures for late spring and early summer. He offered a variety of options, and at least one is sure to fit just about every angler’s style.
<b>1. Number one would have to be a Shaky Head. </b></p> <p>A Doomsday Roku Worm, a straight tail worm. I usually put that under a Shaky Head Stand Up Head. I’ll use 7- to 10-pound test fluorocarbon on a spinning rod. A lot of times, fish are still spawning in May. It’s a good bait for fishing when bass are on their beds. When they’re getting off their beds, they can be a little bit finicky. Still, this is smaller and usually can get you more bites. And when you’re looking at post-spawn fish and they’re moving out onto points and brush and stuff like that, it’s a good overall bait to use.
1. Number one would have to be a Shaky Head. A Doomsday Roku Worm, a straight tail worm. I usually put that under a Shaky Head Stand Up Head. I’ll use 7- to 10-pound test fluorocarbon on a spinning rod. A lot of times, fish are still spawning in May. It’s a good bait for fishing when bass are on their beds. When they’re getting off their beds, they can be a little bit finicky. Still, this is smaller and usually can get you more bites. And when you’re looking at post-spawn fish and they’re moving out onto points and brush and stuff like that, it’s a good overall bait to use.
<b>2. A top-water Spook. Probably in May, you’re starting to get some shad spawn.</b></p> <p>You obviously can catch them on top-water baits. It just matches that forage because they’re really going to start feeding after they hit that spawn. Most of our fish in Tennessee spawn in April and the first of May, so those fish are going to start feeding up on shad. They’ll start getting back into the routine of chasing them. The only other specific thing I use with top-water baits is 40-pound braid. That line lets you cast so much better, you can throw it so much farther. The hook-ups tend to be better. If you’re catching them on Spooks, the water tends to be fairly clear, so you tend to be making longer casts. The thing with braid is you can upgrade the hook too. You can go heavier with the hook and hit them a bit harder than you could with that mono line. And braid floats, so you can keep the bait up higher. You don’t want it sinking. You want it sitting up on top.
2. A top-water Spook. Probably in May, you’re starting to get some shad spawn. You obviously can catch them on top-water baits. It just matches that forage because they’re really going to start feeding after they hit that spawn. Most of our fish in Tennessee spawn in April and the first of May, so those fish are going to start feeding up on shad. They’ll start getting back into the routine of chasing them. The only other specific thing I use with top-water baits is 40-pound braid. That line lets you cast so much better, you can throw it so much farther. The hook-ups tend to be better. If you’re catching them on Spooks, the water tends to be fairly clear, so you tend to be making longer casts. The thing with braid is you can upgrade the hook too. You can go heavier with the hook and hit them a bit harder than you could with that mono line. And braid floats, so you can keep the bait up higher. You don’t want it sinking. You want it sitting up on top.
<b>3. A deep-running crankbait.</b></p> <p>When they’re finished spawning, and they get done with their shad spawn, a lot of our fish in Tennessee start moving out on the main channels, especially in later May and June. You’re going to see them on channel points and secondary points. They start schooling up. And man, that’s my favorite way to catch them. I love that time of year. So with a deep crankbait, you can find the fish … It depends on what body of water you’re fishing. I always like a Strike King 6XD or something like that tied on in situations where you can fish in 10 to 20 feet.
3. A deep-running crankbait. When they’re finished spawning, and they get done with their shad spawn, a lot of our fish in Tennessee start moving out on the main channels, especially in later May and June. You’re going to see them on channel points and secondary points. They start schooling up. And man, that’s my favorite way to catch them. I love that time of year. So with a deep crankbait, you can find the fish … It depends on what body of water you’re fishing. I always like a Strike King 6XD or something like that tied on in situations where you can fish in 10 to 20 feet.
<b>4. Football head jig.</b></p> <p>You can use that shallow, deep, whatever. A lot of times, those fish don’t want to be in that chase mood. I’ll take a nickel or 3/4-ounce football-head jig and drag it around. A lot of those fish will pull out on the first piece of cover, a little offshore brush or something. The football-head jig is great to use in brush. When they come out offshore and on points not wanting to chase, you can upset them a little bit. I use 16-pound test Sunline, a fairly long 7-foot, 3-inch rod … I use a variety of trailers. If they’re really eating good and wanting a bigger bait, I’ll take a Doomsday FatMan and put it on the back. It’s a bigger, beaver type bait with bigger appendages. When they get finicky, I may trim that skirt down a little bit, make it a smaller profile and go to something like a Doomsday Reaper trailer. It’s smaller and more compact, doesn’t move a lot of water. You can get a lot of bites that way … As for color; I don’t get caught up on it for the most part. If the water is clear, Green Pumpkin will work well anywhere in the country. I like a root beer-type color sometimes, and you can throw a crawfish (color) up in there. My rule is once you get biting, you can dial it in a little better with the color if you want.
4. Football head jig. You can use that shallow, deep, whatever. A lot of times, those fish don’t want to be in that chase mood. I’ll take a nickel or 3/4-ounce football-head jig and drag it around. A lot of those fish will pull out on the first piece of cover, a little offshore brush or something. The football-head jig is great to use in brush. When they come out offshore and on points not wanting to chase, you can upset them a little bit. I use 16-pound test Sunline, a fairly long 7-foot, 3-inch rod … I use a variety of trailers. If they’re really eating good and wanting a bigger bait, I’ll take a Doomsday FatMan and put it on the back. It’s a bigger, beaver type bait with bigger appendages. When they get finicky, I may trim that skirt down a little bit, make it a smaller profile and go to something like a Doomsday Reaper trailer. It’s smaller and more compact, doesn’t move a lot of water. You can get a lot of bites that way … As for color; I don’t get caught up on it for the most part. If the water is clear, Green Pumpkin will work well anywhere in the country. I like a root beer-type color sometimes, and you can throw a crawfish (color) up in there. My rule is once you get biting, you can dial it in a little better with the color if you want.
<b>5. I like a good swimbait.</b></p> <p>You can use it on both sides of the spawn. My go-to is a 6-inch Scottsboro swim bait with a 1/2-ounce open jig head around here because we don’t have a lot of cover. Before they spawn, they eat that thing really good. Then when the water starts to heat up, they start to slap at it or short-strike it. That tells me those fish are starting to spawn or are around it. Then I’ll switch to a worm or Shaky Head or a something like that. Then once they’re off the spawn, they go right back to eating it really good. I also will put a bigger head on the swim bait and work it out deeper if I need to.
5. I like a good swimbait. You can use it on both sides of the spawn. My go-to is a 6-inch Scottsboro swim bait with a 1/2-ounce open jig head around here because we don’t have a lot of cover. Before they spawn, they eat that thing really good. Then when the water starts to heat up, they start to slap at it or short-strike it. That tells me those fish are starting to spawn or are around it. Then I’ll switch to a worm or Shaky Head or a something like that. Then once they’re off the spawn, they go right back to eating it really good. I also will put a bigger head on the swim bait and work it out deeper if I need to.
Thanks, David!
Thanks, David!

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