A popping lure is a good choice around sparse millfoil or hydrilla bushes.

June is a month wherein tidewater bass fishermen can expect the extremes of fishing conditions. It's the circle of life that prompts these conditions. Bass, for the most part, will be in post spawn mode. Not every bass spawns at the same time in spring. Some will have spawned early and will be aggressive, while others may be just coming off of the beds and slowly regaining energy. The last group of bass still quite possible could be guarding the nests. This is nature's way of making sure that an entire year-class of fish does not get wiped out, should Mother Nature's wrath play havoc with the fishery. Now throw in this year's cool spring weather patterns and you anglers will have a tough time figuring things out.

This is the time we turn to a seasoned guide for advice. Captain Karl Bunch, owner of Karl's Bassin' Adventures Guide Service, has seen this scenario play out before. He says, "This is going to be a funny June. Everything is about a month behind." Bunch is unique in that he personally guides the upper Chesapeake and the Potomac River. He sees first hand what is going on with bass habit and habitat on both bodies of water. To this point, grass beds are growing on schedule in the Potomac, yet those on the Susquehanna Flats got a late start due to the early spring floods. Whether you are fishing the Potomac, The Flats, or anywhere tidal bass swim in between, bass react similarly across Maryland waters.

Bass can be in different stages of post spawn early in June. Some will be aggressive and others will be sluggish while recuperating from the spawn. It's up to the individual angler to determine how far into the post-spawn fish are. When bass are still feeling the doldrums, Karl relies on a tidal drop shot rig. This is similar to a single hook bottom rig for bait fishing, yet uses a soft plastic lure for enticement. Bunch ties a 2/0 wide gap worm hook with a palomar knot, leaving a 4 to 6-inch tag end. He pinches a 1/4 to 3/8-ounce drop shot weight onto the end of the tag line and rigs a Natural color Case Magic Stick on the hook. It's slow tactics like this that provoke lethargic bass into biting.

As bass become increasingly more aggressive, Bunch relies on lures that provoke reaction strikes. In areas where grass beds haven't fully developed, he fishes wood cover with said vegetation nearby. He targets these fish with spinnerbaits and crankbaits. His favorites are a 1/4-ounce Glamour Shad spinnerbait in a sunfish color pattern and a Bandit 100 series crankbait with the chartreuse/purple back paint scheme.

Karl advises that short striking bass should be enticed with a slowly falling bait that simulates that this bass has stunned its prey. His favorite follow up bait is a green pumpkin tube.

By the end of the month grass beds should be well formed and the majority of the bass population will be past the post spawn funk. Bass find aquatic grasses to be the best cover they can find. Water is oxygenated as the tide ebbs and flows through the greenery. Thick grass beds provide shade from the sun and concealment from potential prey. Good water quality, umbrage from the sun, and ambush points are the reasons why bass flock to the grass in mass.

The topwater bite is strong around grass beds. Karl says that anglers should not heed the misconception that fishing surface lures is only an early morning/late evening tactic. In many instances, topwater lures will work all day long. The aggressiveness of the bass will let you know when to stop fishing them.

Bunch likes to cast soft plastic lures for surface presentation. His favorite technique for June is to swim a 12 to 14-inch worm on the surface. He credits his friend, DelMarVa Angler's Choice Team Tournament Trail director Dave Kilby, with turning him on to the technique. It simulates a snake swimming across a creek or cove. Karl favors Worminator worms in natural colors and rigs them weightless. Some anglers go the opposite direction and choose outrageous colors like bubblegum, blaze orange, or school bus yellow. Lures that mimic other marsh creatures work well, too. The guide casts soft plastic frogs like the Zoom Horny Toad. He rigs this lure on a 4/0 wide gap hook and seals it to the hook eye with a drop of Pro's Soft Bait Glue. This keeps the toad from bunching up, which makes it easier for a bass to throw the hook.

Other topwater lures will work. Karl casts poppers around sparse grass beds. He chooses Rico or Splash-it models. When bass are hostile, he breaks out the buzzbaits. Bunch casts Glamour Shad models in blade/red with a black blade. He says that the black blade is key. He's used gold and nickel blades with the same color scheme, but bass do not respond to it in the same fashion. Karl runs buzzbaits over the submerged vegetation, and suggests anglers not forget to pop a few casts over a log or brush.

June is the month when fishing patterns vary the most. Throughout the month, lures that cover the entire water column are used. Figuring out how far bass have transitioned through the post spawn period dictates what lures you should tie on. Karl Bunch's suggestions for lures and type of cover to fish should aid in bringing bass to the boat throughout the entire month.