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What is the best technique for catching fish after the spawn?

Question:
I've got a question about how and what is the best technique for catching fish after the spawn. Whether the fish are guarding fry or moved out to a little deeper water. -Greg

Answer:
My favorite ways to catch those post spawners vary. 
1) Fry guarders can be caught with a Soft Stickbait, Soft jerkbait, and floating worm.  Look for some type of cover in the water and it can be as little as a single stick up or a section of lilly pads to a dock edge. The bass will use this to keep the fry in "safety".  You'll notice the fry "cloud" high in the water column and make a pitch with the soft stickbait just past the fry and let it free fall to the bottom.  Typically the bit will come on the fall. 
2) The second postspawn tactic is shallow to mid depth cranking.  Typically I look for flats, secondary points or weed edges just out from the spawning areas.  The ultra shallow runners (less than a foot) are great first thing on the bank, around vertical or overhanging cover or even an alternative for fry guarders when the soft plastic fail to produce. The remainder of what I fish shallow can be covered with a bait that runs typically in the 2 to 6foot range.
Shad and sunfish colors are the go tos.
3) Shad will tend to spawn at this same time and as the earliest spawners are done they look to bulk up.  Post spaweners will take advantage of these baitfish as they preoccupy themselves with pro-creating.  Rip rap rock banks and docks are your best locations to meet up with this pattern.  Harder cover is where shad like to lay there eggs.

Hope these help your angling odds when the bass are done with the spawn.

James Niggemeyer, B.A.S.S. Elite Angler