by Dave Landahl
Spring has sprung, and anglers are chasing their favorite fish all over the bassy nation. Berkley fishing pro Josh Bertrand has spent a little extra time this spring at his home in Arizona hanging with family and chasing locally grown fish. Josh checked in with Pros4- 1Source before hitting the road to get back on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail, and shared a handful of his top techniques to hook bass in the spawn-to post-spawn period.
Soft Stickbaits
"Wacky-rigging a soft stickbait," said Bertrand. "I'll fish the Berkley General for fry-guarders up shallow. It is an excellent option for the post-spawn fish
"Rigging is simple. I use a 7-foot medium/heavy-action Abu Garcia Fishing Gear Premier spinning rod and reel filled with 8-pound Berkley Nanofil as the main fishing line, and 8-pound Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon as the leader. I connect the two lines with the 
'Crazy Alberto' knot. It's been the best knot for me when tying two lines together. I'll use a 1/0 Berkley Fusion 19 wacky-rig hook."
Get the Bait Walking
"I love throwing a topwater walking bait," said Bertrand. "It is a really good lure for calling up the post-spawn females. Those fish are looking to feed on bluegills and other sunfish, and aren't guarding fry. The walking bait is really good for bigger fish.
"I use a 7-foot medium-action Abu Garcia Veritas rod and an Abu Garcia Premier fishing reel and I'll spool up with 50-pound Berkley Braid. The braid is the deal with the walking bait. You can cast a long way and still get a good hookset."
Dragging
"The old Carolina-rig is another of my favorites for this time frame," said Bertrand. "It's ideal to fish with when targeting post-spawn bass who are positioned on the first hump or drop-off outside of the spawning area. It's the perfect technique for those lazy fish who won't chase the topwater.
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| Berkley PowerBait Lizard |
Setup and Fishing Gear
"My setup involves a 7-foot 6-inch medium-heavy Abu Garcia Villain rod and a Premier reel. My main-line is 15-pound Berkley fluorocarbon tied to a barrel swivel and 2-to 4-foot 15-pound leader. I use a ¾-ounce tungsten weight and a tungsten bead. The tungsten weight would break a glass bead. My prefered bait is a 6-inch Berkley Power Lizard, and my color of choice is usually watermelon seed."
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