No matter where you live, June is one of the best bass fishing months. It's a time when some bass in northern regions are still spawning, and even if that's a distant memory for anglers in warmer climates, the fishing is still usually excellent, with many fish shallow and some in their summer haunts. June is when you can fish however you like, and chances are, you can catch plenty of fish.
This is a great month to go bass fishing. The most significant consideration is whether to stick to deep or shallow water. Both approaches have plenty of potential.
Shallow or Deep?
The old adage is that some fish are always shallow, which is definitely true in June. Some bass are still shallow from the spawn, and others are raiding bluegill. Fishing shallow is a great thing to do in June, especially around vegetation and other cover like bushes, laydowns, and anywhere you can find shade, such as docks and overhanging trees.
If fishing deep water is your thing, look for points, rock piles, and humps: places that stand out and give the bass a suitable place to live in deeper water. While deep is relative to the angler and fisherman, generally anything deeper than 15 feet deep would be considered deep water and is an excellent place for bass to hide as summer begins.
Once you have decided whether to fish shallow or deep, here are some of the best lures this month. But don't worry; you can easily mix, match, and fish both in a day to find an active bass that is biting somewhere.
Top 3 Shallow Lures for June
Another thing that makes fishing in June so great is that bass are generally in a feeding mood, and you can trick them with many different lures. It often can be the case where you can fish your favorite baits and those you are most comfortable with and find success. If you're looking for time-tested favorites, try a hollow-bodied frog, soft stick bait, and a jig or creature bait. These three will cover your bases and allow you to fish any cover before you.
A frog is excellent because of how weedless it is and works very well around grass, but just as well around bushes, docks, and other places bass hide. Many good frogs are available, and they all excel in June as they imitate many different things that bass eat, including frogs, bluegill, and more. One frog that has everything you want from a frog, including an excellent hookup percentage and easy-to-walk side-to-side, is the Berkley Swamp Lord.
Another can't-miss bait for June, and many other months, is a soft plastic stickbait like a Yamamoto Senko. Anytime the bass are shallow, it shines and can be fished just about anywhere and rigged in several ways. Whether you fish it weightless on a Texas Rig or hook it right in the middle on a wacky rig, the subtle shimmy as it falls is excellent for June bass.
A jig or Texas-rigged creature bait like a Strike King Rage Bug or Zoom Brush Hog will also serve you well as you can flip and pitch into cover without getting snagged. Either option will allow you to penetrate cover and reach bass hiding deep in grass, bushes, and underneath docks.
Top 3 Deep Lures for June
If you plan to go to deeper water, many different lures will allow you to fish effectively and catch bass this month. They include power fishing lures like deep crankbaits, football jigs, and a finesse option in a drop-shot rig. These three will allow you to fish just about everywhere in deeper water.
When targeting deep structure like rocks, crankbaits are great because you can fish quickly, bang into the bottom, and generate strikes from bass. Depending on the depth you are fishing, plenty of crankbaits will get down quickly and allow you to ply the depths.
One popular crankbait series is the Strike King XD series, with options ranging from the 3XD, which will reach about 10 feet deep, to the 10XD, which approaches a nearly 30-foot-deep diving depth. Pick the bait that dives a foot or two deeper than you are fishing to maximize bottom contact.
A football jig is a great choice for fishing deep water while moving a little slower. These jigs are designed to fish along the bottom and give you a great feel because of the shape of the head. They can be dragged along rocky bottoms and work great in June and the rest of the summer. Add a trailer like a Yamamoto Double Tail grub, and you'll have a great package that looks like a crawfish or small fish moving along the bottom.
Another excellent choice for fishing deep water is a drop-shot rig with a finesse worm like a Roboworm Straight Tail. These small worms get plenty of bites and will also catch their fair share of big bass. You can fish them anywhere, and if you Texas-rig the worm, it is fairly weedless and can be fished around brush, trees, and rocks in deep water. This is also a good choice for fishing shallow water; casting them around docks and bushes will work great this time of year.
June is one of the best months to go bass fishing, and there are many ways to catch fish during the end of spring and the beginning of summer. Fish in high-percentage areas where bass will hide and stick with these proven lures to find success throughout the month and no matter where you live.
