Fishing the Spring-To-Summer Transition

BRYAN NEW HAS a long checklist of places to search for postspawn bass transitioning from spring spawning flats to deeper summer habitat, but his favorite is the area he found on Lake Toho just over a year ago that led him to victory in the 2020 Bassmaster Eastern Open. That win helped propel him to the Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title, which gave him entry into the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series, leading to his win at the St. Johns River in the 2021 season-opener.

New, 32, laughs at the chain of events that Open win started, then turns serious as he discusses how he won that Open. It came during the postspawn season, a time many fishermen consider to be one of the most challenging to catch bass, the period when fish move from shallow spawning grounds to deeper summer structure.

“Anytime bass are in transition — moving from one type of habitat to another —