Spawn and Post-Spawn

Here in western Pa the smallmouth bite starts to get tough in and around mid May and lasts till the spawn is over around mid June. This time of year I normally take a break or go north for pre- spawn bites. At this time of year fish are on beds and here in PA it is illegal to target them. Even if it wasn't I would not do it because I am a believer that if you leave them alone during the spawn the fishing will be better for years to come. At this time of year you can target the many other species of fish that swim in the rivers. There are a good supply of catfish, drum, muskie, trout, and walleye. So when the bite is not great during this time go try for a different species.