Throw a chartreuse/white spinnerbait first, then a baitfish-style soft jerkbait or squarebill. Around docks after rain, bass usually slide to the shade line, the first hard edge, and any current seam where runoff hits the bank. With rising pressure, 12 mph wind, and late spring warmth, they’ll often want a bait you can cover water with before you pick apart the best docks.
First move
- Start with the Blackwake Spinnerbait in 3/8 oz.
- If the water is still stained, go chartreuse/white or a darker contrast color.
- Cast past dock corners, let it tick posts/ropes, and run it steady-slow with short pauses.
Why it should work
- Post-rain bass often key on shad and bait pushed to the bank.
- A spinnerbait gives flash + vibration so fish can find it in slightly dirty water.
- If they miss it or follow, switch to a 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait and work it twitch-twitch-pause, especially around the shady side of docks.
- For heavier cover, a balsa squarebill is a strong second choice because it deflects and floats up when it hits wood.
What to look at
Videos:
- Bass STACK Up Here After Rain!
- Bass Fishing After Rain: HUGE BASS on EARLY SPRING RUNOFF!
- Where Bass Go After a Storm
- Bass Fishing From The Bank In REALLY BAD RAIN!!!!
Products/Lures:
- Blackwake Spinnerbait
- Davy Jones’ Buzz for low-light dock edges
- 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait
- Bass Mafia Custom Balsa Squarebill Crankbait
- Rapala Clap Tail 110 Topwater if they’re busting under overhanging docks at dawn
Adjust if
- Clearer water: go more natural, like shad or green pumpkin.
- Muddy water: use thump and flash first.
- Little bite after 15–20 casts: slow down to the jerkbait and target only the shadiest docks.
Backup plan
Pitch the 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait or a small soft plastic tight to dock posts and let it sit longer between twitches. On this lake, sunrise to mid-morning is your best window after rain. Next cast: throw the 3/8 oz spinnerbait to the outside corner of the shadiest dock you can reach.
