Ice out finally took place 2 weeks ago and spring fishing patterns are now getting established. May is a weird month, but for good reasons. There is a ton going on, as every lake and waterbody is in a different phase of the bass spawn. Shallow dark brown waters like river systems, flowages, and drainage lakes could already be deep into the pre-spawn period while the deepest, coldest, clearest lakes might only be waking up right now. May is a rapid, compressed, 4-week period in which we see smallmouths go from the early pre-spawn into full blown pre-spawn, and even the actual spawn. What’s nice at least is not every lake is in the same phase. Only by late month will most lakes reach spawn. For the duration of May, you’ll find smallmouths around shallow flats on isolated pieces of structure. Side imaging is the most important piece of equipment on by boat, while all of these lures are secondary.   Targeting these fish, we look for gravel and sand shores, boulder & rock fields, rocky shoals, sand flats, shallow bars and other near-shore contour irregularities, and every area along the outskirts of spawning areas. Staging spots and shallow bays ar