Lake Fork early summer pattern

June is without a doubt my favorite month for night fishing. I catch more BIG fish in June than any of the other 5 months I night fish.
I believe there are three different night feeding patterns in the summer. In the early summer pattern (late May - June), the fish are recovering from the stress of the spawn and feeding extremely well in shallow water. In the mid summer pattern (July), the thermocline sets in and the fish tend to go deeper. Then when they get on their late summer pattern (August - September), they really relate to the grass.
June is my best month for finding new spots. I have the confidence that I will catch fish on any new spot I try in June. Therefore, just about every night I will spend a few minutes with my Lowrance and my marker bouys and try to find spots I think will be productive. I will usually try to find deep water near grass and look for something that will make it more productive than others. It will usually be a bend or a point or a hump. After setting out bouys, I will anchor up and start fishing. Usually by the first half hour I will have my first fish. It is not usually a question of whether we will catch fish, but "how many" and "how big". By the end of June, the fishing will slow down and the next few months will be spent fishing spots that I have already developed confidence in.
I don't think it is a good idea to look for new spots when the fishing isn't as good. You may find the best spot on the lake, but since they weren't feeding, you assume that the spot isn't any good. I believe the same thing applies to new lures. Why try new lures when your best baits aren't working? To give them a fair chance, try them when your favorite baits ARE catching fish. This is certainly an advantage a guide has over the everyday fisherman. I can have my clients throw the baits that I know are working, while I try out new baits to see if they actually work.
During June, I throw an assortment of lures. I do best on craw worms, big worms, and jigs at night (I have caught more jig fish in June than any other month). In the morning, I like to fish topwaters and I sometimes fish big crankbaits if my clients are energetic and out for BIG fish. Choosing the bait to throw is a hard decision for me to make in June, because I have confidence in a lot of different baits. I once got 8 fish in 8 casts averaging over 5 pounds on a Mann's 30+ crankbait in June. However, I was considerably younger then. As I have gotten older, I find myself throwing the 30+ a lot less. These days, I tend to throw Pop-Rs, scum frogs, torpedos, ring frys, flukes, Texas rigged worms, and jigs.