The bream spawn kicked off this week, and it looks like we’re going to have a good one.

It’s strange how everything is balanced out.

The bass and white perch spawn is winding down, and as these fish vacate the shallow spawning areas, the bream move in.

Lake Concordia is producing limits of big bream, and you can bet the fish are spawning on other lakes as well. On Lake Concordia, just think shallow and fish crickets and red worms on a jig pole.

I like to use a small spinner on an ultra-light rig for these hard-pulling, tasty fish.

There are a few bream beds in the north flats of Lake Concordia, but we’re finding the larger fish in the mid-lake area on the east bank.

There are several areas on Lake St. John where the bream spawn. Try either arm of the lake on the south end, where the lake splits.

There are also a lot of bream beds in the north end of the lake. Just target the cypress trees with the bulrush growing around the trees, and you will find the bream.

Okhissa Lake in Franklin County is loaded with big bluegill, and they are spawning this week. Try fishing the flats toward the back of one of the many feeder creeks in two to four feet of water.

The bream spawn can help the bass fishermen as well. Bass feed on bream so if you spot a bream bed, try casting a spinnerbait or a bream pattern shallow diving crankbait near the bream beds.

Good reports on the bass are coming from several area lakes. The bass spawn is just about over, and the fish are lean and hungry.

It’s top water time for big bass. Try poppers, walking lures, buzz baits or chuggers.

With water temperatures in the low 70s, the bass are very aggressive, and they hit surface lures hard this time of year.

Keep a back-up lure handy for the short-striking bass. A weightless soft plastic jerk worm is a great back-up lure for short strikers.

Light jigs with a big trailer that allow a slow fall will catch the bass as well.

The white perch spawn is also winding down.

As the spawn winds down, the white perch are still easy to catch.

Good reports are coming from the shallow, dingy waters of Bayou Louis. Just fish the visible cover with live minnows or tube jigs.

The white perch bite on Lake St. John slowed down just after all the rain, but the lake level is back down now.

Look for the white perch to be holding in real shallow water near the walkways leading out to the piers.

As water temperatures continue to rise, more and more boats will be out and about.

Practice safe boating and help us make this an accident-free season.

Eddie Roberts writes a weekly fishing column for The Democrat. He can be reached at fishingwitheddie@cox.net.