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Seven Hot Bass Fishing Tips
by Chris Stevens
Everyone knows that bass fishing in the summer
can be tough. It may certainly be tough, but not impossible.
Some of the biggest bass of the year can be caught in the summer.
Here are seven tips that can help you catch those summer time
monsters.
#1.) Probe Shallow Weedbeds
Some people insist on fishing deep water during the summer,
but deep fishing is not always the key to catch monster summer
bass. Shallow tributaries and bays can hold plenty of hot water
bass action.
Weeds provide cover and forage for bass including crayfish,
minnows, and bluegill. Weeds also help filter the water and pump
needed oxygen into the water.
Bass aren't everywhere in the weeds. Start fishing the outer
and top edges of the weedbeds. Those areas usually tend to hold
the more active bass. Try fishing these areas with topwater plugs,
lipless crankbaits, or willowleaf spinnerbaits. If these don't
work try using worms. I would go with plastic worm with a pegged
sinker or a jig with a pork trailer. Use the worm and the jig
to fish deep in the weeds to find the less active fish.
#2.) Fish Ditches
Submerged ditches can be like a gold mine when bass fishing
in the summer. Bass use the ditches to move from deep water to
shallow water when they are feeding. Ditches can be hard to find.
They're sometimes left off of topography maps. You can find them
on flats and points. If you look over these areas with your depth
finder you find one. You can also find them by looking at the
bank for water runoff areas.
Ditches as shallow as a foot can attract bass. I normally start
fishing the deepest part of the ditch and start moving shallower
until I find fish. Try fishing these areas with lizards, spinnerbaits,
plastic worms, or crankbaits. Cast to the edge of the ditch and
work your lure down to the deeper water.
#3.) Fish Current
During the hot days of the summer rivers tend to produce more
bass than lakes. This is because lakes loose oxygen in the summer
and rivers really don't loose the oxygen because of the moving
water. The higher oxygen level makes the bass more active. That
means you can use faster retrieves in rivers than you can in
lakes.
Small creeks tend to hold more big bass. This is because of
they receive little fishing pressure. Small creeks are usually
feed by springs and they are really clear. With the clear water
you will have to use natural colored lures. Try casting up stream
and bring your lure back down stream and fish it around rocks
and logs. Don't forget, because most of these streams are spring-fed
they are cool, so if you get hot don't be afraid to jump in.
#4.) Fish Shallow Objects
When I'm fishing in tournaments in the summer I see many competitors
head out to the deeper water, but I almost always go shallow
and find structure. To catch fish on shallow structure in the
summer you have to target places with accurate presentations
where bass are most likely holding.
When probing shallow water I like to fish topwater plugs and
crankbaits close to my target. When fishing crankbaits it is
best to cast past the target and bump the lure on the target.
I do this because when the water is hot the bass hold tight to
cover, and they don't want to go very far away from home. They
usually stay tight as they can on the shady side of the object.
Water clarity plays a major role in choosing lures. When the
water is clear use a Spinnerbait with willowleaf blades. If the
water is stained use lipless crankbaits, jigs, or soft plastics.
#5.) Suspended Bass
Throughout most of the summer you can fin bass suspended over
brushpiles and other structure. Man-made brushpiles are common
on most reservoirs. Crappie guides like to sink them so they
can attract crappie, but along with the crappie comes the bass.
If you can find these brushpiles next to a creek channel in the
hot summer months there should be tons of big bucketmouths suspending
above them. I like to fish these brushpiles with spinnerbaits.
I try to fish them as slow as possible without bumping the brush.
If the bass aren't responding to the Spinnerbait, try bucktails.
Bucktails work especially well if the lake has a lot of shad.
I like to swim the bucktail right over the brushpile. If you
bump the brush while fishing you should speed up immediately
to avoid getting hung up. If you get hung up just cut the line.
If you jerk at it too much you will scare all the fish away.
#6.) Night Fishing
On a lot of lakes there are a lot of skiers and boats out on
the lake during the day. To escape all the noise and havoc a
lot of fishermen like to fish at night. Bass are usually shallow
during the night. They are also in a more aggressive feeding
mode. There is one bad thing about fishing at night; the fish
can be very spooky. So you should tried to avoid bumping your
trolling motor and dropping things in the boat. Gravel points
and midlake humps can be some of the best places to fish at night.
Try fishing these areas with a plastic worm, jig-and-pig, or
a dark colored Spinnerbait. If you fish any lure like a Spinnerbait,
Crankbait, or any topwater you need to use dark colors so it
will silhouette of the surface.
#7.) Live Bait
Nofishalitis, this is an almost deadly disease that is at its
peak in the hot summer months. It is caused by not catching fish.
Symptoms are ill at wife, buying every lure at Wal-Mart, constantly
daydreaming about fishing, and drooling while watching fishing
shows on Saturday morning. If Nofishalitis gets bad enough there
can be only one cure, live bait.
Live bait can cure two diseases at once, Nifishalitis and bass's
summertime lockjaw. Baits like Shad, Shiner, lizards, and crayfish
can almost always cure these to diseases.
Tight Lines and Bent Poles!
Chris Stevens |
