FISHING FOR BASS IN THE SUMMER
Now that the spawn is over the fish will be looking to replenish their energy stores. During the early part of the summer bass are going to be very aggressive and looking for a meal. But when the weather begins to heat up, that’s when the bass bite begins to cool down. Below we have some tips and tricks to help you catch fish throughout summer.
Early Summer
The lures that work best this time of the year are crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzz baits, and plastic worms. You’ll notice that three of these are all fast-moving lures. That’s because you’re going to want to cover a lot of water and quickly.
With crankbaits you’ll be using these to scour shallow shorelines looking for hungry bass. They work great if you bounce them off cover or drag them along the bottom as well. Use shallow running depths for the best results.
When throwing a spinner bait try using one with a willow blade. These are the fastest moving blade and will be your best bet. But all different types should produce this time of year.
In the early part of the season topwater can be productive all day. A buzzbait thrown towards lily pads, docks, or timber will work great. If its an overcast day try and throw these over open water and see if you can get one to strike there. Give these an extra cast or two because they wont always hit on the first retrieve.
If you’ve thrown your moving lures past a spot you know that holds fish but nothing has bitten then you should slow down and tie on a Texas rigged worm. Give it a few casts and slowly retrieve it back to your position. Sometimes the bass want to feed but are not in the mood to chase after something quickly.
Mid-Summer
During this time of the year the water is heating up and the bass are becoming more lethargic. The early morning and late afternoon bite will be the best time of the day to fish. But during that mid-day lull you should be targeting bass that have gone deeper to escape the warm waters. And also, anywhere that is providing shade. Bass don’t want to be in hot water and if there is no cloud cover then the sun can affect their eye sight. Which means they look for areas where they can see more clearly. Seek out deep cover, docks and shaded overhangs.
This is when you should be beginning and ending your day with a topwater. The cooler shallows are holding baitfish and bass will be active and looking for a meal before the water heats back up. You’re your casts as tight to cover as possible.
During the middle of the day you should try dropping your trolling motor and cast to docks. You should be able to at least pull a few from the cool shaded waters. Use a wacky rigged senko or a shaky head worm. And make sure to properly fan cast. No more than within 6 feet your previous cast to efficiently cover an area.
If you’re having trouble catching fish against docks or shaded water then try going deep. This is the perfect time to use your inflatable boat & electronics to find areas bass may be. Bass like to stay on deep structure so that they can ambush prey that comes by. If you run a deep crankbait through here, you’ll have high chances of catching them.
Late Summer
This time of year, is a completely mixed bag. The southern and western anglers may see the hottest temperatures of the season, while the northern anglers could see the beginning of fall. Or you could completely flip around what I just said. It’s one of the most confusing seasons to fish so its good to have a vast selection of lures to throw.
Keeping a close eye on the weather is crucial this time of the year. Go into the day with a game plan, but be prepared to switch it up if you find that the fish aren’t cooperating. The great part about this year is that topwater will almost always work in the mornings and evenings. It’s the middle part of the day that can be tricky to figure out. It’s best to try moving baits first and if no luck then revert to your slower moving soft plastics.
