The best anglers having success fishing around the Harris Chain will be throwing Senkos, especially weightless Texas- rigged ones. A watermelon red or Junebug color in these lakes is hard to pass up for a largemouth bass. Make sure to let the bait flutter down on the initial cast. Next give it a slight twitch or lift up on the rod and slowly reel up the slack…repeat. This time of year, the bass are feeding on bluegill because they are spawning during the hot summer months. You can find areas that smell fishy as you fish certain areas. This fish smell indicates bluegill are nearby, and bass will be feeding. Take a look on your side imaging fish finders to show areas that the bluegill is bedding in. These areas will look like a large field of indentations like a golf ball. Ripping along a square bill crankbait or a lipless crankbait are a great imitation of lots of tasty critters that bass feed on. Golden shiners are also another prime target for bass so baits that have gold and black are another top choice. A bladed jig that imitates those colors can really load the boat. Soft plastic jerk baits can be cast to shoreline grass and lily pads.
Just remember to make short quick twitches while you fish these baits. Don’t forget to allow the bait to flutter down occasionally because you can have bass follow your bait but not actually hit the bait. Another type of bait to have tied on is some sort of punching / flipping set up. You can pitch these baits into thick heavy cover where the big ones hide out because of the dense cover that provides shade and vast underwater cooler water where baitfish hide. A 4-inch craw or a creature style bait is what most folks use year- round. Watermelon red and black and blue are what anglers should have tied on. Beat the heat, fish early in the morning, or late evenings for the best bite.
