By Scott Norton
When the heat hits in the dead of summer you have to change gear to adapt to the current situation. This is the dance the angler does to unlock the puzzle. Sometimes nature will throw you a curve ball and send you lots of rain. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of a situation. Lately the water temperatures have been high and the traffic in the daytime has been bad. Some of us have been switching to kayaks to fish boat restricted waters for less pressured bass or going at night during the full moon. We have had a rash of storms for weeks and that has helped our dog day situation out a bit. It has provided cooler waters along with more oxygen. I saw water as low as 73 degrees which is great.
Now, what do you do this with opportunity? Sometimes you need to get wet to experience those magical days fishing. I have always known that big rain during hot conditions will cause big bass to feed aggressively. You will need to invest in some rain gear. Get the best you can afford because you will want to be as conformable as possible. I have even taken out a kayak in what we call a gully washer and caught some monster sized bass. These are the times you can catch them off guard. In most situations you will find yourself in a moment of catching fish with every cast.
The bait selection should be moving baits like spinner baits, crank baits, glide baits and topwater baits. If you find that your catching a lot of fish be sure to upsize to big baits to get into those trophy sized bass. Just be ready for really big bites because you do not want to lose an expensive bait because you forgot to retie or that line on the reel has broken because it has not been changed. Old line will get you at the worst of times. Give your line a good pull to see if it will break before your trip. You can be safe and change it every season or every other season. The better quality lines will last longer.
I hope this helps. Sometimes sudden changes with weather will cause nature to be very active especially when you’re dealing with heat. It is about learning and new experiences. Sharing these moments with a friend or a loved one. Make good memories you will talk about years in the future and make this life count.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.