By Michelle Armstrong
We have 22 days until fall. After the sweltering summer we’ve had here in the South, we can’t wait for the cooler weather. The fish will get easier to catch and the lake will be “ours” once again. As I awake from this wonderful dream of things to come, I realize, we’re still stuck in Summer. As much as I love warmer weather, the warmer water temperatures make the fishing tough. Especially for someone like me that prefers shallow water fishing. Over the years I’ve learned to seize the moments. Fish have different patterns throughout the “moments” on hot summer days. But in seizing these moments the front deck of my boat often looks like the bottom of my closet floor. Only it’s littered with rods and not shoes.
In the morning, if it’s been a perfect cool night, you can still muster up some schooling bass on topwater. It’s a very small window so be prepared for it to die quickly after the sun shows itself.. I like to use a Pop R modified with a feather on the back hook. It gives me the opportunity to have the bait act sporadically for a few twitches and then let it lay still for a few counts before twitching in place or working it back to the boat quickly. Let the fish tell you what they want. These early morning fish can be found on rip rap or shoals close to deeper water. I’ll keep the Pop-R stashed away on the deck for some select throws into shady pockets later in the day.
Once the sun comes up I head to the docks, blow downs, or anything with shade. Again I try to pick places with deeper water nearby. My bait of preference is a Fluke. Rigged with light braid on a spinning rod, one can skip this bait easily under docks and dock pilings. The fish have taken cover in these nooks and crannies and are just hanging there waiting for something to ambush. Same thing with blow downs or low hanging trees. You can skip your Fluke in to the tightest of places to get to where to fish are in the heat. If you are only producing little guys, try using a weighted hook. More often the little guys hang high and the bigger fellows hang low. The weighted hook will help your bait fall faster past the dinks and get you to a bigger bite. The key here is to surprise a Bass waiting to ambush some hapless prey.
I mentioned staying close to deeper water for a reason. It’s hot, the schools of fish are going to be in the deeper depths of the lake. In later afternoon, move off to deeper water. Fish along the deeper end of points or the deeper docks using a giant worm or drop shot.
Classic summer pattern include the old creek channels. Bass are moving to deeper cooler water but that doesn’t always mean to the “bigger” water. Deep water can be found in a shallow creek by locating its old channel. This requires moving a little off the bank to find the bends and hard spots.
I have found that the summer bites are very subtle. Often they feel like “smush” or just a mushy sensation. Other times you may feel a single bump. Either way, reel down until you feel slight pressure and set the hook!
Adjust with the “moments”, and go catch fish.
