July is here and so are the summer’s hottest days. Thankfully the June rains brought our lake levels back up to give the fish better access to the heavy cover they love to hide in during the summer months. July is not only a hot month in temperature; bass fishing is hot in the Harris Chain!
When the water gets as hot as it is, the oxygen becomes low in the deeper parts of the lakes, forcing the fish to move into shallower water with dense vegetation where the oxygen is rich. So grab your flippin’ sticks…Pitching small profile craw fish baits, such as the Zoom U Vibe Speed Craw or the Gambler BB Cricket, at the base of reeds or in pad pockets will surely entice a bite any time of day. The low light conditions of early morning or late evening are highly productive over and around the dense cover using frog type baits or a swimming jig with a trailer. Try slowly walking a Booyah Pad Crasher over top the pads, pausing regularly to help increase your chances at a strike. Later in the day deep water grass edges and the old river channels in both Lake Harris and Little Lake Harris are good areas. Large deep running crank baits or soft plastic swim baits are always are good choice, the old stand-by Carolina rigs are producing bigger fish. Find the bait the fish like and you will catch some nice bass.
The bluegill, shell-cracker and red-ear are on the last of their bedding spawning cycles and are still very productive. Target them with grass shrimp, red wigglers or crickets under docks and in the grass lines or near a flat close to the lily pads in the shallows. Watch out for the afternoon storms and be safe, take a kid fishing for these tasty eaters and make a memory that will last a lifetime!
