June is not only a hot month in temperature, but in bass fishing as well. Thankfully the June rains will bring our lake levels back up to give the fish better access to the heavy cover they love to get in during the summer months. 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. Grab your flippin’ sticks! Pitching small profile crawfish baits, like 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 a frog type bait or a swimming jig with a trailer. Try slowly walking a Booyah Pad Crasher over top of 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 as well as the man-made fish attractors all over the chain of lakes. Large deep running crank baits or soft plastic swim baits are always a good choice. The old stand- by Carolina rig are producing bigger fish. Find the bait fish and you will find the bass.
The bluegill, shell cracker and red ear are in full swing of their 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. Once you locate these spawning beds fan cast the area for a bunch of fun and great table fare. 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.
