By Jerry Neely
Spring has come and gone and along with it the good shallow cove bite for bass has dissipated. As you know, you need a pattern to catch a lot of bass on a regular basis, so summer is upon us, what do you do to pattern bass during this period. I would start out using a topwater early and late. How early? well, if you can get out of the bed and get to the lake at daybreak, that’s when to start topwater fishing for bass. There are lots of topwater baits. Some chug, some buzz, and some are silent (trick worm) but whatever you use be sure to fish it properly. There are ways to fish each bait correctly. Here is an example. If I am fishing a ploper, say across a tree limb, I would cast it BEYOND the limb and pop it back to the limb. Let it set there a few seconds (it’s fishing just setting there) now, I would slightly move it two or three times just to see if he would take it. In the event there was no bite, repeat the pattern. I have caught a lot of bass on a second cast to a blowdown doing this. Another pattern is to crankbait points in 10-16 feet of water in creeks and main lake points. I use a KVD crankbait for this type of pattern. Sometimes a c-rig around docks up in the day works wonders on main lake. There are other patterns that work well in the summer months. Try night fishing and you will have the lake to yourself.
Crappie fishing is excellent in the summer months There are very few times out that we don’t catch the limit. June is a good month to troll two hook rigs with minnows in creeks with deep water. Yes, early in the morning is best. I spider rig running about .3–.5 MPH. Another way is to shoot docks. Use your SI electronics to shoot under the docks. They show up real good on your depth finder. I run about three MPH with a setting on my Humminbird Helix SI at sixty feet. This gives me a clear picture when driving by a dock. When they show up on the screen, I get into action. Shooting docks is fun. I use a hair jig on four pound test line and do just what it suggest, Shoot the jig under the dock. The crappie can’t stand a slow falling jig. You will feel that tick or sometimes a heavy tug on your line, just a little jerk on the rod and you got him. Its that easy!
Catfishing is at its best in July. You can anchor up in a creek or main lake flat at night and wait on a monster bite or troll in the creeks and on main lake flats during the day using cutbaits. Either way you will catch some fish. The lake has some very big catfish in it. My best was a 73 pound flathead three years ago. That was a big boy! I put him back to bite another day.
Take a kid fishing!! Somebody took you when you were young and you were hooked. Wear your life jacket.
Jerry Neely
Carolina’s Fishing Guide Service
www.carolinasfishing.com
(704) 678-1043