Summer is creeping up fast. The water tables are steadily dropping down to low pool for the summer rains and hurricane season. The hydrilla is now at the waters’ surface in open water and this makes it easy to see the edges where you can drop your baits down for largemouth bass action. At first Light I have been fishing open water schools of shad. The Bass are blowing up on the shad – usually this doesn’t last more than an hour after sun rise. Bait of choice is crank baits, x-raps, and rattle traps. A lot of the bass are heading out to open water hydrilla patches and will stay there all summer. Bait of choice in open water vegetation is soft plastic baits like Zoom speed worms and flukes are the hot baits this month. Colors are black and blue, June bug, and watermelon seed.
Crappies are out in open water. It will be interesting to see if the fish go out to the open water fish attractors that the state put in this spring. Troll at various depths until you get a bite. Start with jigs in various colors, tipped with a minnow. Panfish – The bluegill have moved up into shallow water to compete for spawning areas. This is the best time to locate the spawning areas. The males are really aggressive and are starting to fan the beds. They will be easy to see. Shell crackers will also be mixed in the same area. They are finishing up and will be spawning a little deeper water. Both panfish prefer the same type of spawning area but will move out deeper to spawn due to the warming water temps. I love to catch them on a fly rod with a popping bug. Other good baits are beetle spins in various colors.
