Highlands Youth Tournament
By: Geoffrey Balog
Well, my fishing guys and girls, the waters warming up and so is the fishing, good creels are coming in daily. The fish are definitely feeding up right now after coming off beds. They need to replenish their strength, so it’s the perfect time to find a big female.
Don’t be afraid to throw big baits this time of year and don’t be afraid to fish in the hot sunny afternoon. Many of the big fish are caught at that time of day, even in mid-hot summer.
We had a very good turnout at the Highlands Youth tournament a few weeks ago. 26 lbs took First Place. Congratulations to Booker and his team. Congratulations to my girls, Tara and Paige who took third place. These two girls are just excellent anglers. I expect to see great things from them in the future.
Don’t be afraid to start out in the morning on the shoreline and around the docks even in the heat they will feed early in the morning in these areas. Also, in the warmer weather do not be afraid to throw top water Zara Spook a small Pop R. Or maybe a Whopper Plopper. They’ll all get the job done.
Every morning in the first 45 minutes there is a lot of fry right now so the fish are feeding up as the sun rises. You’re going to want to search those deeper water areas, find the grass and or cover on the deeper drop-off areas and you will probably find the majority of the fish. There’s also a lot of fish right now around the Scrub Park area on Lake June, as well as the shell bed.
You can identify the shell bed by looking at your electronics. Don’t be afraid to drag a Carolina Rig or a drop shot or a Shaky Head with a black trick worm, you will feel the shell bed when you get in that right area. Hopefully, you’ll also feel a good size bass.
The colors of your plastics are always controversial. I like to stay with the common black and blues, watermelon red, of course, green pumpkin, and June bug. They’re all winners. I also find myself lately dropping to lighter lines with lighter rigs 10 lb and 12 lb test fluorocarbon or mono seems to be a very good choice. I’ve kind of gotten away from that heavier equipment. It seems that the fish are more finesse biters anymore on Lake June. That’s what this fisherman is finding out.
So, take out that spinning rod with a drop shot rig with a 4-in presentation. Don’t be afraid to throw a 10-in worm on a light Shaky Head maybe 3/16 or even a quarter ounce. Again, look for the grassy areas and or cover in the form of brush piles or whatever else you might find down there right now. Don’t be afraid to explore deeper water, like 25 ft right now. It may be a little cooler than some of the other areas in the lake. Look for those areas for the majority of the fish.
In the meantime, tight lines, keep fishing and stay hydrated on these warm summer days and we’ll see you next month.
