By Jay “Striker” Barnett
Fishing in July can be one of the most challenging times of the year to catch fish as a tournament angler. The conditions can be harsh on the fish as well as on the angler. However, catching fish in the middle of July is not impossible. My recommendation for filling your live wells is to not change the locations you fish, but change the times you fish them. I recommend fishing at night, and here are some things to consider when night fishing. What are the fish doing? Where are the fish located? What is the best time to catch them?
What are the fish doing in the middle of July when the temperature outside is 90 degrees? The answer is not complicated; bass in the summer need access to quality levels of oxygen. They find it by moving to areas where the current is present. Fish shut down almost entirely to conserve energy during the day, unfortunately, this is when tournaments tend to occur and when fishing is at its most challenging. However, at nighttime, especially a few hours after sundown, catching fish is much better.
Where are the fish located? Fish will find the thickest cover and stay there all day until it’s time for them to start moving up in the water column to feed. One place I like to find, if I am fishing during the summer, is current. If you can find current, you will find bass in July. The current provides fresh oxygen and cooler water and provides food for bass without spending a lot of energy. Fishing near these areas at night can pay big dividends.
The best time to catch bass at night is when the sun has been down for several hours. This gives bass time to adjust to their night vision and become nocturnal feeders. It’s a time when fish are in search mode and use the backdrop of the night sky to look up for easy meals that may come by them. I believe that bass use the night as a strategic advantage to ambush prey. One key element to this is the moon phase. It allows the fish to see the silhouette of what they are feeding on and gives them the best chance to eat.
Another key is to fish at night three days before the full moon. This period is when bass tend to stalk surface baits, so throwing a topwater lure can get those nighttime giants to bite. During this time, I like to use a ¼ oz. black Fish Head Primal Buzzbait at night, which does well when the bass are using the moonlight to find the bait.
You can catch fish in the summer during the day, however, switching to fishing at night will allow you to catch fish that were not biting during daylight hours. When fishing at night, remember to get an idea of what the fish are doing, look for locations that have cover and current, and know the best times to fish. If you do these things fishing in July, it will provide you an opportunity to really have a great fishing trip.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read The Angler Magazine, and please take some time to follow me on Instagram and Facebook under Jay.Striker.52. See you on the water.