By Scott Norton
As the summer months progress you will start to see the bites slow down to a trickle. Bass along with other fish will take cover in the shade or go deep to get away from the sun and those high water temps. To locate bass, you have to have a plan. There is not a lot of time to go on the search for random bites. Once the mid-day sun gets high their bite window will start to taper off. It is better to get there before the sun rises so you can position yourself for success.
You will find much success fishing the shad spawn. Bass will key in on this bite before the sun comes up. Rocky banks and wood are good places to find this. Once the sun is up you can fish deeper to extend that bite or sometimes it will continue in the shade. If you’re not into fighting the swells from skiers, then you have options. You have night fishing or you can take a kayak in the horsepower restricted lakes where it’s nice and calm.
Times to go night fishing will be the best a week leading up to the full moon and the darkness of the new moon. Not many people fish the new moon for reasons of visibility. I find it better on kayaks in the new moon phase because you cannot safely plane out a boat in total darkness. Try and time your fishing close to or just before the moon is at its highest. During the full moon stage, it’s easy to fish and you can cover lots of water using moving baits like the ones you chuck and wind. During a new moon phase, the bass will hang out near cover since visibility is low. You will need to slow down and use a worm or a jig to catch these bass.
I find using dark colors like black, blue, and purple will give you a better presents in the water. Dark colors will throw a nice silhouette during a full moon, but you can catch them with any color if you please. During the new moon there is no light, so it doesn’t really matter what you use. The secret is to use rattles or something big that will disperse water. Keep your lighting to a minimum, bass will see you coming if aim it at the water. Red lights give off enough glow so you can miss obstacles in the water and not alert them that you’re coming.
I will say, fishing in the rain or a cloud cover is another plan that works great in summer. I have definitely caught big bass during a downpour. These bass get very active at this time and will lash out at forage. You will need good rain gear, or just put on your bathing suits and just get wet, since it will be hot anyway. You have a lot of options this season, so choose what works for you and have fun.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.