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Waterworld and Summertime Bassin

It's that time of year where every lake, reservoir, and river system looks like the movie Waterwold. Wake boats and jet skis alike are having fun in the sun while us fisherman are sweating profusely, trying to get a few good bites in the live well. Summer means hot weather and for the most part little to no wind at all. Love it or hate it, don't let these variables detour you from putting a good bag of fish together. This is the time of year where I really focus on key types of cover and structure.

IDENTIFY YOUR FISHERY – TIDAL WATER

When fishing tidal water I like to look for first a little bit of water movement or current. The current will always bring in the food resources that bass are seeking, without exerting much energy. Second, I will look for shady environments that will provide ambush points, such as grass, hyacinth, timber, and old docks. Why old docks you may be asking, well, to start, old docks generally have a build up of many plants and underwater growth in them, more importantly, if they are broken down that will add even more of a beneficial atmosphere. With water temperatures reaching into the high 70's and even 80's at times, bass want easy meals without having to work hard for them. This means slow moving baits that have plenty of protein! Your Crawdads are probably the number one food resource during this time.

As the day begins I will always start with targeting fish in the top of the water column. My choice would be Buzzbaits, wakebaits, and stickbaits like your Zara spooks or Vixens. The days are cooler in the morning and evening, and this is when you will generally see the most active fish. This doesn't mean that you can't catch top-water fish all day. There have been several times in the summer months on the California Delta, where I could throw a black buzzbait all day long and catch fish. However, I always need to have some of the right ingredients to do so. Weed growth and docks on falling tides will almost always produce some great experiences to say the least. You can generally follow the dropping water as long as you have 1) current flowing near by; 2) deep water access; and 3) shade pockets or canopies.

During mid day as the water begins to get stagnant or the wind completely dies, there are only a few choices that I go with. Break out the lumber and get yourself a big jig generally 3/8 oz. – 1 oz. in black/red color combination with a trailer that will move freely in the water. I like to target timber lay downs or the shade pockets near or around any rock or broken structure. Another type of bait, I would have to say is the senko. This is your best bet for those lazy big fish that don't want to move. You have a bait that will move through the water column slowly, giving plenty of time for the bass to react. This is very effective bait this time of year. The third and certainly not last, would be a frog type. My personal choice is a Bronze Eye by SPRO. The bait itself is built around the hooks, so your hook up ratio seems to be better than other frog style baits.

RESERVOIRS

Searching for some of the same ingredients, there is one key factor I will ALWAYS look for in reservoirs; creek or river inlets. With these creek and river inlets the one single factor to remember is that these will generally be cooler water conditions, and thus, fish will most often be more active in this environment. I fish them similar to fall conditions with reaction type of lures. Spinnerbaits, ripbaits, as well as swimbaits can and will be effective when you find the right conditions. When approaching these inlets look for fast moving water and eddies within the movement. The baits that will be most effective are those that enter the eddies down current (meaning throw up current, and bring your bait with the flow of the water). If your success is minimal try switching to a fluke or a finesse jig in 5/16 oz., and using the same methodology when searching for eddies. Most of your creeks and or river inlets will have plenty of large boulders, and out coves that provide shade and positioning areas for bass. Some of my biggest stringers on lakes such as Shasta and Oroville have been in the rive arms during this time of the year. Remember to always let the flow of the water move your bait through the strike zone.

Other methods of catching those summer fish are drop-shotting and spooning. Don't assume we are in the bottom of the water column. This time of year many of your large fish will be suspended over humps, trees, or next to bridge pilings. This is where you really have to be proficient with good electronics. I use my Lowrance LCX-38C HD to view these suspended toads, and keep a vertical presentation on them while watching my baits. In some instances spooning will trigger those active fish, but in others you will have to be creative. I can recall a September tournament on Table Rock Lake where I had to keep my bait in front of suspended fish without movement. That is right, dead-sticking in the middle of the water column. This is why your electronics are so important. You must be able to know exactly where your cone angle (transducer reading) is positioned, and where those fish are in relation to your bow of the boat. If you can't see your bait, you can't be effective in catching those suspended bass. Make no mistake, this is one of the most difficult types of fish to catch. But when you master the technique, you will always be successful in tough conditions when the fish are suspended and dormant in the middle of the lake.

THINGS TO ALWAYS CONSIDER

Bass are hesitant to chase so consider the type of baits you choose. Slower presentations are always a better choice unless a reaction bite has been found. Downsizing of line and the use of fluorocarbon for your middle and bottom column fishing is a must for me. I use P-Line fluorocarbon and I will go as light as 6 lb. test when dropshotting, and as heavy as I can get away with depending on the lake or structure I am fishing. When throwing frog type baits, it's hard to beat 80 lb. P-Line Spectrex IV braid. Enjoy those dog days of summer and remember to always wear your sunscreen.