Important Tips for Summer Bass Fishing
Bass fishing gets trickier as the summer heats up. By and large, the fish have moved from shallow spawning waters and are starting to feed in the depths. In this season, it’s important to focus on current and structure to help you find the bass.
Terry “Big Show” Scroggins is a B.A.S.S. pro noted for his ability to find big fish. In early summer, Terry likes to find areas where the lake or river bottom slopes away from shallow flats to depths of 15-30 feet, preferably with some current moving around a point or an island. Using a Carolina rig with soft plastic baits (like worms and lizards), he looks for rocky lake beds, and uses an egg-shaped sinker that rolls easily along the jagged structure.
Kevin VanDam, the most decorated bass pro in history, will use crankbaits, and mix and match the rate at which he retrieves them, so he can explore different depths until he finds the fish. Don’t be afraid to rip a good, fast retrieve with a lipless shad so that it dives down…skimming along the top of a submerged weed bed, 10 feet or more deep, can produce aggressive strikes from big fish.
Bait color is always a critical concern, but that’s influenced most by water clarity and the natural forage that the bass are keyed on – in any season. In southern bass waters, for example, bass like to feed on shad, so pearly and silvery colors work well – sometimes chartreuse and other bright accents add appeal in cloudy water. In northern bass waters where bluegills and other small fish are important, browns, blues, and greens are important accent colors for baits. With soft plastics, the “green pumpkin” color is a standard almost anywhere, especially at this time of year.
Another important point to remember is that early summer is prime time for smallmouth bass fishing, particularly in places like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Using spinnerbaits and crankbaits along rocky drop offs and adjacent to weedy shelves, especially in clear water, is one of the most exciting brands of bass fishing to be enjoyed anywhere. Keep in mind that smallies, for whatever reason, really like the color chartreuse. Bright greens, oranges, and yellow accents also work well.
The bottom line is that summer fishing means looking for bass in deeper water. Exactly what depth varies from day to day, lake to lake, and river to river. But the smart angler knows that both largemouth and smallmouth bass will be near a food source (baitfish, crayfish, etc.), and that they gravitate to current and structure. You have to think more “in-depth” when you chase early summer bass, but the same basic ground rules apply.
