Spring is over along with the best time to bass fish. This doesn’t mean you have to stop bass fishing just because the water is hot and the spawn is over. Summer bass fishing can be just as good as spring fishing!
Knowing how to read your home lake and identify areas that will hold summer bass is key. Typically deep structure, current, and plant life will hold bass in the summertime. Know where these areas are on your lake and key in on them.
Summer Bass Fishing: Top Places to Look
Cover: Weeds and Wood
Summertime bass will look for any excuse to get out of the heat. This includes weeds and downed trees. Overhanging tree limbs also provide shade where bass will hide. When fishing weeds, bass will congregate in certain areas. Finding those areas can be time-consuming and tricky, but when you do there will be a bunch in one spot.
Deep Rocks and Structure For Bass Fishing
Bass will always relate to structure for most of the year, but in the summertime, they are looking for that and cool water. There is no better place to find cool water than to dive deep. When you combine those two in the same spot, there will most likely be bass hanging around. Sunken islands, house foundations, and rocky shoals are great places to look for bass in the summertime.
Bass Fishing in Current
The inlet or outlet to a resevior or lake can hold bass during the summer months. The current in this area provides oxygen and cooler water for bass to thrive in. Creek entrances also provide great habitat for bass in the summer. Bass will relate to these areas to rejuvinate and feed.
When to Fish for Summer Bass
Sometimes it is hard to fish for summer bass in the heat. Fishing in the morning and evenings is a better time for the fishermen and fish. Since the water temperatures are elevated, bass will feed in the cool times of the day. This allows them to feed when they have the most energy.
Night fishing is also an option and can be great at times. Most popular in the southern lakes, night fishing can be better than day fishing because bass like to feed in low light conditions. The water temperature is down a couple degrees and it triggers the bass to feed.
Summer Bass Fishing Lures
Topwater Bass Lures
Using topwaters bass lures in can be a great technique in the early mornings during the summer. They can also be effectively fished in heavy vegetation during the hottest part of the day. Bass will hide in the vegetation to get out of the heat, but they cannot resist a free meal. Frogs and buzzbaits will work the best for this.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits are a proven summer bait to catch bass. During low light conditions and cool mornings, bass will feed on shad and other bait fish. Using a spinnerbait is great way to mimic flickering shad. Fish the spinnerbait on dropoffs and weed edges to trigger waiting bass.
Dropshot Bass Fishing
Using a dropshot to catch summer bass is a proven technique. Lots of bass, especially smallmouth, will go deep in the summer months. Sometimes 30+ feet of water. Look for structure at those depths to find bass. Using the dropshot technique, fishermen can key in on those deep fish. Using a tungsten weight is prefered as it sinks faster.