3 Techniques for Summer Bass Fishing

3 Techniques for Summer Bass Fishing

During spring through to summer, it is common for most people to look for ways to spend their time in the outdoors. Every avid angler knows that the number of strikes from different species of fish changes depending on the season. There are types of fish that you can catch all year round, and that includes bass.

For a novice bass angler, you may notice that bass strike more during spring as compared to summer. However, you can still get a considerable number of bass hits even as the days become hotter in the summer. In the cooler months, the bass are found easier, and in the shallow parts of the water.

Below are some of the tips you can adopt for more success as you fish for bass in the summer:

  • Location is Key

Well, bass usually moves where the water is cooler and profound, as the days become hot. It doesn’t imply that you won’t be able to catch bass in the shallows during this time. After the spawning season, bass usually divides themselves into two groups, the loners and “schoolers.”

Loners will stay in a particular area until they deplete all the food within its surrounding. They tend to follow break lines to their feeding areas and back. Whereas, the “schoolers” move around in groups, to find food. Usually, big bass stays alone. You will find them in areas with cover, that provides them with shade from the heat.




Current is useful in helping you determine where the bass are. Why is it so? Bass loves the current because it brings food to them. Also, as the current flows, it carries more oxygen as opposed to water that is not moving. And, thus, it increases the content of oxygen in the water that was eroded by the rise in temperature.

For offshore fishing, you may find bass suspended in the water from 10 to 20 feet deep. It is so because, water, just like air, when cool it sinks, and warm water rises. You can use the depth finding electronics to locate the fish. Look for cool-water pockets around spring holes.

  • Bait and Tackle to Use

3 Techniques for Summer Bass Fishing - Bait and Tackle to Use

If you are targeting big bass, you need to switch from your springtime tackle to heavy fishing gear. I usually use a fluorocarbon fishing line of 20-pound test. I add weights to my line as I fish offshore. My go-to weights vary from 3/8 of an ounce to ½, to get under the weeds in the water.

As I search for shaded areas where I may find aggressive feeders, I take with me, my heavy action rod of 7 feet. Practice your jigging skills as you try to locate the depth at which the bass are suspended. For the type of lures to use, go for lures that vibrate and produce noise.

Your aim is to entice the bass from their hiding places to strike the bait. Add spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and even deep diving crank baits to your collection. Try to understand what the bass want and give them just that. Experiment with different colors of your lure to find out what the bass prefer in that area.

Sometimes, topwater lures work especially if the water surface is covered with vegetation. More so, in the middle of the day or when it rains, and the water becomes muddy, bass tends to move to the shallow parts of the water. Try popping a frog and let it splash around, let it rest and wait for the active bass to strike.

  • Night Fishing

3 Techniques for Summer Bass Fishing - Night Fishing

You may have spent a lot of time in the water during the day and with no luck. If so, you can try your night fishing skills. It may not be possible for you to get any strikes before nightfall. Usually, the bass, are moving around and they are not ready to feed.

Before you opt for nighttime bass fishing, you need to familiarize yourself with the area that you will be fishing. You don’t want to disrupt and spook the bass. Ensure that you are trolling your motor at a low speed.

You can use prop baits for night fishing, cast your lure, wait a few minutes then begin slightly twitching it. You can then increase your movement gradually, as you move the bait towards you. Though you won’t be able to enjoy the thrill of seeing a bass explode for your bait, you may still catch several bites.

Bass are usually less active in the hot days; however, you can still stir up a considerable number of strikes from them. As you move along the water and find an area with thick vegetation where fish are habiting, you can stir up the bass out of hiding.

Churn up the vegetation and everything around it by tearing through it. Your aim is to start a feeding frenzy by dislodging small fish and other organisms from the cover. Set up shop at a distance from the vegetation and wait.

Let the predator fish come to feed, they will, in turn, cause the bass to get out of hiding and feed on them. Strike when the fish are moving in, to feed, as you don’t want to spook them by casting early.

Conclusion

Even though the number of bites you get from bass during summer may subside substantially, you may still have a successful bass fishing expedition. Bass become more aggressive as the days become hot. You may find them feeding in shaded areas or places with thick cover.

As most anglers go further offshore to look for bass during summer, do not underestimate the shallows. If you have never practiced offshore fishing, try your luck in the shallow parts. Usually, you will find small bass suspended higher in the water as compared to the big ones.

It is so because small bass requires less oxygen to function than large bass. In addition to that, the level of dissolved oxygen in the water decreases with its temperature levels. Bulky jigs and weighted plastics work well in deep fishing not just because they sink but also because they will give the small fish less opportunity to grab the lure.

Author: Brenda Baldwin has a strong passion for fishing and all things related to it. She shares useful tips on her website Fall For Fishing.
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