How to Catch Bass in the Summer

Summer is a wonderful time for outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, and swimming.

But what about fishing? While most anglers never truly quit fishing, many see summer as a downtime when bass are practically in hibernation.

While they may not be as active in the summer, bass are still in the lake. All it takes is a little knowledge, some different lures, and maybe a whole new technique, but you can catch plenty of bass in the summer with these simple tips.

FISH THE EARLY MORNING AND LATE EVENING 

We feel that the mornings and the evenings, in general, give you the best chance to catch bass, and this goes ten-fold for the lazy summer months. Bass will often do most of their feeding when light is coming to the water at an angle, so this gives you a great chance to increase your probability of landing a prize catch. If you only have a couple of hours, do your fishing before breakfast or after dinner.

TARGET COVERED AND SHADY AREAS

When the sun is at its highest peak and the temperature starts to rise, bass are like every other creature on the planet: they like a cool, shady spot to rest. Anglers looking for bass during the summer should target areas under shade, including trees, docks, steep banks, and anywhere else where the sun is blocked. Many bass are waiting for a meal to join them in the shade, so they are more likely to make a strike at your lure.

GO DEEP TO FIND THE BASS

Have you ever gone swimming in a lake and noticed that the water five feet down is much cooler than the water at the surface? Staying on the theme of targeting cool areas, deep water is another great place to find bass that are seeking a cool retreat from the summer warmth. You can use long-billed crankbaits to target these areas, or you can work a soft-plastic worm down to the depths, doing a vertical jig with the goal of enticing a strike.

USE HIGH-ACTION LURES

While the spring bass seem to notice every lure that drops within 20 feet, summer bass are a little more lethargic, so you need some attention-grabbing lures that really advertise their presence to the bass. Flashy, large-bladed spinner baits are a good start, but you can also use chatter baits, crankbaits, and anything else that vibrates and makes noise. With these lures in your tackle box, you can make bass wake up, come out from their holes, and start feeding like it’s spawning season all over again.

LEARN TO FLIP AND PITCH

If you’ve never tried flipping and pitching, summer is a great time to start. We won’t go too deep into the details of these techniques, but we will tell you that they are perfect for dropping soft plastics into areas that swimming lures like spinner baits and crankbaits can’t reach. Flipping and pitching are excellent for presenting a lure to bass underneath docks, logs, and other shady areas where they may be relaxing away the summer.

Anglers all over the country, even those living near world-class fishing waters, feel the need to explore other locations for new and exciting fishing adventures. If you want to truly appreciate great fishing, you need to do some traveling, visit new waters, and experience different areas.

Photo courtesy of lovz2hike.