How to fish the bass in Mid Summer -What is the best baits -
1. Characteristics of midsummer bassAs summer water temperatures rise, Shallower water becomes too hot for the bass and their movement becomes sluggish. In much the same way as heat affects humans, the bass looks for cooler waters and shade to survive. Midsummer bass that were scattered over a wide area in early summer begin to settle in places where the water temperature is cooler. For midsummer fishing, it's a good idea to focus on points and places where the water temperature tends to be lower, as introduced below.
2. Location and Recommended Lures of the midsummer bassAt this time of year, the bass are either lurking in deeper areas where the water temperature is cooler, or shaded spots that aren't exposed to direct sunlight. The angler needs to be able to identify cool areas where water temperatures are lower, such as the inlets of waterways or tree overhangs, to name but a couple.
Based on the location of the bass at this time, it’s important for anglers to choose an effective lure according to time and zone and connect it to their fishing expectations. The most active time for bass searching for food is in the morning and evening. Fishing in daytime, however, presents unique challenges, leaving the angler searching for a bait that can get bites in shade, cover and flowing areas. Let's select a lure while being aware of "whereabouts" and "time and zone".
(1) Deep area
Bass during this period tend to retreat to deeper water, such as drop offs or heavily weeded gradually deepening areas. Therefore, it is a good idea to target areas with relatively deep water in your focus area. Deeper structure is an ideal target.
Deep crankbait
The useful lure choice is the deep diving crankbait. These lures go deep where the bass are lurking during the hot hours of the day. Again, since the bass’s activity level is lower due to the high water temperature, it is more effective to retrieve the lure slowly for a reaction strike, with lateral movements that combine slow and fast movements.
<Megabass> DEEP-X / DEEP-SIX series
Variable swimming action
<Megabass> BIG-M series Magnum crankbaits
Called oversized crankbait
<Megabass> IXI Shad TX
Small lure with a depth of 12 feet
<JACKALL> DIGLE series
20% increase in flight distance achieved by Winglet Trip [pat.]
<Nories>SHOT OVER series
See Detail
<IMAKATSU> IK-800R2
Maximum dive depth 8m (20+’) crankbait
Drop shot
Although weak around cover, The drop shot rig can be eaten more naturally than the Texas rig and can attack specific areas, such as vertical structure that the fish are holding to. When fishing bridge pilings or submerged trees, using a drop shot to tempt a strike is very effective. Another feature is that you can bounce the weight off the bottom for noise and the fish will see the lure when investigating.
<Fish Arrow> Flash J, Flash J Split (excluding "5"and "7")
See Detail
<Megabass> Hazedong, Hazedong Shad
See Detail
Carolina rig
Great for fishing deep, the bottom sensitivity of the Carolina rig is good, and you can efficiently search a lot of water. This also presents the lure more naturally than drop shots. And like the drop shot, it gets the lure quickly to the cooler bottom water where summer bass are lurking.
(2) Shade
In midsummer, the temperatures in shallow water rise due to direct sunlight. Therefore, targeting shallow areas with overhead cover like tree overhangs can still yield bass. A bonus is that insects often fall from such trees, providing more incentive for bass to congregate. Shade comes in many forms, be it fallen trees, under docks and bridges or under floating vegetation such as lily pads or milfoil. Rafts, big rocks and shaded points are also excellent for holding fish.
Top water
When the temperature is still relatively low and the activity in the morning and evening is high, the summer bass may be slow to react and chase in the daytime. Shading or covered bass are sitting near the bottom, where the water is coolest, and they're looking up for an easy meal. Presentation and retrieve speed should not be too fast during the day, which makes lures like buzzbaits and surface walkers very effective. Top water lures, such as poppers, crankbaits and pencil baits are also effective. The fun is that the angler can also see the strike, so they can really enjoy the fish’s power!
Buzzbait
<Nories>Volcano Gripper
Big blade making strong drawing power
<Megabass>Jamaica Boa
Megabass only buzzbait*2022
Crawler Bait
<Imakatsu>Aventa Crawler VAZELLE
The pinnacle of finesse & speed
<Imakatsu> Aventa Crawler RSR
See Detail
Surface walker
<Evergreen>Shower Blows Series
Overwhelming Fish Collection Power of Spit & Bubble
<Megabass>Giant Dog X
Long-selling product of Megabass
Wake Bait
<Deps>Spiral Minnow
Like a buzzbait that can stop
<Megabass>i -JACK
Strong wakebait
Popper
<Megabass>Popmax
Well Balanced Popper
<Imakatsu>Kominami Gillpop
Bluegill type big popper that can be used in various ways
Insect baits
Insect-based lures are effective because summer is when insects are an abundant food source for bass. Insect baits come in both floating and sinking variations to suit the angler's needs. Floating insect lures are able to be casted on the surface, and mimic insects that have fallen into the water. By creating ripples and twitching slightly, these offerings can be made to look very much alive. Conversely, the sinking insect lure uses a gentle fall while slightly vibrating the legs. As a general rule, use the floating type if there is a visible bass migrating in a place with dragonflies, cicadas and water striders on the surface, and use the sinking type if there are clearly few insects around. Proper selection is key to landing the big one.
Texas rigged soft plastics
During the hot summer days when the temperature is high, it is vital to have baits that can easily be maneuvered through weeds and cover. Use a Texas rigged plastic that is weedless yet hooks up easily in the fish. Texas rigs differ from the Carolina rig in the amount of weight used. In calm and shallow water, Texas rigging excels, while fishing in rough or deep water warrants using more weight.
(3) Dam Inflow and backwater
The backwater (before the dam) and inflow (at the dam) areas of dams are standard points to aim for summer bass. The inflow and backwater have a lower water temperature due to the current, and boast abundant dissolved oxygen. Both also attract creature bait and bait fish. In the summer on a dammed lake, the backwater is almost always the anglers first ‘go to’ spot. Look for rocks and submerged structures such as drop offs to fish for added benefit.
Top water
Buzzbait
<Nories>Volcano Gripper
Big blade making strong drawing power
<Megabass>Jamaica Boa
Megabass only buzzbait*2022
Surface walker
<Evergreen>Shower Blows Series
Overwhelming Fish Collection Power of Spit & Bubble
<Megabass>Giant Dog X
Long-selling product of Megabass
<Deps>Spiral Minnow
Like a buzzbait that can stop
<Megabass>i -JACK
Strong wakebait
Popper
<Megabass>Popmax
Well Balanced Lure
<Imakatsu>Kominami Gillpop
Bluegill type big popper that can be used in various ways
Swimbaits
Using a swimbait that can be reeled slowly through and around cover is a good strategy for weakened bass. The angler is searching for a reaction strike, even if the bass are not biting. Swimbaits that are weedless are even more of an advantage, as they can contact the structure tightly and can stay in the kill zone longer!
<Megabass> Deadslowl
Dead slow & super shallow
<JACKALL> Deadslowler
Dead slow swim bait
(4) Points with flow
Flow points refers to the areas of lakes with river mouths and/or drainage from wild ponds or springs. At the point where fresh and cooler water flows in, the water quality is usually clearer, the water temperature is lower, and the amount of dissolved oxygen is abundant. This all makes for favorable conditions for bass fishing. However, the invisible water flow from a dam, for instance, does not mean that water flows reliably through the daytime. Even if the water gate is open, water flow depends on the levels and the amount of water discharged. Topography, wind direction and weather all determine a dam’s flow of water. Anglers must read the flow of water in their own circumstance, taking into account the surrounding environment.