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

See Detail

<Megabass> BIG-M series Magnum crankbaits

Called oversized crankbait

See Detail

<Megabass> IXI Shad TX

Small lure with a depth of 12 feet

See Detail

<JACKALL> DIGLE series

20% increase in flight distance achieved by Winglet Trip [pat.]

See Detail

<Nories>SHOT OVER series

See Detail
IK-800R2

<IMAKATSU> IK-800R2
Maximum dive depth 8m (20+’) crankbait

See Detail

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

<Imakatsu>Java Shad

See Detail

<Jackall> Flick Shake

Best selling soft plastic in Japan

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.

<Geekrac>Bellows Claw

See Detail

<Geekrac>Bellows Gill

See Detail

<Megabass> Bottle Shrimp

See Detail

<Jackall> Cover Claw Grande

See Detail

(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

See Detail

<Megabass>Jamaica Boa

Megabass only buzzbait*2022

See Detail

Crawler Bait

<Imakatsu>Aventa Crawler VAZELLE
The pinnacle of finesse & speed

See Detail

<Imakatsu> Aventa Crawler RSR

See Detail

<Megabass>i-WING 135

See Detail

<Deps> NZ CRAWLER

See Detail

Surface walker

<Jackall> RISERBAIT 007R

See Detail

<Imakatsu> SLAM DOG MONSTER

See Detail

<Evergreen>Shower Blows Series

Overwhelming Fish Collection Power of Spit & Bubble

See Detail

<Megabass>Giant Dog X

Long-selling product of Megabass

See Detail

Wake Bait

<Imakatsu> BABY KILLER WAKE

See Detail

<Megabass> SuWITCH

See Detail

<Deps> BUZZJET

See Detail

<Deps> MT WAKE

See Detail

<Deps>Spiral Minnow

Like a buzzbait that can stop

See Detail

<Megabass>i -JACK

Strong wakebait 

See Detail

Popper

<Megabass>Popmax

Well Balanced Popper

See Detail

<Imakatsu>Kominami Gillpop

Bluegill type big popper that can be used in various ways

See Detail

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.

<Geekrac>Imo kemushi

See Detail

<Imakatsu>Fujin Spider Trailer

See Detail

<Megabass>Siglett series

See Detail

<Jackall>BUGDOG

See Detail

<Geecrack>BUGPEE

See Detail

<Duo>SHINMUSHI

See Detail

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.

<Geecrack>Bellows Claw

See Detail

<Geecrack>Bellows Stick

See Detail

<Geecrack>Bellows Gill

See Detail

<Megabass>Bottle Shrimp

See Detail

<Megabass>Tournament Crawler

See Detail

<Jackall>Cover Claw Grande

See Detail

<Deps>Bull Flat

See Detail

<Deps>Kincoo

See Detail

(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

See Detail

<Megabass>Jamaica Boa

Megabass only buzzbait*2022

See Detail

Surface walker

<Evergreen>Shower Blows Series

Overwhelming Fish Collection Power of Spit & Bubble

See Detail

<Megabass>Giant Dog X

Long-selling product of Megabass

See Detail

<Deps>Spiral Minnow

Like a buzzbait that can stop

See Detail

<Megabass>i -JACK

Strong wakebait 

See Detail

<Megabass>i -loud

Wakebait with even higher appeal than i -JACK

See Detail

Popper

<Megabass>Popmax

Well Balanced Lure

See Detail

<Imakatsu>Kominami Gillpop

Bluegill type big popper that can be used in various ways

See Detail

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!

<Imakatsu> Stealth swimmer

Our best selling swimbait

See Detail

<Deps> Slideswimmer

See Detail

<Megabass> Deadslowl

Dead slow & super shallow

See Detail

<JACKALL> Deadslowler

Dead slow swim bait

See Detail

<Imakatsu> Huddle swimmer series

Swim bait that can be reeled slow

See Detail

(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.