All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Fishing In The Heat Of Late Summer

During this hottest time of summer, bass can get lethargic as water temperatures get above their preferred zone. Their activity level drops during the day and they often prefer to feed at night when the sun is not a factor. When feeding, the bass tend to relate to structure and stay close to the bottom. Shad and other baitfish are feeding heavily, often in large schools, in preparation of the colder months to come. Bass will follow these schools of bait and migrate throughout the lake, often suspending in open water after feeding successfully on the school of bait.

3 Most Important Factors About Bass Activity in Late Summer

Most bass are schooled up and follow baitfish, often into deeper areas of the lake.
Shad or other baitfish are the primary food source of smaller bass.
Larger bass feed more on sunfish and crawfish in mid depths.

3 Most Effective Fishing Methods & Lures

Jigs and jigging spoons.
Crankbaits.
Carolina rig worms, Texas-style worms and drop shot with bait imitations or worms.

A Day On The Lake In Late Summer.

As always, begin by accumulating local knowledge about the body of water you will be fishing. Contact local bait stores, bass boat dealers and bass club members to find out first hand what is happening at the lake. Check fishing reports and fishing blogs which cover the lake where you plan to fish. The local fish and game department often posts fishing reports.
Recommended gear and tackle

Rod Choices (in order of importance).

1. 6’ medium-heavy action, bait-casting rod for lures from 3/8 ounce up to 1 ounce. Fill reel with 40# to 65# braid or 14# to 17# monofilament or fluorocarbon. (To be used for jigs, spoons and worms).
2. 6’ medium-action spinning rod. Fill reel with 30# braid or 8 # to 10# monofilament or fluorocarbon. (To be used for drop-shot worms or shaky worms).
3. 6’ medium-action, bait-casting rod for lures from ¼ ounce up to 3/4 ounce. Fill reel with 30# to 50# braid or 12# to 14# monofilament or fluorocarbon. (To be used for smaller jigs, spoons and worms).

Lure Choices (in order of importance).

An assortment of 4” to 6” worms for drop shot and Texas-style worm fishing.
An assortment of 6” to 10” worms for Carolina-rig worm fishing.
An assortment of medium to deep-running crankbaits.
An assortment of jigging spoons from ¼ ounce to 1 ounce.

Locating Bass In Late Summer.

The bass have now moved out of the backs of coves and river areas to the main sections of the lake with deeper water. “Deep” is relative to the specific lake you are fishing. In canyon lakes with water depths of 100 feet or more, “deep” might be 40 to 60 feet. In shallow flatland lakes where the deepest might be 30 to 50 feet, “deep” might be 20 to 30 feet. The key to finding bass in the heat of summer is to locate the baitfish. A fish finder is critical at this time of year. From it you can determine the depth the bait is hovering and where the bass are in relation to the bait. Take the time to travel across a section of the lake taking note of the most common depth of the bait fish. Most often the bass will concentrate at or below this depth. Ideally, structure at a depth which matches that of the bass is a good place to start. If the structure has bait hovering overhead, it is very likely to hold bass.

Bass have a tendency to move to offshore structure, which may or may not be attached to the shoreline. These structure elements are best suited to hold bass if they have even deeper water close by. Most anglers are hesitant to fish deep enough. At this time of year bass may be at 50 foot or even deeper, especially in clear-water lakes. Experiment with depth and fish deeper structure when shallower structure is not producing. As you fish deeper, use heavier lures (up to 1 ounce for jigs, Carolina rig and spoons, and up to 3/8 ounce for drop shot).

This is the “Nothing Bite” time of year. Often the bass will simply take your offering into their mouth and eat it without moving. This bite can be difficult to detect so it is important to watch your line and stay in touch with the lure at all times. Each time you move the lure, ask yourself if it feels the same as the time before. If it’s different, set the hook! This can feel “heavy”, “spongy” or like you are dragging a clump of grass. If you are not sure, set the hook! Swings are free!

A great way to combat this “Nothing Bite” is to use a spoon, because the jigging technique automatically sets the hook as part of the process. Drop the spoon directly below the boat until it stops on the structure. Watch the line closely as the spoon is falling. Each time you see the line stop, quickly jerk the bait up 3 or 4 feet off the bottom. In the event the spoon had stopped as a result of a bass eating it, you will automatically set the hook with the jerking motion.

Another technique which works well this time of year is to fish the same structure with a drop-shot rig. To improve hook setting on these “Nothing Bite” fish, rig the hook exposed rather than Texas style. Experiment with varying size of worms, baitfish imitations and lizard-type baits.

Often, night fishing is the best time to catch bass during the hot summer nights. During the full moon may be the best time to night fish as the bass will be active and it also assists with navigating the lake. At night you will likely find the bass a bit shallower than during the daytime. Use the same lures and techniques as during the day, generally slowing down the presentation.