THE BASS COLLEGE

by Jim Porter

(Authors note: I want to get this point across early-on. There is no reason for Summer to be a hard fishing period. 'Air' heat does not send the bass deep. They feed better in the Summer than any other time. Usually, it's just the anglers that slow down. Read and ponder this. It may help your fishing.)

With the hot, muggy days of Summer, we usually see marked decrease in fishing activity. There are few anglers on the waters and those who do venture out enjoy rather short days, mainly confined to the cooler periods of early morning/late afternoon. With this natural avoidance of creature discomforts has come the misconception that fishing successes are somewhere between `poor' and `impossible' during the Summer months. Possibly, the relationship of hot weather to poor fishing is simply a well- planned excuse to stay indoors under the air conditioner, while watching the `boys of Summer' turn those double plays and hit their home-runs. Whatever the case, it is time to dispel the myths of the supposed `dog-days of Summer'.

Myth #1: Bass stop feeding in hot weather

This is the most common misunderstanding concerning fish behavior, and it may also be the easiest to logically explain away. Bass, being a fish, are cold-blooded creatures of nature. As such, they tend to adjust their body temperatures to that of their surroundings. Their bodies have certain upper and lower temperature ranges, within which life can be sustained. Temperature has one major effect on the bass and that is that it regulates the speed of his bodily processes (i.e., metabolic rate). For example, the rate at which energy is expended in a bass as with the temperature of his surroundings (and, therefore, his body) increase, thus requiring more and more food to digest and convert to that energy. This single fact shows that it is a physical impossibility for a fish to cease to feed during hot weather. In fact, a bass should feed more during the Summer months than at any other time.

Myth #2: In hot weather, bass always go to deep water.

While this statement may seem logical at first, it is actually a double falsehood.   First, understand that `deep' is a relative term. On exceptionally clear bodies of water, bass will always position themselves at greater depths than in a stained water impoundment. Clear water bass may normally spend their time at depths of 20-45 feet. Therefore, `deep' water would be somewhere below those depths. The majority of largemouth bass on a typical southern or mid-western reservoir might tend to spend their days and nights at a depth range of 10-18 feet, with occasional excursions to the shallow cover areas and food shelves to feed. Bass do not normally go deeper than this during the Summer months. And, 10-18 feet is not normally considered to be `deep' water. The fact is, the deepest the majority of bass will ever be found is during the coldest part of the Winter, when the depths are actually warmer than the mid-range and shallow zones!! What `tricks' us fishermen into thinking that the bass have gone exceptionally deep is actually a result of the recent seasonal change. To get into Summer, the bass had to pass through the Spring season. Spring, with its ritual of the spawn, had most of the bass clan up in exceptionally shallow water, where they were easy to find and catch. When they suddenly disappeared from the shallow cover, we unwittingly use the excuse that they must have fled to the deep zones. Actually, most of the Summer bass can be found beneath where your boat was sitting during the Spring fishing.

Second, escaping from the heat is no problem for a bass and really doesn't enter into a Summer fishing scenario. Studies (please refer to the accompanying chart) have shown that when the surface temperature of a lake is in the high 80's and low 90's, the water atthe 10-12 foot level will be in the low 70's. You can easily prove this to yourself by jumping off a boat dock and noticing how cold that water is down deep. No more needs to be said about that misunderstanding.

Myth #3. Bass have certain temperature preferences and will always adhere to them.

Other than a specific temperature range to provide for incubation and hatch of the spawn, a bass usually seems to disregard temperature factors in favor of staying near a food supply. In fact, certain scientific study reports in my possession indicate that the largemouth bass makes the most efficient use of his food at a temperature range of 78-85 degrees (F). This efficiency factor is based on the percentage of digested food left over for body growth after fulfilling the basic requirements to sustain life. In fact, the peak efficiency point was noted (straight bilogical study data here) to be approximately 82 degrees (F). What this tends to indicate is that bass should be quite comfortable in what we anglers tend to describe as `warm' water. And, in referring to the earlier chart, we could surmise that he can easily tolerate shallow zones during the Summer period.

What actually may be the case, regarding the Summer depth of a bass, is that the food supply (normally threadfin shad and crayfish) does not handle warm water well, and prefers the cooler depths. Accordingly, the bass follows the food source as the waters warm and it moves away from the shallow zones.

One great truism of bass angling notes that "Catching fish is easy; finding them is the hard part." The wisdom of this statement holds regardless of the season, the waters fished, the angler, and all the fine equipment in the World. However, it holds more significance for understanding as we try to overcome the ingrained misconceptions we have harbored for years regarding hot weather fishing. Finding bass in the Summer is, like other times of year, a matter of understanding the World of the bass and how he reacts to his surroundings. With the water temperature up and their body metabolism high, the bass are very active, moving a lot, and feeding heavily. You may come upon a good structure feature, cast a lure, and catch two or three fish quickly. But, just as suddenly, it will be all over. And, the next time you try the location, it may well be void of any fish. Well, here is what is probably happening.

Summer bass school strongly and nearly always relate to structure. (The only exception may be when the bait fish schools move into open water over the deeper zones and the bass follow. We usually note this condition by the presence of surface feeding activity). The Summer school will be active and somewhat loose and dispersed, as all are trying to feed on a nearly-continual basis. The structure being used, therefore, must be fairly large in order to support the dispersion of the entire group. This is a very key point in locating schools of hot weather bass on a consistent basis. We can still find singles and small groups on smaller structures and cover features. But, for lots of bass, we normally need large structure. The angler must recognize that, if a few bass are taken and the action stops, the remainder of the school may be dispersed across or along the remainder of the structure.

The most ideal Summer structure is a creek or river channel drop, as it meets three primary requirements. First, it is near deep water, always a major factor in bass positioning. Second, it is a large feature that allows a school to disperse along its course. And, finally, channels normally have some degree of current flow, either natural or induced by the winds. Current is important in hot weather bassin', in that it prevents stratification by temperature and oxygen levels, lends some cooling effect, and adds oxygen to the water.

Other good locations are large submerged islands, long underwater points, and roadbeds. Again, we would be searching for a feature near deep water and with sufficient size to support a large, widely dispersed school of actively feeding bass.

Those readers who have fished tidal waters or flowing rivers with some degree of regularity readily recognize the benefits of current flow. The mixing of the continually moving waters precludes temperature stratification to the degree that there is little seasonal depth variance in the location of bass.

On shallow, weed-infested waters, some Summer bass will relate to structure, if the water happens to be deep enough. However, the dense aquatic growth may indicate where the majority will be. (Florida biologists report that fish sampling has shown about two-thirds of the bass will be in the dense cover zones and the remaining one-third in open water. This can be considered a normal condition, IF the aquatic growth is alive and thriving. Dead vegetation actually uses up oxygen as a part of the decay process.) The heavy cover, even in the shallows, is comfortable due to the shade and the rich oxygen output of the plant life. A by-product of the photosynthesis of oxygen is a cooling effect, which may well make the shallow vegetation zones cooler than deeper, open water.

When searching for bass in these shallow waters, the two key ingredients are, by priority: the most dense cover and the deepest water available. Recalling that the warm waters result in a high metabolic rate in the bass and an increased requirement for food, we would suspect that the competition for food would be high during the Summer months. Consequently, we would logically choose an active lure to attract the active fish. This basically describes a diving, lipped crank plug pulled with a fast retrieve. In fact, this type lure has proven to be the most effective method for taking large quantities of largemouth bass during the heat of mid-Summer. The only requirement is that the angler get in down to the fish. Selecting the lure with the express purpose of operating it at a certain depth, as dictated by the structure to be fished, is the most important criteria for the angler's decision process. If the depth to be fished is beyond that at which a crank plug can be accurately presented and controlled, a plastic worm is acceptable, but should be fished rapidly and erratically.

Remember, during hot weather, a rapidly-fished lure is always vastly more productive than one presented slowly. Plus, we will be able to make more casts during the day. Every cast is a potential ten-pounder!

So, just because the weather is a bit uncomfortable, don't stay home under the air conditioner and sulk. The bass are on their most active feed during the hot Summer period.

Go feed them!!

    Good Luck,

    Jim

Great article!

Just a question, at the pond that i have recently discovered that has bass, they were in shallow water or what seems to be shallow water, i tossed the lure in one of the holes in the thick mat of weeds. Why did they hit it if the air temp was around 95 and they were in what i think to be shallow water?

By James Niggemeyer

Elite Series pro

Whether you're a tournament fisherman, like me, or a weekend angler who wants to make the most of his time on the water, there are lots of ways to catch summertime bass and even more ways not to catch them. In this two-part series, I'm going to tell you about my favorite hot weather patterns that will put bass in your boat all summer long.

The first is a shallow water pattern that works anywhere you have vegetation or other heavy cover. The second is a deep-water pattern for points, channels or humps. Most of the time, they'll both work for you. Today, though, we'll focus on shallow water. Next week I'll be back and tell you how I catch them deep.

My favorite dog days pattern for shallow bass involves pitching and flipping vegetation. It's a big-stick, heavy-line approach that puts your bait in the heart of bass cover.

I use heavy gear for this pattern. Nothing less will get the job done, and it takes stout tackle to pull big fish out of the thick stuff. My favorite rod for this pattern is a St. Croix Legend Tournament Pitchin' Rod that's 7 1/2 feet long with a medium-heavy action and parabolic bend. You need a parabolic bend when fishing heavy vegetation to keep pressure on the fish at all times after you set the hook.

My reel is an Ardent F-700 flipping and pitching reel — the Denny Brauer signature reel. It's got a drag that's preset at 22 pounds, and it's made for winching bass out of thick cover. I spool it up with Sunline Super PE braid in 56-pound test.

My favorite baits for flipping and pitching to shallow summertime vegetation are the Strike King Hack Attack Jig (1/2 to 1 1/4 ounce) in black and blue or Okeechobee Craw. The weight of the jig depends on the density of the cover. If the vegetation is thick, I use a heavier jig to penetrate it. If it's sparse, I can get away with a lighter jig.

I choose my jig color based on the clarity of the water. In dark or dirty water, I like black and blue. If the water's clear, I use Okeechobee Craw. I usually match my trailer to the jig color, and my favorite trailer for this technique is the Strike King Rage Craw.

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The other bait I use when flipping and pitching vegetation at this time of year is a 4-inch Strike King Rodent in black and blue or green pumpkin. This is a great bait for vegetation because it's the perfect combination of streamlined (to "punch" through the cover) and bulky (to provide lots of action).

I usually peg a 3/4- or 1-ounce sinker to the Rodent using a bobber stop. I want the bait — lure, hook and sinker — to be a single package that stays together. My hook is a 4/0 XPoint XGap. It's stout enough for even the biggest bass in heavy cover.

Of course, even the best baits won't catch bass if you don't put them in the right places, and at this time of year that means areas with vegetation that are close to deep water.

The type of vegetation you're fishing will depend on where you live. It could be milfoil, hydrilla, lily pads, hyacinths or something else. If it's green and healthy, it probably holds bass. But if it's near deep water, it almost certainly holds bigger bass.

"Deep," however, is a relative term. In Florida, deep could be 5 feet. In other places deep could mean 25 feet. It just depends on the body of water you're fishing. No matter what, though, if you find summertime vegetation near deep water, you're well on your way to finding bass.

The other key to identifying the right areas with vegetation is to find something "different." If all you have is acres and acres of seemingly identical vegetation, finding the best spot in it could be like finding a needle in a haystack.

To save yourself time and energy, focus on the things within the vegetation that are different. That might be a spot where two types of vegetation come together, where there are holes or points in the vegetation, where some stumps are mixed in, where the vegetation comes close to a boat dock, where the vegetation is especially thick or sparse or anything else that's out of the ordinary.

When you find an area that's different and has good deep-water access, you know you're in the right place.

Once you're there, it's time to start fishing. This is where you find the pattern within the pattern and start to separate the good fishermen from the really good fishermen.

Pay particular attention to how fish are taking your bait. Are all your strikes coming on the initial fall? If so, just let the bait fall to the bottom. If you don't get a bite, crank it in and make another pitch.

Are they hitting it after you move it off the bottom? Or maybe they're striking when you lift the bait up and bang it against the ceiling of the pads or other vegetation.

However the bass are reacting to your lure, pay close attention so you can duplicate the right presentation. Your goal should be to narrow things down and maximize what's effective. It'll mean more and bigger bass by the end of the day.

Go put this pattern to work on your home waters, and don't forget to come back next week for Part 2. I'll tell you about my favorite deep-water pattern for summer bass.

PART 2 DEEP WATER

 Last week I covered one of my favorite shallow water patterns for summer bass. This week I want to talk about going deep.

Many anglers have trouble when it comes to finding and catching deep-water bass. If you'll follow these tips closely, I think you'll have success no matter where you fish.

My deep-water pattern starts with the right gear. We're going to be fishing a big plastic worm, and for that I like a St. Croix Legend Tournament series "Spinnerbait Sweeper" rod. Don't get hung up on the name. Just because it's called a spinnerbait rod doesn't mean it isn't a great worm rod, too. It's a 7-foot, medium-heavy action rod that really does a great job with this technique.

My reel is an Ardent XS1000 spooled with Sunline Shooter Fluorocarbon in 12- to 16-pound test, depending on water clarity and the cover I'm fishing. My favorite hook is a 4/0 offset, round bend XPoint and I usually have a 3/8-ounce sinker on the rig. Sometimes I'll go lighter, and I might go as heavy as 3/4 ounce if I want a faster fall to create a reaction bite. Tungsten sinkers are nice and offer great feel, but there's nothing wrong with lead, especially in the lighter weights.

My favorite plastic worm for this technique is a 10-inch Strike King Thumper in plum, junebug or blue fleck. Plum is my favorite all-around color, but I like junebug if it's dark or overcast and blue fleck if it's bright and clear.

The 10-inch Thumper (it also comes in a 7-inch version) works in other seasons, too, but it's especially strong during the dog days. Plus, it catches all sizes of bass — from 12 inchers to lunkers.

What makes this pattern so strong in the summer is that bass are schooled on deep structure. When you find one, you've usually found a bunch, and that creates competition for forage and your lure, which is always good.

The most productive depth at this time of year seems to be between 10 and 30 feet deep. I look for what I call the "activity zone" by watching my electronics as I drive around the lake. I'm looking for concentrations of bass or baitfish. They might be in 15 feet or they could be in 25 feet, but wherever that activity zone is, that's where I concentrate. I look for places where structure — points, humps, channels — intersects the zone.

Once I've found structure within the zone, it's time to start fishing. I like to make long casts past the structure — into shallower water — and fish the big worm all the way back and into deeper water. The reason I do this is to cover lots of water and zero-in on the level the fish are holding and feeding.

When it comes to working the bait, I'm very thorough, dragging it slowly along so I can learn more about the bottom. I want to feel what's different down there. When my bait meets a stump, some grass, a shellbed or anything different, I immediately slow down and shake it or try to give it some action without pulling it away from that spot. That's the time when you're most likely to get a strike.

As with most good bass patterns, this one has some details that make it much more productive. Here are a few little things that can make a big difference:

    * Scent can help you get more bites. I like to use BioEdge in shad or shiner because those are the baitfish the bass are most likely to be feeding on at this time. A good scent will not only increase the number of bites you get, but the bass that hit are going to hold onto the bait longer so you have plenty of time to set the hook.

    * Speaking of setting the hook, I usually set the hook as soon as I feel a strike, but not with the big Texas rigged Thumper. I get more and better hook-ups if I wait until the rod loads or the line tightens before setting the hook. I think it's because the bait's so big that they don't always get all of it right away.

    * In clear water, I like to modify the Thumper. If you take a close look at it, you'll see a dotted line in the tail section. When the water's clear, you can make the bait more subtle and attractive by cutting that section off. The bait will sort of shimmy, then. I'll do the same thing after I've caught a few on the unaltered bait and the action slows. The new look will sometimes get the fish biting again.

      If you'll try my summertime one-two punch on your favorite bass waters, I can't guarantee a knockout, but you'll definitely catch some fish. These patterns work from coast to coast and border to border.

Will the bass stay shallow earlier in the morning to feed and then move out to the deep water?