Tri-State Outdoor News

It’s HOT, and with the increase in temperatures (especially in the southern reaches of the Tri-State Outdoor News,) it can make it hard to want to get out there and fish. Also, many species of fish have changed their patterns and can be more difficult to catch now than they were a month or two ago when they were up on the beds spawning.

Even though they can be a little tougher, fish can still be caught during the dog days of summer – sometimes in impressive numbers. You may just need to tweak your presentations and locations you fish in order to get on them.

Fish at night

In the heat of the day, most species of game fish often head for deeper water. The water is cooler and fish are warm-blooded, meaning their body temperature is that of the surrounding water temperature. For this reason, to successfully catch fish in the middle of the summer, fishing at night will likely boost your odds. Once the cooler evening temperatures begin to set around dusk, predators such as bass and catfish move into the shallow flats to feed. This is a perfect time to use topwater baits.

Go deep or go home

Since I just mentioned that most game fish tend to head for deeper water during daylight hours in the heat of the summer, if fishing during the day, go deep. I have had tremendous success in the heat of the day by simply going to deep running crankbaits or plastic worms. The types of lures will get down to where the fish are, which may be twenty feet or more.

Try trolling

Whether it’s for bluegill or for bass, sometimes trolling can be just the ticket. When casted and retrieved, those deep running crankbaits may not even hit the targeted depth because by the time they get close, your retrieve is likely half over, in which case your crankbait must begin ascending back towards your rod tip.

Trolling crankbaits along points and humps ensures that the baits reach and stay in the desired depth range. Incidentally, trolling small spinners can have the same effect on bluegills.

Utilize shade

Remember, fish don’t have eyelids so any shade you can find is likely to hold fish. This is especially true in shaded areas that hold cover. Besides the relief on their eyes, the shade also helps to camouflage predators when in search of prey and it also serves to cool them down as well as these areas are usually lower in temperature.

Find oxygen

If fishing rivers or streams, forget about stretches of stagnate slow moving water and look for faster moving water with ripples or eddies. In the summer months, slack water areas quickly become deprived of oxygen, while the faster moving water creates more oxygen which is crucial to fish survival.

Target weeds

Weeds provide excellent cover for prey such as fry (newly hatched fish) tadpoles. Predator fish know this and often lie in wait tucked just inside the weed edges while waiting for their next meal. Some weeds also help to create added oxygen in ponds and lakes where faster water is unavailable.

Vary your speed

During the middle of the day, fish may get sluggish and reluctant to bite. To this end, try using jigs, worms, or any other slow presentation. When the fish begin moving into the shallows at night however, they will get more aggressive, allowing you to switch to more aggressive lures such as topwater lures or shallow running crankbaits.

Summer doesn’t need to be a time to avoid hitting your local waterway or for you to feel like you would be wasting your time on the water. With some simple technique changes you can be in the fish all summer long.