FOR SUMMER BASS
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
By Michael Pehanich
Sluggish bass ? Too hot to fish ? Nonsense ! Take these tips from top pros to siphon a hot bite from the summer heat
ost anglers dread the August / September doldrums of late summer . Hot temperatures can make them sluggish and moody – the anglers , that is – and they often project their misery onto their quarry . So , why endure the heat to chase fish reluctant to bite ?
Bass are cold-blooded creatures whose body temperatures adjust to the water surrounding them . During the heat and sun of late summer , they gravitate toward locations that fulfill primary needs . Even in conditions outside the
CHOP ‘ EM SHALLOW
MLF pro Bobby Lane finds summer bass by targeting shady shallows with topwaters like the Berkley Choppo .
comfort zone of their species , they will do what they can do to survive or thrive , making them predictable to target .
“ Bass are looking for comfort , cover and food at this time of year ,” says Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Mark Davis , no stranger to Arkansas heat or summertime bass fishing .
He fashions his warm-weather strategies accordingly .
Shallow , deep and in between , summer bass are there for your taking . Here ’ s how pros in the know play it cool during the summer heat .
Bobby Lane : The way I like to fish
Florida native Bobby Lane has deep roots in the Southern power fishing tradition , so perhaps it shouldn ’ t come as a surprise that he likes to stay shallow all summer long .
“ We all like the offshore bite , but my favorite thing to do to beat the heat of summer is to catch them dirt shallow ,” says Lane .
North to south , he treats all lakes the same during the heart of the summer heat . As schools of offshore bass face mounting angling pressure , many of those fish join the segment of the bass population that has taken up residence around the banks . That migration plays to his strength and pretty much dictates his late summer motto : “ I go shallow while others are going deep .”
“ When bass start getting caught offshore , they move back to the bank because they are more comfortable there ,” explains Lane .
His target areas are not necessarily the backs of creeks and other shallow reaches that teemed with bass in spring . He looks primarily to main-lake shallows – stretches rich with docks , rock , vegetation and wood .
Lane concentrates on shaded areas , first covering water with a black , bone or MF bluegill-colored Berkley Choppo , a plopper-style bait . When the sun
26 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024