forces fish to stick more tightly to cover , he works the shade of docks , laydowns , matted vegetation and trees with the Berkley Swamp Lord – a hollow-body frog of Lane ’ s own design – in both conventional and popping varieties . His flipping stick also sees lots of action . Top bait choice is the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg .
Hate the heat if you must , but Lane finds plenty to love about late summer .
“ I am fishing the way I like to fish , looking for big bites in ways that produce some of the most exciting strikes ,” says Lane . “ I want to fish shallow , fish like a man , get those big explosive strikes !”
Tip : “ Try to figure where the bass are positioning – near the current , on the flat banks , on the steeper banks .”
A Texas native , Alton Jones knows how to track down bass during the hottest time of the year .
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
MARK DAVIS : FIND THE THERMOCLINE
According to Davis , the biggest factor when it comes to late summer bass fishing is the thermocline . That applies not only to highland reservoirs like his home waterway , Lake Ouachita , but countless waters across the country .
The term “ thermocline ” refers to the line of demarcation between a warmer , upper layer of water ( epilimnion ) that is rich with dissolved oxygen and a dense , oxygen-depleted , cold layer ( hypolimnion ) at the lowest depth levels during summer stratification . Bass and the forage species they dine on spend little or no time below the thermocline . That narrows the target depth range considerably .
Thermocline patterns will differ on varying types of fisheries . Bass may take up ambush positions in the
PHOTO BY TYLER BRINKS
“ I almost always target that upper layer of water , whether it ’ s shallow or deep .”
shallows , or they might suspend over deep water above the thermocline . Once a mystery , suspended fish have become easier targets for anglers wellschooled in forward-facing sonar technology .
“ Today , we can see those fish and present baits to them ,” says Davis . “ But they can still get finicky .” When fishing water with some stain to it , Davis reaches first for a reaction lure like a crankbait .
“ Whether I am fishing 3- to 6-foot depths or in that 15- to 20-foot depth zone , I am fishing fast , deflecting off cover ,” he says . He calls jigging spoons and flutter spoons “ good companions ” to his crankbaits . “ I fish the spoon fast , too – jerking it , then letting it fall of its own free will ,” he adds . “ If you inhibit the fall , the spoon won ’ t do its job .”
Big , 10-inch worms fished behind light weights provide a slow-down option . The curly-tailed Yamamoto Ichi Worm coupled with a ¼-ounce bullet weight is Davis ’ favorite summer worm . He switches to a heavier weight if he senses the fish prefer a faster presentation .
Tip : Be alert to signs of current or water movement in the form of wind , runoff or dam discharge . Moving water is often cooler and more oxygenated , which attracts summer bass .
alton jones : a high-low approach to isolated cover
They know heat in Texas , homeland of venerable MLF pro Alton Jones Sr . They also know bass . As water temperatures rise and the thermocline builds , the Lone Star State ’ s legendary
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