Finding Bass in Summer's Heat

“Early and late” is a phrase you see repeatedly in bass fishing reports during the summer, in Illinois and across the nation.

The summer of 2005 is no exception. After experiencing an unusually mild summer during 2004, we are receiving near-record numbers of 90-degree days with record low rainfall and draught conditions.

Water levels are low almost everywhere.

Buzzbaits, plastic rats and frogs, and other topwater baits are used to catch bass at dawn and dusk during the oppressive heat of an Illinois summer.

Fishermen who can't always fish “early and late” or those who wish to brave the daytime sun and heat must have an effective strategy to catch bass the rest of the day.

Traditional summer patterns involve fishing in or near deep water, depending on such things as water temperature, water color, and sky conditions.

Main lake points are a favorite location to fish soft plastic baits and deep-diving crankbaits. Some of the best points are long, tapering ones that provide a large feeding shelf for bass.

However, during the extreme times of draught and low water levels these tactics may have to be refined in order for bass fishermen to be successful.

It may not be enough to fish long, tapering points that gradually drop into a creek channel. You may have to fish the “spot on the spot” where the steepest dropoff exists on a point.

You may have to fish a steep dropoff that leads not to deep water, but to very deep water. During low water conditions, you may want to have 25-30 feet of water nearby instead of 15-20 feet.

But, fishing long stretches of steep dropoffs near very deep water may not be consistently productive. Lakes such as Banner Marsh's Johnson Lake contain long stretches of water that are both steep and near very deep water. How do you find that extra ingredient to separate those tiny areas that hold bass from the majority of water that is unproductive?

You look for cover near those areas. You find a patch of weeds, a brush pile, or tree that has been blown into the water from a bluff bank. You look for a small irregular spot in a weedline or bluff bank where a tiny point is created or a hole exists.

These tiny areas may be difficult to find, but creating a “milk run” of half a dozen of them should be more productive than indiscriminately fishing long stretches of main-lake dropoffs or vast areas of shallow, tapering points. My experience has been to look for 8 to 12 feet of water on the top edge of the dropoff as a starting point.

You will increase your chances by revisiting these areas during the day. Accept the fact that fish may be concentrated in tiny areas where they will move up and down to feed for short periods of time.

Once I find these kinds of areas, I have the most success by fishing very slowly on the bottom with Texas-rigged worms. I start with a 7-inch blue fleck or red shad worm and adjust size and color from that point.

Carolina-rigged lizards have been moderately successful on top of the dropoffs, but I prefer a Texas rig on a steep drop because the heavy weight of a Carolina rig ruins the presentation by uncontrollably rolling down the dropoff. Jigs and drop-shot rigs are two more alternatives.

Deep diving crankbaits that dig the bottom may be worth trying for active fish or shallower diving crankbaits for those fish that suspend near the dropoff over deep water.

Survival instincts seem to drive bass to these types of areas during extreme heat and low water conditions, so the next time that “early and late” isn't possible, try finding a very steep, very deep area with an irregular bottom or cover nearby. Pinpoint those areas on the dropoffs that have the most potential and revisit them. Hopefully, your summertime bass fishing will improve during these conditions.