The spawn is over. For the last three or four days you have cast and cranked, and sweated, and been skunked. Nothing. Not even a small one. Frustrated, you decide to quit fishing till fall. I mean, why fish. Nothings here. The Bass have disappeared. Now…If you believe that, maybe you should quit fishing. The bass have not disappeared. They have simply moved. Don't know where they are. Here's a hint.
Get off of the shoreline. The number one reason bank-bangers can't catch reliable numbers of bass in The Postspawn/Summertime is because they continue to cast to the shoreline, and the bass are not there. They have slowly begun their summer migration from shallow to deep water, and unless you follow, you will continue to cast and crank and sweat, and get frustrated, and go home empty handed.
{mosgoogle right 6838717991}First, let it be known I have a very simple summer lure choice. I fish crankbaits, or Carolina rigs…Period. On the rare exception I need to fish deeper than 25' I use a jigging spoon. The first stop along their migration will generally be the deeper end of sharp drop points. On my lakes, most bass are in at least 10 feet of water by the first of June. I locate the bass on the side of the points with the sharpest drop to deeper water. Here I fish this area methodically. I will use a carolina rig with a small Soft plastic jerkbait. I use the 4" Lazy Shad, made by The Original Fish Formula. Drag it down the point drop. Small and slow is the key word for summertime bass.
By June 15th or so, most bass will be stacking up on offshore humps or bends in the creek channels in or around 15 feet of water. Find the humps closest to the channels, and you will find the most fish. Also, brushpiles help. I will crank these humps and bends, as long as they are no deeper than 18 feet. I use a small, deep runner made by Carolina Chips Lure Company. I like Parrot, as this resembles bluegill, a Bass' favorite food.
From around the end of June right through the dog days, bass will nearly always be found at 18" or deeper, provided your lake gets that deep with no thermo cline. Here again look for humps and channel bends where brush has accumulated. The deeper ends of road beds, or deep building remains are also summertime hotspots. Bass move deeper to follow the food source and because the shallow water gets so hot the oxygen is depleted. Therefore bass must move deeper to breath.
Off shore Structure is at its absolute best in the summertime. Also, fish with the current. Bass position themselves into the current to catch prey as it is swept to them.
Remember. Bass fishing in the summertime is hard, hot and tiring. But the elusive green fish can be caught, if you know where to find them.
Now, get off the bank and go catch some bass.
Charles Graves
