Outdoors

During the summer months some anglers may head for the shade or camp out under the air conditioner, but fishermen don't have to give up catching bass when the weather turns hot. There are a couple different methods and lures they can use to stick it summertime bass.

Fishing during the hot summer is a lot tougher on the angler than it is on the fish, and some might agree it is difficult to catch bass — at least with any regularity — during the dog days of summer. For some reason it may appear the bass have departed for a late summer vacation to a cooler climate and are nowhere to be found, except for maybe a few juveniles here and there.

Where to start

Donnie Sims of Lincoln likes to start in about 7 to 10 feet of water with some 20 feet of water depth nearby. He generally begins fishing toward the shallower depth, working out to the deeper water. He will drop a few small buoys to mark a drop and as a point of reference in the open water. He watches his depth sounder closely to stay in position.

"As the sun comes up, the bass will drop back to the drop off," Sims explains.

You don't have to run all over the lake to look for summertime bass. Sometimes a move of only a few hundred yards will put you on top of the action. Using your map to choose several likely locations in one general area will save some time and valuable gas.

Sims says that summer and winter are very similar in that if there are bass, they will be stacked up together. He has caught as many as 61 from one spot.

"You may have to weed through the smaller bass until the big ones start biting," he said.

Hot lures for hot times

There are three basic lures Sims uses to catch summertime bass on Logan.

The Spotsticker Jig Head is his primary weapon. It is a round jig head with various hook sizes and styles. He tips the jig with his own brand of soft plastic, hand-poured finesse worm rigged Texas style — the hook is imbedded in the worm and the worm will hang straight if rigged properly.

The worms are slender and give a lot of tail action in the water. The two primary lengths of worms Sims prefers are 5 and 7 inches. His favorite color is a two-tone dark green/pearl combo, but Sims says other colors will produce bass as well. Other soft plastic baits like tubes, craws or creature baits can be rigged on the jig head.

"Sometimes the longer worm works and then other times they (bass) will want the shorter worm," explains Sims.

As for the tackle for fishing the Spotsticker Jig, Sims likes a 7-foot graphite spinning rod in a medium action. His spinning reel is spooled with 10-pound test P-Line Floroclear. The lighter line allows more action in the lure and the spinning rod gives a better feel.

There are several methods of retrieve for the jig/worm rig. Sims likes to bump or hop the jig along the bottom bumping to cover. The rod tip is held somewhat high as the lure is hopped or pumped across the structure or bottom. Also, a slow crawl with a steady retrieve will trigger some strikes from a waiting bass.

As the lure is falling, subtle "taps" or strikes will occur as the fish rush to grab an easy meal. The strikes will not be bone-jarring but you will know the fish are there. In some cases, the bass may pick up the lure and just swim off with it; reel up the slack and set the hook.

Sims says you don't have to "hoss" bass to the boat with the spinning rig. Usually the fish will move to deeper water and the 10-pound line and rod is plenty of muscle to hold any bass. When a big one is hooked, use the rod and the drag on the reel to play the fish.

Crank up the heat

Another lure Sims uses for summertime bass on Logan is the crankbait. He prefers the Rapala DT series and the Bill Norman originals. In the Rapala, Sims prefers the DT 10, 12 and 14 sizes to reach the depths where the bass are holding. The DT designation is for "dives to" — as in the depth the lure will reach.

Sims uses a casting crankbait-style rod with 12-pound test line. The smaller line has strength for the larger bass and also allows the lure to run deeper. Sims ties his line directly to the split ring on the lure to avoid any interference in the action of the lure.

"For crankbaits I like a shad color with a little chartreuse mixed in," Sims reports.

Many anglers have favorite color patterns that work for them in various situations and there is no need to change. Sims says a lot of anglers have developed confidence in certain lures and if they are working there is no need to change. With crankbaits, some strikes may be hard while on others the lure will feel mushy like the fish just appears on the lure.

"I use a stop-start type of retrieve on crankbaits," Sims said. "Vary the speed until you find what the bass want."

Another lure Sims utilizes for catching bass in the summer months is the Sworming Hornet Fish Head Spin. These lures have a triangular shaped jig head with a spinning blade attached and a soft plastic body in a minnow profile design.

Long casts can be made easily with the Fish Head Spin and can be counted down to the depth where the fish are holding. A steady retrieve is a good strike producer, but varying the speed will also trigger hits. This lure should be kept handy and ready to cast in case the bass begin to feed or school on the surface.

Skip the docks

Dock or pier skipping is not the art of passing by a bunch of piers, but a technique Sims uses to get a lure underneath a dock where bass are lounging in the shade. Logan Martin is loaded with piers and docks of all shapes and sizes, and bass will congregate under these to escape the summer sun.

"Fish offshore are more consistent," comments Sims. "But, sometimes you catch some fish by skipping under a pier."

Sims downsizes to a 1/16 ounce Spotsticker Jig with a 5 1/2 inch worm on a shorter spinning rod. The spinning combo allows the lure to be skipped without the fear of a major backlash that could occur from a bait-caster.

The skipping technique is fairly simple and after a little practice accuracy will improve. To skip a lure, position your boat 10 to 15 yards out from the pier and when making the cast allow the lure to hit the water just in front of the pier. The light jig/worm will skip across the water and travel back under the dock.

Allow the lure to fall and then hop or pump the lure back to the boat. Most strikes will occur on the fall; however, some bass may follow the lure and pick up the lure on the way out from the pier. During the 2006 FLW Championship, California angler Brent Ehrler used a similar method to cash a $500,000 first place check.

Not all docks or pier are created equal when it comes to skipping. Sims targets docks that are in or close to deep water around the 20 feet range. He also looks for where the river or creek channel swings in close to the piers and concentrates on these.

Some anglers may shy away from using small line for bass fishing. "Fisherman have forgotten how to have fun," Sims said. "Play the fish and let him jump and don't worry about trying to get him in the boat."

Fishing during the summer months may be tougher on the angler, but the bass are out there and they can be caught. All it requires is a little patience, slowing down and having fun sticking it to summertime bass.