When summer sets in and temperatures rise, I am at my best as an angler.
Sure, the spring and fall fishing is good and can be fun, but summertime makes the search for bass haunts so much easier.
Bass seek two things when the water temperature soars – current or shade.
While most anglers know that frog fishing over yellowish algae mats (commonly referred to as “cheese”) can be fabulous, those necked down “pinch points” that create more current can be even more predictable.
I’m not saying the fish are easier to catch, but they are definitely easier to pinpoint when you look for those pinch points – places where the lake narrows down and more current is created.
It might be between two islands or an island and the main shoreline. It could be a narrowing between two lakes that are inter-joined or where a smaller creek is bringing cooler water into the lake. Or, one of my favorites is the mouths of backwater areas.
Another overlooked spot is washed out, shaded banks where the current hits the bank and turns, creating a shaded spot and an increase in the current. A tell-tale sign of an undercut bank is a tree leaning over the water; that indicates its washed out beneath it and only the roots are holding the tree there.
These areas make funnel points where moving water is compressed and fish like to bunch up. These pinched areas create an abundance of the tiny organisms that bait feeds on and the bass are there to feed on the bait. And if you get a pop-up rainstorm, they can be even better.
The current, be it from water moving through a river system or even wind, juices up the oxygen in the area and the water oftentimes can be cooler. The combination of all these factors provides everything the bass need to endure the long, hot summer.
If I’m going to a lake I haven’t been to previously, I study the map in search of these gems. They are far more reliable than most other patterns and stay that way throughout the summer.
The fish want to be there and you can fish them time and again as they will reload.
Lure selection depends upon the cover and how it can be fished. It could be a crankbait, spinnerbait or jerkbait. If there are overhanging trees or an undercut bank, skip a frog or pitch a jig to them. If they’re there, they will bite it.
So, look for those necked down areas where water is moving. If you have current pushing through a constricted area, fish it.
I’ve made a good living doing this throughout the summer from as far north as Minnesota to the Gulf of America.
