Beating the Heat of July:
Finding Them and Surviving
Happy Independence Day. Seems like time is flying by quickly. And the heat isn’t letting up. Rain is hard to come by. And the fishing can be tough. But knowing where to look and the best spots are the key to having fun on the water.
With the heat, some people are finding it better to fish at night. I have done my fair share of it, especially down in Florida with the gators and bugs. I can live with the gators, but not the bugs. It is a love-hate relationship. Of course, the best times are full moons, but any night can be good if you set up everything.
For me, I’ll stick to daylight where I can see any dangers around me. That means dealing with the sun and the heat. And that means going where the bass are hiding. Early morning and late evening are the prime times. You can find them in the middle of the day as well, but it gets more difficult on them and us.
I refer the early morning, beating the sun and the heat. And I have a few choices I keep tied on for just this. The bass will be up shallow, taking advantage of the low light and cooler waters. Knowing what and where is the secret to
My top choice to cover water is a topwater bait. I love that early morning topwater strike. It really gets the blood pumping. I prefer a walking bait like the SPRO Walking Haint 110 or a Zara Spook Jr. Making parallel casts to the bank keeps the bait in the prime location longer. Depending on the bank drop, working it a foot off the bank will be the prime location. Pay special attention around the edges of lily pads and around laydowns. Work it over the laydown and around it. Just be ready for the explosion at any time.
There are plenty of topwater baits that will work, from buzzbaits, frogs, prop baits, ploppers, jitterbugs, hula poppers, and pencil baits. Use what you have the most confidence in. That is the real secret. When you have the confidence your bait is the right bait, you work it differently and trust it more. Let the bass talk to you.
My second choice is going to be a soft plastic or jig. In some areas, they are the same, but others way different. I love to use both to work around laydowns and lily pads. Always work from the outside edges into the meat of the laydown. This allows you to catch multiple bass from one area. And don’t be afraid to throw a different bait into the same laydown. I have thrown multiple baits into a laydown and caught bass on all of them.
Now, a worm, like a Missile Baits Magic Worm, is a great choice for all of it, but a dropshot is a killer way to present it, as well as a wacky. You can use it shallow or deep and work your drop shot around the outside edges of the laydowns and lily pads. I am not one who likes to throw it in the laydown, as I always seem to get the thing hung somehow and quickly.
My third choice is a crankbait. And I love to throw the SPRO Little John. It has a tight action that will work over and through the brush if you don’t try to force it while covering a lot of water. While I love it around laydowns and the edges of the lily pads, it works great for suspended bass as you work it over their head. The bass sees it and attacks. And working it out from the shallow over top of the drop off into deeper water can also get some big hits. It is a tool that isn’t really used a lot to it’s full potential.
And while some bass are always shallow, some will be deeper. And for me that means two baits really. The first is a lipless crankbait. I love to work it over submerged grass beds and laydowns. You can work it at any depth just by letting it sink naturally. I love the SPRO Aruku Shad because of the way it shimmies as it falls and when on the bottom, stands on its nose. You can work it fast or slow, letting the fish tell you everything.
And for deeper water, my second choice is the old ball and chain, the Carolina rig. I pair it with two baits mostly, a Missile Baits D Stroyer or Baby D Stroyer. The appendages give it that tantalizing action as you drag it across the bottom.
July fishing can be a tough time to be on the water, but not impossible. By preparing for the worst, you can make every day out a fun day. Having plenty of fluids and wearing the proper clothing are key. But more importantly, knowing when to say enough is by far the most important. Know when to seek shade to cool off and when to just get off the water.
I’m just as guilty. I never want to give up, especially if they are biting. Have fun and enjoy the water.