Surviving the Summer Heat:
To Live or Die
By Bruce Callis
Summer is officially here and so is the heat. We just got through with some extreme heat with temperatures in the 100 degree range and heat indexes over 110. And so many people think they can handle that heat. The problem is they forget what the sun takes out of the body. And then what it does to the bass as well.
Let’s talk a little science. The excessive heat puts a significant strain on the human body, potentially leading to heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as well as exacerbating existing medical conditions. It can also trigger sudden events like heart attacks or strokes!
Two heat-related illnesses are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion occurs when the body gains more heat than it can release. This leads to symptoms like dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, and heavy sweating. Heat stroke is a severe condition where the body’s temperature rises above 104 degrees causing confusion, delirium, and potentially leading to organ failure and death.
And exacerbation of existing conditions is a big concern. The extreme heat can worsen cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health issues, asthma, and respiratory problems. It can also increase the risk of accidents and the transmission of some infectious diseases.
The physiological effects of the heat can be an increased heart rate, dehydration and reduced blood pressure. The heart works harder to pump blood to the skin to release heat, potentially leading cardiovascular problems. Sweating leads to fluid and salt loss, disrupting the body’s electrolyte balance. The blood vessels dilate to release heat, potentially causing dizziness and fainting.
Some other potential effects can be neurological issues, kidney problems, and increased risk of blood clots. Heatstroke can cause brain swelling, leading to headaches, seizures, and altered consciousness. Heat can decrease urine output and potentially lead to acute tubular necrosis (kidney failure) if untreated. And heat can cause blood clots to form in blood vessels, hindering circulation.
It is crucial to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and seek medical attention promptly. By staying hydrated, avoiding strenuous activity during peak heat, seeking shade or air conditioning can help prevent overheating. And if you have preexisting health conditions, you are particularly vulnerable and should take extra precautions.
What do we need to do to protect ourselves? First, protect ourselves from the sun. Wear clothing that will allow your skin to breathe. Sunshirts, pants, and a hat are so important. And wear sunscreen on those body parts exposed to the sun. Apply it often and liberally. And drink plenty of fluids! Water is the prime choice. If you don’t like plain water, you can buy plenty of additives that will give it taste and electrolytes. Or you can buy bottles of sports drinks. Keep a cooler full with more than you think you will need. And don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink something, it is too late then, you are already getting dehydrated.
The excessive heat affects by causing them to seek cooler, deeper water and reducing their overall activity levels. Warm water holds less oxygen, which can stress the fish and potentially lead to fish kills if oxygen levels drop too low. Bass metabolism increases in warm water, making them more active and hungry initially, but prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to lethargy and reduced feeding.
When the air temperatures soar and the water temperature start to get too high, start to look for the shady areas or deeper water. Areas that get the most shade will remain a little cooler, like docks and vegetation. They can become more sensitive to sunlight and will seek darker, cooler areas to ambush prey. Understanding how heat affects bass behavior is crucial for successful fishing. We need to adjust our techniques and target areas to find those big girls.
Summer fishing can be fun, but it can be dangerous. Take the time to be prepared and keep yourself and others with you safe. Look out for the others around you. Pay more attention to others on the water, or shore, as you pass them. I would rather be called a few names for checking on someone than to see them die. Be safe and have fun. And listen to what the bass are doing. Move to where they want to be and catch some big bass!
Has traditional fishing made a comeback in 2025?
By Cason Maddux
July is here and we are officially on the latter half of the bass fishing season. Professional tournaments (Major League Fishing, Bassmaster, and NPFL), have all seen a display of versatility different than the past few years. It is no secret the introduction of forward facing sonar (FFS) has changed the way we fish, practice, and view tournament fishing. Social media, live streaming, and overall improvements in tournament coverage show us exactly how each tournament is won. In the older days, tv shows would only show the highlights and anglers could fib on their post tournament recaps. It’s harder than ever to hide information and which makes it easier for us fans to think like the pros.
As someone who follows along closely to industry trends especially in the tournament scene, it feels like this year has been very diverse. Part of this could be due to rule changes that pertain FFS and part of it could be due to the schedule itself. For example, we are seven events into the Bassmaster Elite series schedule and of that seven, 4/7 were not won using FFS. Bill lowrn caught them as old school as it gets with a swimjig on the St. John’s. Brandon Palunuik utilized electronics but was not relying on his “scope” to catch them cranking on Okeechobee. Pat Schlapper won the grinder on the Sabine without using it at all. And lastly, on Lake Tenkiller (where many thought scoping would dominate) Wes Logan caught them flipping flooded bushes. While FFS has certainly been a factor, this year has shown that you can win without it.
I feel like this trend will continue moving forward if the schedules allow it. Fishing has never been a one dimensional sport. The term “scoping” is used very loosely and actually covers a wide variety of techniques. Just because someone is staring at his graph that doesn’t mean he is fishing in a way that he couldn’t without the technology. When fish are suspended in open water causing bait, that’s where the FFS unlocked a whole new realm of bass fishing. Fishing hard spots, ledges, brush piles, or even standing timber has always been done just less efficiently. I believe that with time and pressure, those untouched bass in the middle of the channel will become like anything else and have its time and place.
So what is so different this year vs last year? Some obvious rule changes in MLF and NPFL have limited or disbarred the use of FFS so that is a no brainer. They have tried to make it a level playing field but at the end of the day, FFS or no FFS, the anglers around the most active fish will always win in that format. Bassmaster however still largely allows this use of the technology but has always seen the switch. The schedule and weather has played a large role to that in my opinion. The wetter spring we have had has kept the water levels up and allowed more shallow water fishing to take place. Additionally, Bassmaster has done a good job curating a diverse schedule from the Elites series down into the Opens as well.
I would like to continue the trend of seeing less familiar water on the upcoming schedules. Everyone loves to giant bass caught on Fork but who wouldn’t want to see what other Texas lakes can produce (I guess maybe the tight-lipped locals). I believe that the sport allows the cream to rise to the top no matter what technology/format is implemented. That’s who can block out all other external factors and find the best gameplan to win will always succeed. With the remainder of the season being up North in smallmouth country, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the minnows start winning again; but until then it has been nice to see some parity in the sport.
Night Fishing: Tips and Tricks for Beginners
By Calvin Herndon
As we begin to get into the hottest days of the summer night fishing begins to become a very good option. Instead of baking in the sun during the day you can fish at night when it is cooler. Night fishing also helps the bass as well the bass struggle to feed during the day due to the hot water temperatures in the lake. Bass do better feeding at night due to the cooler temperatures. At night bass can use the shadows to their advantage when feeding and ambushing prey. Bass use the shadows to be more accurate when hunting down their food. What are some tips and tricks to night fishing?
Let’s begin talking about some equipment that you may need while out night fishing. One of the most important pieces of equipment would be some sort of light source. I would recommend investing in a good headlamp. There are so many different types of head lamps I prefer one that has different light setting or colors. When you are fight that big fish at night it is just easier to tap a button on your lamp and continue the fight instead of fumbling around trying to find a flashlight.
Let’s break down when is the best time to fish at night? When fishing at night you need to consider the water clarity. Rule of thumb is that fishing the full moon is the best time to fish at night. This is not necessary the way to go, so say your body of water is stained or muddy. The best fishing then would be the full moon do to light penetration. Now if the water is clear your best opportunity is going to be during the new moon phase. What are some of the baits to use when fishing at night?
I would like to break this down in section of the water column. Let’s start with bottom contact baits there are two that I think will help you be successful and they are a curly tail worm and a jig. The curly tail worm I recommend fishing it on a Texas rig. Here is another thing I would recommend when fishing the Texas rig worm use a peg at the top of your weight. The reason you need to do this is because at night your senses are all messed up and you want to be able to feel the bait at night. The last recommendation is to use at least a ½ oz weight. The reason why is because we want to be connected to that bait. The same thing with the jig ½ oz choose a jig with a big hook in it. Why a jig and a worm for night fishing? The bass will eat both of them and one better than the other depending on your fishery. Let’s move on to the fun part the reaction baits.
My reaction baits are going to be a chatter bait or medium diving crankbait. These baits for color you need just bait fish colors. Lastly let’s talk about top water my go to be a whopper plopper, wake bait or a thunder stick.