Well, another semester is in the books here at Auburn. The best news is I managed to pass classes like Manufacturing Systems and Electronics Manufacturing, and now I’m looking forward to a little more free time the next two months. Which for me, means more time to go fishing.
Hopefully, summer means more time spent fishing with your friends and family too, so I thought I would share a few thoughts on how I approach bass fishing during the warmest months of the year.
First, keep the part about “warmest months of the year” top of mind. Sure, largemouth can be caught all day long during the hottest days of the year. But certainly, it seems fishing is at its best at around sunrise or sunset. That’s good news for those of you that work all day, because the two or three hours that summer’s long periods of daylight grant us after work each evening is a great time to fish.
If you’re headed out in the morning – rise early! I figure if my dad can get up before the chickens each morning and put on his unlined Carhartt bibs to pull a foal from a mare, then I can probably get up far before sunrise to cast a topwater lure.
No doubt, topwater lures are among my very favorites this time of year. Whether you’re fishing a farm pond or a large reservoir try tying a Rebel Pop R to 10 or 12 pound monofilament line and casting around any piece of shade you can find – it could be along the shady side of a dock, sea wall, or near a large overhanging branch.
I use baitcasting equipment, but if you insist on using a spinning reel, I’d advise you to use a Size 25, 30, or even a size 40 reel, simply because larger spinning reels handle heavier line far better than smaller spinning reels. You’ll have fewer tangles, and be able to cast further. You also need to use a rod with a fairly flexible tip when casting a topwater.
If you slept in, and mid-day is your only option, my top pick would be a Texas-rigged soft plastic Craw Papi. I like that particular lure because its pinchers displace a lot of water as it moves through the water. Experience, and conversations with guys that are better anglers than me, have lead me to believe that a soft plastic lure that displaces lots of water is the best bet in the post-spawn days of early summer. I like throwing this crawfish imitator on 15 – 20 pound line depending how thick or gnarly the habitat is that I’m fishing around, and a color called “Bama Bug” is hard to beat. Opposite the topwater rod, you’ll want a fairly stiff-tipped rod for fishing Texas rigged lures.
I guess I should say that school is not totally out for me this summer. I am going to take one class; it’s called Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering. But trust me, when I’m not tending to that, I’ll be fishing this summer – a whole bunch – and I hope you will too. Until next time, remember, rise early, and cast your lure to the shadiest spots.