As I’ve gone through my career, I’ve realized how important it is for an angler to have an identity. I’m not talking about personality or how you promote yourself professionally. I’m talking about understanding who you are as a fisherman.
Every angler has strengths and weaknesses. The key is being honest about them and building your approach around what you do best. When you figure out your strengths and commit to them, you become a more consistent and confident angler.
I see a lot of anglers around my area who prefer fishing offshore. In many situations, that may be the best way to get a lot of bites and put together a quality limit. Catching numbers of fish is a lot of fun, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that approach.
For me, though, I’ve always been at my best when I’m getting five to 10 bites a day. I’m willing to sacrifice quantity if I feel like I’m around the fish that can win tournaments. That means I’m usually targeting shallow-water areas that give me the best opportunity to catch bigger bass.
Now, if I’m out fun fishing, I enjoy catching a bunch of fish just like anyone else. But when I’m competing, my goal is to catch the five biggest bass I can find. To me, shallow fish become some of the most predictable fish in the lake during the summer months.
One thing that’s important to understand this time of year is that warm water doesn’t always mean fish are aggressive or actively feeding. However, it does mean their metabolism is running at a high rate. They have to eat to maintain that energy level, and that creates opportunities for anglers who can put the right presentation in front of them.
That’s one of the reasons I enjoy summertime fishing so much. I get to fish some of my favorite techniques. I may not be running down the bank and covering miles of water, but I can fish faster and more aggressively with the presentations I trust.
My favorites this time of year are a frog, a buzzbait rigged with a Zoom Horny Toad instead of a skirt and my Wes Logan Signature Swim Jig from Ark paired with a Zoom Super Speed Craw trailer.
Flipping is always productive in hot weather as well, but because bass have a heightened metabolism, I can speed things up a little. Whether I’m flipping a jig or a soft plastic, I’ll often use heavier weights — 5/8 ounce or even 3/4 ounce — because that bait shoots past the fish quickly and often triggers a reaction strike before they have time to think about it.
When it comes to colors, I like to keep options rigged that imitate all of the major forage species bass are feeding on. I’ll have shad colors, bluegill colors and darker crawfish-style colors ready to go at all times.
During the summer, bass have access to just about every food source in the lake. One minute, they may be feeding on shad, and the next, they could be eating bluegill or crawfish. I use water color, cloud cover, light conditions and even moon phase as starting points when deciding which colors to throw.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that bigger fish — especially largemouth bass — tend to favor larger meals during the summer. They certainly won’t pass up baitfish, but bluegill and crawfish-style presentations often seem to trigger the biggest bites. I’m not a biologist, so I can’t explain all the science behind it, but experience has taught me that those larger forage profiles consistently attract quality fish.
If I can leave you with one tip, it’s this: When you’re dealing with the extremes of cold water or hot water, don’t be afraid to throw bigger baits.
Big bass are often positioned around cover and looking for the most efficient meal possible. Presentations like a glidebait, a full-sized jig and trailer or a full-sized buzzbait can be excellent tools for targeting those fish.
That’s how I approach summertime fishing. Figure out who you are as an angler, lean into your strengths and fish with confidence.
Good luck, and get after ’em!
