By Allen Hamrick
It’s summertime, and it is hot enough to melt the skin off an alligator. Summertime means fast, furious fishing for quick bites around ledges, points and brush piles. Strike zones in deeper, cooler areas need large baits to draw out the bucket mouths.
Those large helpings help trigger hits as the bite slows down with the rise of the thermometer. It will make the difference between a good day on the water instead of a day on the water. In the summer, bass like to be where the current slings by the occasional dinner. Avoiding the high temperatures in the middle of the day is a good bet, but know that a cloudy and rainy day is one of those times to not shy away from the water Just before a rain, the humidity is at its highest, and at that time, the fish will be on the run instead of hanging out waiting.
Scientifically, bass feed differently when the barometric pressure is up or down. So, high humid conditions and low pressure are best when it’s raining, hence better fishing opportunities to catch a lot of bass. The fact is summertime bass fishing is as unpredictable as getting married; conditions change, sometime fast, and you must be ready to adapt. If something ain’t working, don’t go home; try something different but do it intelligently.
Of course, not everybody wants to jump in a boat or kayak when it’s raining hard enough to sink a Jon boat. One must be a hardcore “basser” to break out the rain suit and get to casting- but it can yield a lot of fish.
Top water baits are often the best during the rain, and you must play with the retrieve to get the speed right. Buzz baits, spinner baits, spoons – anything that will make a noisy presentation – will often draw a lot of attention from bass.
Summit Lake in nearby Pocahontas County is a great place to put in your kayak or small boat. With tons of lily pads to get hung up in, the opportunity for big bass is there. With a kayak, you can get up and into places the hot spots boats can’t get to. Challenge yourself to go out of your comfort zone in front of the AC and embrace the heat for some big bass. Stay cool and keep a tight line.
