Summer Fishing: Shallow Vs. Deep

[Brian6428]

Hey guys, it is now July and it is officially summer. I was just reading some articles in the "Seasonal Fishing" section of the Fishing Articles (on BR) and came across a few articles on summer fishing with conflicting views. One article stated that bass naturally lived in shallow water and rarely went deep, even in the summer, so shallow is where the reader should fish for bass in the summer (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/shallow_bass.html). Also, I saw a Bill Dance episode where he said bass stayed shallow in the summer because that is where the oxygen is. The other article I read, however, stated that bass would be found deep during summer months (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/july_bass_fishing.html). This seems to be more popular than the shallow theory, but I feel each theory has credible sources backing it. So what do you guys think, in the summer do bass stay shallow or go deep?

 

Brian

[K_Mac]

In my experience you can often find fish in both. I am a deep water guy, but the last few years I have fished a lot with a guy who grew up fishing a river system. He is most comfortable if the trolling motor is kicking mud. Last year, in the middle of an historic heat wave, we fished one of my favorite local lakes. We fished all of of my deep water spots with little action. He said we would go up into the creek and pitch some shallow brush. I thought he was out of his mind and told him so in no uncertain terms. We blew over a sand bar sliding in the mud to fish a little deeper water (~3' deep!) along a chunk rock bank. We caught a bunch of nice fish in muddy, hot, shallow water with the air temp well above 100. It was a valuable lesson for me. I will always look to deep water structure when it's hot, but if that ain't working I will not hesitate to pitch a jig or plastic into the nastiest shallow cover I can find.

[Mccallister25]

Iv always heard that the fish are gonna retreat to deeper water also during the summer months. I have no doubt the fat girls are gonna be in deep water, but I dont have a boat so Im restricted to bank fishing only. Some days are better than others, but Iv still managed to catch 3-5 lb. fish a few times in the middle of the day.

[WRB]

The summer period.

Bass are scattered during the summer period and tend to migrate or travel horizontally within the water column, instead of vertically or up and down.

So how can be bass be both shallow and deep at the same time?

Bass have air bladders that allow them to suspend at a comfortable depth that provides sanctuary with food nearby. If the upper lake layer of water is in the 80's, the water is uncomfortable because of low dissolved oxygen levels, the bass will move deeper to be comfortable. However if the food source is up in the 80+ degree water the bass will move to those areas to feed. LMB can move up and down within the water column within 25' without stress. During day light hours the shallow weed beds produce DO through photothensis; green aquatic weed produce oxygen during the day time. The weed beds also provide shade, water temps are too high for the bass to stay a long time.

Active feeding bass are a lot easier to catch them the suspended resting or inactive bass.

Where all this gets confusing is lake types. Deep man made water storage or power generation lakes tend to have pelagic shad as a food source. Shad move out into deeper water away from shore during the day time and into cover at night. Bass tend to follow the food source out in deeper water, if pelagic bait fish are available.

So the answer is lake classifications; highland, hill land, flat land and canyon reservoirs with shad populations can have out in deep water, not deep in the water column and bass feeding on shad during the day time. Low land and natural lakes without a pelagic bait fish food source, the bass tend to feed near shore in shallower water.

Bass are more active during low light time periods when most of the food source is shallow"; the bottom line; summer period, fish at night or low light hours and be versatile.

Tom

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[Sam]

To add to Tom's info, a bass will seek cover and oxygen and cooler water offers more oxygen.

 

So to keep it simple, the bass will suspend in deeper water and then hit the shallows to feed or to sun themselves.

 

If there is current the bass will seek it out and face into the current for an easy meal and to enjoy the oxygenated water.

 

In my double secret pond the big ladies are deep. Caught a six-pounder the other day while floating in my raft. Otherwise caught only ones under one and a half pounds closer to the bank.

 

Hookingem on this site has caught many big ones in the pond and he can add to this post if he sees it and gives you his two cents.

 

So read and read again what Tom says and try to keep it simple and throw out as far as you can into the deeper water and always fish the shallows, too.

[RoachDad]

Hey guys, it is now July and it is officially summer. I was just reading some articles in the "Seasonal Fishing" section of the Fishing Articles (on BR) and came across a few articles on summer fishing with conflicting views. One article stated that bass naturally lived in shallow water and rarely went deep, even in the summer, so shallow is where the reader should fish for bass in the summer (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/shallow_bass.html). Also, I saw a Bill Dance episode where he said bass stayed shallow in the summer because that is where the oxygen is. The other article I read, however, stated that bass would be found deep during summer months (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/july_bass_fishing.html). This seems to be more popular than the shallow theory, but I feel each theory has credible sources backing it. So what do you guys think, in the summer do bass stay shallow or go deep?

 

Brian

Hey Brian, this is why I quit subscribing to Golf and Fishing magazines.  If you follow golfing or fishing for very long you will hear the opposite sides insist that they are both right. 

 

Especially if the writer has a sponsor with a new deep lure or shallow lure coming out!  ha!

[RoachDad]

Hey guys, it is now July and it is officially summer. I was just reading some articles in the "Seasonal Fishing" section of the Fishing Articles (on BR) and came across a few articles on summer fishing with conflicting views. One article stated that bass naturally lived in shallow water and rarely went deep, even in the summer, so shallow is where the reader should fish for bass in the summer (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/shallow_bass.html). Also, I saw a Bill Dance episode where he said bass stayed shallow in the summer because that is where the oxygen is. The other article I read, however, stated that bass would be found deep during summer months (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/july_bass_fishing.html). This seems to be more popular than the shallow theory, but I feel each theory has credible sources backing it. So what do you guys think, in the summer do bass stay shallow or go deep?

 

Brian

 

 

Brian, I just read the shallow water article you linked.  According to the Ph.D this is what you can fish in shallow water even in 100 degree heat.

Topwater and "Slush" baits, spinnerbaits and Buzzbaits, Minnow type baits, Worms and Craws. 

 

Yep, that just about covers it 

 

Last Sunday in 90+ heat I caught 3 on Senkos and 2 on topwater (Jitterbug) and would have caught more but it was a pond and I lost my jitterbug.

[Todd2]

I fished my local lake yesterday. It was several feet high due to recent rain but was dropping. There was a lot of submerged live trees and bushes. I tried a lot of presentations.. both deep and shallow. I couldn't get much going.. but then the skies cleared and I found a nice bite pitching green jigs to laydowns. I'd pitch to live trees all the way down the bank, but the bites were only on shallow laydowns in the middle of a hot summer bright day. Was there a deep bite too...maybe? But I stayed shallow and caught fish until another stormed rolled in later. Always try both until you figure out. Good luck.

[Brian6428]

Thanks for the answers guys, that helped clear it up a lot!

[papajoe222]

As long as there is a food source in the vacinity, they can be both shallow and deep at the same time.  That food source could very well be different in each area. Shallow fish may be relating to smaller sunfish, or other forage that stays shallow the majority of the time.  Deep fish may be relating to schools of baitfish, or holding along a migration route that they use to the shallows to feed and then return to their deeper haunts. 

The biggest difference to me is the fact that deep fish tend to bunch up whereas shallow holding fish are normally scattered.  This is the reason you see most anglers that fish shallow constantly moving while anglers targeting deep fish tend to concentrate on one area.

If you have the resources to check out both the shallows and the deeper structure, you have a much better chance of being successful vs. an angler that either lacks those resources or locks themself into one area or the other.

[Todd2]

PapaJoe nailed it.. IMO

[Mindhunter]

I caught my PB in 106 degree weather in less than 4' of water. She was sitting on a brush pile just picking bait fish off as they swam a migration route from deep to shallow. Though she was very shallow there was 20 fow within 10 feet of said brush pile. If I'm fishing shallow in the heat I always look for deep water nearby, big fish will always have that escape route to deeper water close

[Brian6428]

Thanks again guys, these replies really answered my question well. Thanks!

[aavery2]

In the summer I use my sonar and locate the thermocline, I rarely fish deeper than it because of the reduced oxygen below it.   This one thing will reduce the amount of water you have to figure out.

[bigbill]

Fishing from shore I Find the bass big near the shoreline ambushing bait early AM am from dark till first light. They tend to move to a mid point once its light. But they head to deeper water and cover by 8 to 9am. If not sooner. The shoreline topwater and crankbait seems to drop off. I usually go deeper to a split shot rigged worm or a Carolina rigged senko or a jig n pig (football 3/8oz jig with a pork trailer). I tend to work the Rocky points  and the weedline.

 

My PB was caught two feet from shore casting parallel with the shoreline.

 

No w from a boat your looking for a thermocline with the right PH closer to 7 is what you want.

[Fishes in trees]

The old Buck Perry adage, "The fish are deep, or shallow, or somewhere in between." applies.  For an exhaustive explanation of this adage, read any of Buck Perry's publications pertaining to spoon plugging.

 

My personally, I think that you start with your regional seasonal patterns and adjust from there.  I got to go yesterday, after getting to go fishing only one time in June.   Fishing out of my boat, me and a buddy got 2 solid limits (10 fish 15" to 18") out of 10 to 18 feet of water, plus an additional 10 or 12 slot fish (12 to 15")

 

Fishing shallow at various times throughout the day, we got half a dozen slot fish and another half dozen sinks (less than 12")   Most of the shallow fish came on rattle traps, a couple on chatter baits.   I had several fish flash on a spinner bait, but didn't hook any.  From what I saw, they were slot fish or sinks.

 

Anyway, yesterday, for me the better fish were deeper.  Low & slow was the rule.