Summer Bass Are Kicking My Butt - Help!

[BadContrakt]

Thanks for all the replies y'all. I went fishing this morning at 4:00am until 10:00am and had a bit of luck.

The few bass I caught were smaller but this is how I got them: top water buzz bait was the first catch of the morning and that was next to the pads on a 7-12ft point. Next was on a skirted half ounce jig trailed with a scented redtail soft plastic; under a 10-15 foot dock. He struck me after I had bounced it out of the dock, not while it was still under it. That pattern continued until about 8:00 then it died out and I fished weed lines and the lake's hole and also went back to the point I caught my first one and they were turned off.

Overall the morning wasn't bad and I got to try out my new power drive motor which is KICKBUTT awesome. It's a real load off my back and easier for me to fish with a nice foot pedal motor rather than tiller control.

[WiregrassRiverRat]

I see you like finesse stuff... well if ya dont want to have to get up super early (or  in the middle of the night) try a shaky head. you might not be getting the biggest fish with it.. but its plenty of fun to catch a bunch of fish too 3/8 oz with any kind of finesse worm. DONT SHAKE IT.. just drop it down on spinning set up and then use your finger to tap the line about 3 times. then pick it up about 2ft then back down and repeat.. 

[Clint C.]

Don't forget to try a frog in thick lily pads middle of the day... I've been having luck on sunny days between 3 and 6pm in the pads. Getting reaction bites.

[Highhawk1948]

Flip a straight tail black worm.  start with a grass line in water at least 4 foot deep and keep going down the edge.

[Scott F]

Summer time is a hot bite for me, but not on lakes. Rivers have shallow bass that are easy to catch all summer long. Give them a try.

[Dredge]

The surface temp has been in the mid to upper 80's with air temp in the 90's.  Fishing has been slow for the last two weeks even with all this rain we have been getting.  I have been trying to find the fish but they are elusive and definately not stacked up, at least where I have looked.

 

Things that have not worked: dragging a carolina rig in 14 to 19 foot of water with no bites, Throwing a rattle trap in 3 foot of water where I was catching a lot of fish in late June but nothing.  I find schools of shad on my Humminbird and fish a fluke threw them and under them and also throw a deep diving crankbait and used a flutter spoon as well to no avail.

 

I found some structure a thousand or so feet from shore in 8 foot of water and caught a few around it on a drop shot. Next I am gonna try throwing a frog in the lilly pads which is about the last thing I can think of besides using live bait. Any suggestions?

 

When I lived up outside of Seattle I would night fish for bass in the summer and regularly sliegh them.  Caught them mostly on a swimming worm or spinner bait.  Up in the NW there is nothing that wants to bite or eat you besides an occasional bear but I never saw one of those swim after anyone, lol.

 

Now that I am back in my home state and living in Central Florida on the Harris Chain and get to fish almost everyday I see things that keep me from night fishing.  Mostly large alligators deter me but I beleive the fishing would be awesome. Especially on a full moon. I have caught some nice fish from the dock at night (up to 6.5 pounds) but going out in my boat at night doesn't seem like real good idea.  Anybody do any good bass fish at night in Central Florida?  Now these local boys are just plain crazy when it comes to alligators but I rarely see anyone out at night on my lake fishing. 

[ToadTorcher]

Find the weeds and find the fish! Dosnt sound like the lakes are very clear so deep wouldn't be a very good bet -- the lack of vegetation down there wouldn't provide much oxygen for the fish. Check back coves and shallower flats. 

 

Once you find the weeds I'd try picking them apart with a plastic creature bait or throwing a frog over top. 

[Fat Willy]

I've been fishing the lakes in the west suburbs of the Twin Cities and I have had great luck all summer. My "go to's" have been a Booyah Spinnerbait in baby bass color, Minnow swim jigs of all colors and a Booyah swim jig in white with a white grub trailer. All in 3/8 oz. I have had to replace the swim jig twice since spring because it gets so warn out. I use 12lb low vis green suffix mono. Not sure any of this will help you but it is working for me.

[LCpointerKILLA]

Try a larger lake, the dnr lakes might be too heavily pressured