Fishing In The Heat

[Jcraig359]

For the past few months on my local lake I've pretty much been able to catch fish anytime of day on rocks and broken sea walls, the temp outside hardly ever broke 90° for the most part it has been around 75 to 85. Now the temp is hitting high 90's and the water has warmed way up and I'm not catching fish like I was obviously. I guess my question is now that summer is in full swing in Arkansas and the water has warmed way up what approach should I take to catch fish? I know deeper water is cooler water but what baits do I use? And do I look for underwater structure? I need help!

[Smokinal]

My go to pattern in the summer is a t-rigged worm with pegged weight in 6-12 ft grass flats. I feel I can always catch bass in those situations.

[Bruce424]

Carolina rig

[Jcraig359]

When you

My go to pattern in the summer is a t-rigged worm with pegged weight in 6-12 ft grass flats. I feel I can always catch bass in those situations.

When you say pegged wouldn't that be just about the same as using a shakey head hook?

[SchlottyD]

It has been in the high 90s for a while here in south central Kansas and I am still catching them shallow on lipless cranks and t and c rigged creature baits and worms as well as senkos. But, more oxygenated water is what you are after so shaded areas or slightly deeper.

What is the water like there, clear or stained or muddy?

[Raul]

When you

When you say pegged wouldn't that be just about the same as using a shakey head hook?

 

Not quite the same thing, a pegged bullet sinker is to penetrate and go through cover while the shaky head won´t do it.

[Smokinal]

When you

When you say pegged wouldn't that be just about the same as using a shakey head hook?

I suppose it's close. I just have more confidence in the worm t-rigged. I feel it comes through grass better and I also swim it sometimes and I like it t-rigged for that too.

 

EDIT: ^^^Wizard. Raul, you beat me to it!

[BassinLou]

First things first. Hydrate like crazy and cover up head to toe. On to fishing. Look for cover. With the current temps and heat fish are either going to go deep to find cooler water and/or stay shallow under green vegetation. Take a stealthy and patient approach and dissect the cover. Fish during the cooler parts of the day and keep consistent. You will find fish. As far as baits or techniques. I jig, flip, punch, and frog during these situations. Top to bottom approach until I figure out what the fish are doing. 

[Jcraig359]

It's pretty murky. Visibility is only about 1-2ft. There's a causeway I fish around and in the center it's about 10-12ft deep with a current I caught 2 there on a black and blue pig and jig but that's it for the past couple of days

[Catt]

My goto in the heat is sun down

[CJ]

For the past few months on my local lake I've pretty much been able to catch fish anytime of day on rocks and broken sea walls, the temp outside hardly ever broke 90° for the most part it has been around 75 to 85. Now the temp is hitting high 90's and the water has warmed way up and I'm not catching fish like I was obviously. I guess my question is now that summer is in full swing in Arkansas and the water has warmed way up what approach should I take to catch fish? I know deeper water is cooler water but what baits do I use? And do I look for underwater structure? I need help!

 

What kind of structure and cover does your water feature? Is it a river resevoir where current is involved? What is the main forage?

[A-Jay]

Fish at night.

 

A-Jay

[Catt]

Fish at night.

A-Jay

Hey! I done said that!

[A-Jay]

Hey! I done said that!

 

I know - I got your back ~

 

A-Jay

[Mike L]

It's pretty murky. Visibility is only about 1-2ft. There's a causeway I fish around and in the center it's about 10-12ft deep with a current I caught 2 there on a black and blue pig and jig but that's it for the past couple of days

You answered your question.

You found fish, you caught fish, you know the bottom contour and You remembered what you used.

Even tho you may not have got bit in the last few days, I would venture to say that an area like that, in mid summer would be an ideal place for fish to reload after a while.

If there is a flats area on either side of the 10-12ft causeway, hit that area hard when the deeper water bite slows.

That would be where I would begin and end my day.

Mike

[K_Mac]

First things first. Hydrate like crazy and cover up head to toe. On to fishing. Look for cover. With the current temps and heat fish are either going to go deep to find cooler water and/or stay shallow under green vegetation. Take a stealthy and patient approach and dissect the cover. Fish during the cooler parts of the day and keep consistent. You will find fish. As far as baits or techniques. I jig, flip, punch, and frog during these situations. Top to bottom approach until I figure out what the fish are doing.

If you are not able to fish at night the above advice is as good as it gets IMO. Deep structure has long been a favorite, but shallow grass can be amazing even in the hottest weather. I learned this lesson fishing on a day when the temperature was well above 100 and we could not find them deep. I was ready to call it a day when my partner, who grew up fishing on the river suggested going up into the creek. I thought he was crazy, and told him so. We had one of my best days ever on that lake. Stay cool!

[Paul Roberts]

Check for a first-light bite. Can be a wild first hour or so.

[Bluebasser86]

Switch to the night shift. Fish bite better, it's more comfortable to you, and there's typically less people on the water. 

[greentrout]

Each to his own. I'm an old man and my regimen is on the water at the crack of dawn, weather permitting, and fish the morning bite for a few hours. Then done. Mist on the water with your favorite top water with a vicious strike is hard to beat to start the day.

 

 

The Old School Basser...

[No Thanks I'll Bass]

Has anyone fished on Lake Atkins recently?? Headed there Monday and was just wondering what the fish were wanting. Have never fished up there but I am ready to check it out. Heard good things.

[bigbill]

Plastics with a rattle pushed into them with a scent.

Murky conditions? Brighter colors....

Why do we have all these different shades of colors.

Throw a bright chartruse crank?

A hot chartruese spinnerbaits.(skirts) with a MT 4" split double tail grub chartruese. They will attack it. Watch the action.

Dark water conditions go to the brightest, largest baits.

Time to regroup and go for it.

When we're using the wrong color they can hear the rattle, smell the scent but can't see the bait. Brightest colors fished the slowest.

Sorry I get all hyper I want to fish with u.

I just ordered culprit worms in chartruese. From brannans bass.

[bigbill]

Try at 5am

[FinCulture]

Just work a jig or a plastic slow off the bottom in the heat of the day. My summer fishing is always early morning and evening. Its worked so far.

[Turkey sandwich]

It's been toasty here in PA and I've been on the river mostly. I don't know anything about your lake other than what you've mentioned re:catching fish deep, but the above suggestions are all good. Forage is important also. Do you have schooling baitfish like Shad, alewifes, etc in the lake?

Creeks will provide current and often cooler water and shade near the shallows. If you can run them, you may find fish.

Cool water, and ambush opportunities are what active bass are looking for when it's hot. If the lake has Shad, look for deep water access near flats and keep your eyes open in the morning/evening for boils on the surface. Schooling bass will follow those schools and pop them from below.

Heavy surface vegetation (the green stuff, avoid anything dieing/dead) will provide a,bush points and shade. Flipping, pitching, and frogging is pretty money, but don't be afraid to work the edges with walking baits or popper in the morning/evening or T-Rig during the day.

Also, let the fish dictate your retrieve/presentation. Sometimes when it's hot, they want their food moving fast (reaction) and sometimes they're sluggish and want to stare at a dead sticked worm for 5 minutes before sucking it up.

[ww2farmer]

Here ................"Hot" is a 85-90....and we don't get a bunch of days like that, and even when we do, I still fish. Often times the best bite is during the hottest, brightest part of the day, it puts the fish in predictable spots, like shade, or in thick grass. When and if we do get the rare "heatwave"...conventional wisdom says fish deep, and in the morning or evening, I go just about 180 degrees the other way, and fish in the dirt, during the heat of the day, and do just fine. Sunscreen up, bring lots of water and gatorade, and just go fishing. I have been known to take my shirt off dip it in the water and put it back on, the evaporating water off your shirt and skin have a cooling effect that really works. I hate night fishing......for one, I have terrible low light vision, and I really have never had the need to go at night, I catch them just fine during the day.