Is Fishing Done By July 1St?

[Goose52]

Here in my little lakes in east Tennessee, May and June are the peak months. Fishing is NOT over by any means after July 1st...but fishing does slow down. The bar chart below shows the total number of bass that I have caught, by month, since the end of the 2009 season.  Catch rates peak in May/June, down quite a bit in the hot weather in July/August, then it starts tapering down as you approach winter. Note that on this chart the bars for July through December do not yet have 2015 data so the bell curve will change a bit at the end of this year. Also note that this chart is influenced by a number of factors: 1) the overall "catchability" of of the fish by season, 2) my skill level to find/catch the fish in the various seasonal patterns, 3) work/travel time that is seasonal and keeps me off the water, and 4) seasonal weather changes that directly affect catch rates (like low water temps or hard water...).

 

[Josh Smith]

There's still Summer Peak, then fall feeding. Turnover shuts things down for a week or so, but there are always bass that will bite.

Indiana has been hit hard this year, but the season is not done yet. Wait until water levels stabilize before you expect too much. Til then, fish near outlets. That's where they're hanging out due to current carrying food that-a-way.

Josh

[Raul]

So , the fishing sucks Dec. 31st . 

 

Of course it sucks, that´s why we don´t fish Dec 31st.

[Goose52]

Of course it sucks, that´s why we don´t fish Dec 31st.

 

Hey Raul - keep passing the word - you can't catch bass on December 31st !  (This keeps everyone off the water).

 

For me - 8.4 LMB, Tennessee, December 31st, 2011.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

 

[the reel ess]

I shift my fishing to morning and evening when the dog days are upon us. And fishing can be tougher, but they'll still bite. Since they're cold-blooded their metabolism is as high as it's going to be all year and they have to eat. But you have to find them and present something they want. It's easier to get a topwater bite early and late.

 

My buddy tells me he's catching 4 or 5 10:00-2:00 in the afternoon, some of them have been good-he sends pics. But he doesn't believe in getting up early and works second shift. So it may be even better early/late.

 

As it gets uncomfortably hot and fish are harder to locate, people stop fishing.

[RoLo]

Yup, JULY 1ST I stash all my fishing gear in moth balls, and break out the high-steppers.

Now it's time to hit the discotheques and dazzle'em with my footwork  

 

Roger

[Bluebasser86]

It might get tougher, but it certainly isn't over! If you really want to fire up your summertime fishing, get out there an hour before dark and fish until an hour after sunrise!

[Neil McCauley]

Yep...July/August fishing kind of sucks. It can be good at times, but usually just in brief bursts like daily during twilight at dawn and dusk and right before cold fronts hit. Fish growth actually slows measurably in July because of the heat, and winter is the only period that's worse for growth. Same with fishing...even though most bass are caught in the summer, the # catches per angler is lowest in the summer. But who would mind bad fishing with such enjoyable surroundings....the insects, the tourists, the many other anglers, and the drunken boaters zooming by within 10 yards of your boat.

[Canyon explorer]

After June 30 I fish Only at night in lakes that have a lot of deep, (10-20'), hardwood brush piles. Such lakes in my area are LOZ, Table Rock, and Bull Shoals. I use 10" Power worms, large brush hogs and big jigs. I finish at dawn with Zara spooks and buzz baits on main lake points.

[MrBigFishSC]

Fish don't stop eating from July 1st to September 15th. You just have to adjust your strategy to catch them. The bite is not as aggressive or easy as the spring but it can be good for certain windows of time. Early and late topwater, deeper and slower presentations, more attention to shade and oxygen content areas. If we caught fish easily all year no one would take this thing seriously.

[Sam]

You can fish all year in Indiana.

Maybe not all for bass but for other species.

You can also enjoy ice fishing in the hard winter.

So don't give up.

Keep chucking those baits all year and keep a log as to what happens on each outing.

[DogBone_384]

I'm still waiting for the fishing to get good...

X2  -   I've not gotten out nearly as much as I did last year, and have only one LMB in the kayak.  Talking to other fishermen I meet along the way, the consensus is that the winter we had here in MA likely threw the bass off.  

 

As far as fishing being 'done' in July, no, it's not done, you just have to change tactics and find their Summer 'vacation' homes....

 

Keep at it and good luck!

[*Hootie]

The dog days of summer is my best fishing!

My biggest stringers & a huge percentage of double digits came the month of August.

Same here Catt. My fishing is best when I'm most uncomfortable from the heat and humidity.

Hootie

[joeblowwwww]

 It makes it harder when you pull up to all your favorite spots and there is a lot of people you have never seen b4.

but that's just a challenge. i'ts not over.... there is always the morning bite. a lot of those same people don't get up for the early at least in my area. and will always be the best time anyway.  just skip any other time until Fall.

[BassinLou]

Living in South FL, summer time fishing can be one of the toughest seasons to fish, however some very nice fish can be caught. My nicer fish come during this time of year, however my volume of catches drop. Besides dealing with high heat and humidity. Our rainy season begins sometime in July, so the water levels begin to rise and depending where you fish, the bass begin to migrate. 

 

Fishing isn't over on July 1st, your tactics, patience, and tolerances have to change.

[RoLo]

Same here Catt. My fishing is best when I'm most uncomfortable from the heat and humidity.

Hootie

 

Catt's approach to midsummer fishing circumvents the discomfort,

Tom is an estival nocturnalist 

 

Roger

[kikstand454]

I think the idea that it's over during the summer is due to tons of factors that have very little to do with fish, and alot to do with the fisherman.

It's hot. It's probably humid.

The fish aren't laying there in uncluttered shallow water waiting for your politely presented offering.

Exponentially more jacklegs roaming the water in skidoos and pleasure boats.

It's hot.

The fish are in less accessible water requiring the angler to put some actual effort into it.

Bugs suck.

Vacations and daily thunderstorms limit an anglers time on the water- and so "stats" are askew.

Did I mention its hot?

[bigbill]

I had the old timers say fish the post spawn, till late June. Then go river fishing for bass till it's cooled down for the fall bite. True or false? I haven't done completely yet but the river bite has been hot with rebel crawfish crankbaits the smaller ones and the panther Martin and joesfly spinflys.

Now if you not fishing just before the rain hits and during the rain your missing the best feeding frenzy. I throw the joesfly 1/4oz bass size in firetiger apache. A shot of scent and let it fly.

I have also learned to switch baits as the weather heats up.

Try a weighted 2" yellow grub. Switch grub colors too. I drop the grub into the open weed pockets.

A mepps timber doodle works good too it's weedless.

I also use a senkos and brushogs on a c rig.

The Mann's dragunfly on a split shot rig was good for dropping it in the weeds too bring them up slow like there hatching.

Don't forget the plastic mouse around structure.

[bigbill]

It's not over unless you give up or say it's over.

Time to change tactics. Fish plastics more, fish plastics slower.

To me it's a challenge. Where like a baseball pitcher it's no longer the fast ball it's just not working time for a curve ball or slider.

Change to different baits, different colors till one works. Record the date, time, weather in your log book.

Go early mornings when the place is quiet.

It's not luck it's skill that puts the bass on your hook.

[bigbill]

Sorry for another post but need to add more stuff don't want to mid it all up.

1.Summertime heat go deep with plastics during the day.

2. Dusk early evenings cranks, topwater, props, spinnerbaits, spinners.

3.Twilight early mornings, same as number 2. As it becomes lighter number 1.

Don't let the weeds stop you there are plenty of weedless lures that work. You need to just slow your speed down.

Don't be in a rush to fish. I find myself reeling way to fast for no results. I know the fish are there I just need to slow the speed down.

Move your spinnerbaits and inline spinners just fast enough so the blades just spin evenly. Slow and steady. Same with your crankbaits too.

Presentation is the number one key factor. We need to adjust our

Presentation to the fishes mood speed is the key. The speed also matters to the gin clear water conditions where faster is the key but you know that already.

Lazy days of summer = slow with blade baits n cranks. Very, very slow with plastics.

Don't give up its a challenge for you to figure it out.

[Ratherbfishing]

Down here in my neck of the woods fishing season begins Jan 1st and finishes Dec 30th, only really nasty weather is what may keep you from fishing.

 

Guess they give the fish a break on Dec 31st, huh?  ;  )

[hoosierbass07]

  So I think I was right - fishing is done buy July 1st!  The strip pits I go fishing at are swarmed with bugs and gnats and mosquitoes.  And this rain, it never stops.    

[Shanes7614]

So I think I was right - fishing is done buy July 1st! The strip pits I go fishing at are swarmed with bugs and gnats and mosquitoes. And this rain, it never stops.

Fish during the rain especially if it's been hot. Grab some rain gear and head out.

[lectricbassman]

Fish during the rain especially if it's been hot. Grab some rain gear and head out.

Id be out there right now, this moment, especially in the rain!

[stkbassn]

  The last three or so weeks we have been getting lots of rain here in Indiana and I'm sure most other places in the country.  The last week Iv'e noticed the ponds I fish at have changed.  The bite seems to have slowed way down and the bugs have finally come out to bite.  

 

 One of my relatives said he heard once that real fishing is done by July 1st, after July (or summer really starts to kick in), the good fishing is over.  

 

 I also noticed one of the main cable TV fishing channels, The Outdoor Network,  is replacing most of their Saturday fishing shows with hunting shows.  

 

 Also, aren't most of the main tournaments now over till late summer?  FLW is over, right?  

 

 This has me wondering, is the good fishing over till late summer/early fall?  Has night fishing kicked in?  Or is good bass fishing over till spring 2016?  

 

I too get irritated when the fishing shows get replaced with hunting shows. This is marketing though...getting everyone pumped up for fishing in the cold months and then getting everyone getting pumped up for hunting in the hot months....annoying. I don't hunt, never will, don't care and won't. I guess for most folks that fish they all also love to hunt so probably not a big deal to them.