summer spots

[juicebass]

Hey guys,

I was reading about Largemouth bass patterns and read that bass head down deep in the summer.. However i catch a lot of summer bass in pads and slop type areas that are shallow.. I feel like that's opposite of what I read in most places concerning largies and how they go down deep when the weather super hot.

 

Any info or clarity on this would help!

 

Thanks

[Looking for the big one]

The reason they are around the slop and pads is because those plants are putting out oxygen that they need to breathe as well as shade from the sun and an abundance of prey.

[ww2farmer]

On any body of water I have ever been to, there have always been largemouth on the bank or in shallow water, year round, as long as there is food. Bass are not "sensitive" fish, they are at home in just about any depth, and are quite adaptable. They will go where the food goes. In lakes with lots of shad, I imagine they would go deeper in the summer, because that's where the food goes. In a grassy natural lake, you'll find them everywhere. It's not uncommon for me, in the same day to catch a bass in the middle of the hottest part of the summer in 6 inches of water and then in 20+ feet of water.....................because food is in both places.

[N Florida Mike]

I find that they tend to hold deep on very hot days,and come up shallow when it cools down in the evening.So a good place to fish is shallow cover near deep water.There the bass has all its needs met.And in the middle of the day fish the deep water near the cover.Deep holes in open water work well too in the middle of the day.

[juicebass]

Great, to be honest most of my fishing is done from shore into slop-pads-weeds. When i get on a boat (2-3  a month) i usually stick to fishing the same kind of stuff.. never really tried fishing ledges or deep so i'm a newb for that.. but it seems most pro's fish deep and deep ledges and do very well finding BIG fish

[N Florida Mike]

If you fish a large water body its best to focus on one area of it and learn that good.Otherwise,it might seem overwhelming .

[juicebass]

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

If you fish a large water body its best to focus on one area of it and learn that good.Otherwise,it might seem overwhelming .

Yes exactly. I fish a large river system called Lac St. Louis -in quebec. Mostly smallmouths and have only ever found the largies in the slop and pads..

Definitely overwhelming to find them during all the different seasons on sucha large body of water

 

[N Florida Mike]

Ive never been small mouth fishing so I'd probably have a hard time catching them for awhile.

[Bluebasser86]

Guys like Tommy Biffle, George Cochran, and Denny Brauer have made pretty decent livings catching bass in shallow when they aren't "supposed" to be there.

I catch them shallow all summer long, mainly in vegetation or under docks. As long as there's food and cover (which applies all year round, not just in summer), you'll find some bass. 

[Fishinthefish]

I absolutely never fish deep for bass unless the water tempature is really cold. Especially in the summer months, I find bass stay with vegetation in structure close by. I get hit constantly under docks near thick weeds.

[Catt]

I find there are 3 "groups" of bass in most bodies of water.

There are bass that are relate to the shore line.

There are bass that relate to deep water off shore.

There are bass that move between the two.

[clh121787]

39 minutes ago, Catt said:

I find there are 3 "groups" of bass in most bodies of water.

There are bass that are relate to the shore line.

There are bass that relate to deep water off shore.

There are bass that move between the two.

I read that book. And I believe it too. Why would a bass swim all over the lake for no reason. If there is food readily available. They will stay put . And in our lakes there is plenty of food available where ever a fish decides to call home 

[scaleface]

Some bass will be deep some shallow . Fish where you are comfortable and if thats not working  ,then try for the other population . Sometimes the deep bass are way more cooperative than the shallow ones . In the summer I fish about 50/50 deep vs shallow .

[CJ]

Interesting thread. One of the biggest factors that help bass dictate their depth in the summer is oxygen. On my home lake bass will move out deep after the spawn has finished and the key is how deep the bait is holding. They usually go from 8-12 FOW in mid May and as deep as 25 FOW by the mid June. Then when the hot, dog days of summer kick in, the D.O levels become too low at the deeper depths and the bass will make another vertical migration back up shallow (4-8 FOW), especially the mature fish. A sure sign is when mussel meat begins to float on the surface.

[scaleface]

34 minutes ago, CJ said:

Interesting thread. One of the biggest factors that help bass dictate their depth in the summer is oxygen. On my home lake bass will move out deep after the spawn has finished and the key is how deep the bait is holding. They usually go from 8-12 FOW in mid May and as deep as 25 FOW by the mid June. The when the hot dog days of summer kick in, the D.O levels become too low at the deeper depths and the bass will make another vertical migration back up shallow (4-8 FOW), especially the mature fish. A sure sign is when mussel meet begins to float on the surface.

I dont believe I've ever seen mussel meat floating on the water . I'll mentally file that away in case I ever do . Good tip .

[Fishes in trees]

To quote Buck Perry - "The fish are shallow - or deep - or somewhere in-between."